Reference Report
KARL KNAUER KG - At the touch of a button: a clear view of the order backlog in SAP
KPI package YODA increases transparency at packaging specialist Karl Knauer
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).
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."
The company started looking for a solution and found what it was looking for with the YODA order backlog KPI package from WSW Software. YODA is the Business Analytics Suite that combines numerous KPI packages for sales, production and purchasing - fully integrated in ECC 6.0 and S/4HANA. The YODA order backlog KPI package extracts the required order data from SAP, prepares it and generates the relevant KPIs. The data can be clearly visualized in a dashboard and evaluated down to the individual document by drilling down. At Karl Knauer, all data from YODA is linked to the Microsoft Power BI tool and prepared graphically.
Order and sales information in SAP at the touch of a button in real time
Several times a week, Karl Knauer Controlling uses YODA to analyze all order backlogs in its "Packaging" division. At the touch of a button and in real time, the department receives information about:
- Total value and expected sales from open orders
- Development of the order backlog
- Order backlog by product or product category
In addition, the management receives a clear monthly report from Controlling on these and other key figures, such as the development of the order backlog compared to previous periods, the expected turnover from open orders in the coming periods or an overview of the order backlog by customer.
"The use of IT to support our processes is a strategic success factor for us and gives us a competitive edge. Where the standard reaches its limits, we mainly make do with add-ons. The YODA order backlog KPI package from WSW Software, which is integrated into SAP, has brought us a long way forward. We now have a clear view, more transparency and therefore greater planning reliability in corporate and production management. The implementation went quickly and the price-performance ratio was right. We are very satisfied with WSW Software across the board," summarizes Murat Ulum, Director IT at Karl Knauer KG.
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