MOD-PAC: A Leading Packaging Manufacturer Seeks the Best Business Automation Solution

Project Background

MOD-PAC, a large and well-established manufacturer of custom folding cartons, services its many global customers from a 500,000 square-foot production facility in Buffalo, NY. Daniel, MOD-PAC's CEO, approached us in the spring of 2014 about a solution to the lack of resources offered by his (then current) outsourcing provider. Sibers’ Microsoft Gold Partner status and our experience with systems similar to what Daniel wanted to develop were key in convincing him to work with us, as were the pertinent questions we asked during our first project meeting.

Daniel excels at establishing and maintaining strong business relationships, and of all our 900+ clients, he’s the only one to visit us in Novosibirsk twice in the same year! Besides enjoying nordic skiing sessions together and exploring the city with the team, these meetups proved crucial to defining precise specs for his required tasks.

Our first assignment was to build a vendor management inventory (VMI) system for MOD-PAC and its clients. A VMI is, by definition, a system that maximizes supplier-customer transparency.

Solution

MOD-PAC's customers come in all sizes and operate in myriad industries, from fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) to pharmaceuticals and high-tech, and they all have one thing in common: a need for custom packaging. MOD-PAC’s objective is to meet this need by delivering the best solutions, and in so doing generate repeat business. This is where Sibers’ VMI shows its mettle. Positioned at the heart of the complete business automation solution that we developed, the VMI deftly combines customer relationship tools with inventory management applications. The VMI was built in .NET, and since it's web-based it is accessible to MOD-PAC and its customers at all times via any internet-enabled device.

The VMI’s purpose is to provide a clear visualization of the current inventory situation and the carton production stage, thereby offering a better customer experience. With the VMI in place, MOD-PAC and its customers can consistently monitor two critical project components:

1. Carton forecasts
2. Manufacturing status, i.e. how many cartons are in production, in transit, and in pre-production

Thanks to the VMI that Sibers created, both parties can not only view but also influence the process in real-time.

Our automation solution also provides an opportunity for MOD-PAC’s customers to design their folding carton layouts online, choosing a layout type and other parameters, i.e. length and width for different edges. MOD-PAC’s team can then review the order, revise it if necessary, and prepare it for printing.

Another module manages invoices, with available options such as creating, editing, tracking, and delivering to customers. And, ultimately, “user management module” puts it all together, simultaneously ensuring single-sign-on functionality to all the parts of the system and providing data for shipping, billing, invoicing, etc., accessible through different modules of the ERP.

Tech highlights

• Languages: C#, JavaScript, T-SQL, TypeScript
• Frameworks: .NET Framework, ASP.NET MVC Framework, ASP.NET Web API, Entities Framework, IdentityServer
• Databases: MS SQL, IBM DB2
• Extensions and libraries: ASP.NET Identity, jQuery, KnockoutJS, Less.js, SignalR, AutoMapper, Unity IoC, Linq2CSV, EPPlus, log4net, Quartz.NET, Swagger RESTful API
• Azure Services: Azure Active Directory, Azure Search, Azure Data Lake, Azure HDInsight, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Blob Storage, SendGrid, Azure CDN
• Amazon Web Services: Amazon S3, Amazon Cloud Search

Results

The feature-rich custom enterprise management system Sibers developed for MOD-PAC currently consists of 10+ modules, each aimed at optimizing the production process and helping MOD-PAC exceed customer expectations.

We even had a chance to see our solution in action! During a business trip in the fall of 2017, Vladimir, a Sibers team member, visited MOD-PAC’s production facility in Buffalo. Daniel showed Vladimir the manufacturing process from start to finish, demonstrated how the system works in the field, and how MOD-PAC’s employees use it in the workplace. It was a real treat for Vladimir and a great learning experience for the rest of our team.

Daniel knows his company inside-out. He understands every manufacturing aspect and is well-tuned to his clients’ needs. His business acumen is what makes it so easy and pleasant to work with him on projects. Today, the Sibers team enjoys a continuing collaboration with MOD-PAC, enhancing the company’s systems and implementing new, cutting-edge features on a daily basis.