The core competencies of Karl Knauer KG are innovative packaging, advertising materials and gift packaging made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard and paper, as well as special machine construction. With its two sites in Biberach and Pniewy (Poland), the company is one of the leading specialists in the packaging sector with around 800 employees. Karl Knauer stands for production diversity and a high level of vertical integration. The individual packaging solutions meet the highest standards of protection, safety, sustainability and attractiveness at the point of sale (POS).
product picture karlknauer
With very low margins and high competition, the packaging industry is subject to high price pressure, as is Karl Knauer. In order to secure competitive advantages, the packaging manufacturer attaches great importance to IT-supported process efficiency. Karl Knauer has been using SAP to manage its business processes for many years. The system was converted from ERP ECC 6.0 to S/4HANA in mid-2024. Around 10,000 orders are managed automatically with SAP at Karl Knauer every year - from ordering to production and shipping. Around 60% of the orders come via delivery call-offs.
Thorsten Riehle, Controller at Karl Knauer KG: "For us, the order backlog is a very important parameter for corporate and production management. Without automation, it is almost impossible to maintain an overview, let alone make well-founded decisions.
We realized that neither SAP ERP ECC 6.0 nor S/4HANA adequately covered this key figure. We really wanted to close this gap in operational reporting."