The Aicomp Group celebrates its 25th company anniversary in 2025 as one of the world’s leading implementation partners for SAP variant configuration solutions. The company now employs over 80 staff members at six locations in Europe and the USA, operating globally as it serves customers in the packaging industry.

Market-Leading Position Through Strategic Partnerships

The over 25-year partnership with SAP underscores Aicomp’s leading market position in variant configuration – particularly in the packaging industry. Through close collaboration with SAP, in-depth industry knowledge continuously flows into the development of customized solutions. Aicomp contributes not only technological competence, but also comprehensive understanding of industry-specific processes and challenges, which is strategically utilized in joint projects.

Customers also confirm the exceptional quality of this partnership: When Aicomp couldn’t present a finished solution at a customer meeting in 2006, the team developed a working demonstration overnight – proof of their practical innovation power and deep understanding of customer needs.

The secret of long-term customer relationships lies in exceptional employee retention: many team members have worked for the company for 10, 15, or even 20 years. This loyalty and continuity among our team creates trust, promotes sustainable relationships, and enables meeting specific industry requirements with mature expertise.

Future Strategy: AI and Cloud Transformation

Looking ahead to the next 25 years, Aicomp focuses on digital transformation and new technologies.

“The next 5 to 10 years offer truly great opportunities and challenges for Aicomp. With new cloud developments, big data, and AI, we are positioning ourselves to develop solutions for our existing customer base that make a real difference.” — Jeroen Koopman, CEO Aicomp NORAM.

The digitalization of the packaging industry drives continuous innovations. Technologies like Digital Printing require new approaches to product configuration, where Aicomp grows together with its customers. The company possesses the right expertise in new technologies and understands how to integrate them into the existing portfolio.

Revolutionary Founding Idea Creates New Industry Solution

The success story began in 2000 when five SAP specialists in the Swabian Alb implemented a groundbreaking idea: making SAP technology usable for an industry that was previously considered “not really SAP-capable.”

“In the nineties, SAP developed a powerful configuration tool called Logistic Variant Configuration, which allows customers to configure products in lot size 1. We took this tool and introduced it to the packaging industry because at that time, due to the sheer volume of product characteristics, it wasn’t possible to use SAP in this industry.” — Michael Tews, Co-founder Aicomp.

The development of VCPowerPack, an ABAP-based product configurator for SAP ERP, marked the strategic shift from pure project provider to software provider with license and maintenance components – a milestone for sustainable growth.

International Expansion Shapes Corporate Culture

The breakthrough came in 2003 with an expansion to the USA. Memphis proved to be strategically ideal: centrally located with short distances to the most important packaging companies in Atlanta, Chicago, and Cincinnati. Within a radius of 500 miles, 80% of the headquarters of the five largest packaging companies worldwide were located at that time.

International expansion also shaped the special corporate culture. The close sense of community among teams in Memphis created a unique Aicomp DNA that is still characterized today by exceptionally long employee retention.

An Outlook on Further Potential

With its established position as an industry specialist and strategic focus on future technologies, Aicomp is optimally positioned for the next 25 years. The combination of technical expertise, long-standing partnerships, and strong corporate culture forms the foundation for further international growth.

At the Aicomp Summit 2026, the latest technical developments and findings in the field of software for the packaging industry will be presented in lectures and technically demanding workshops. This information is relevant for both packaging manufacturers and digitalization partners.

After the great success of the Aicomp Summit 2024 in Berlin, the event will take place in Vienna for the first time in 2026. From March 11-13, 2026, interested parties will learn more about digitalization in the packaging industry at the 25hours Hotel in Vienna’s Museum Quarter.

Shaping the future of the packaging industry: Exchange on innovation and optimization at the Aicomp Summit

In 2021, the internationally renowned IT company Aicomp launched the first Aicomp Summit. The event is aimed at specialists and executives from the IT industry – with a special focus on the packaging industry – and offers a platform for exchange on new technologies and ways to increase the efficiency of industrial processes. Aicomp’s goal is to help shape the future of the packaging industry in a sustainable way through innovation and continuous optimization.

The 2026 event will focus on the latest developments in artificial intelligence and sustainable production. Aicomp itself focuses on key topics in product configuration and how these optimizations are made possible in all areas of the company. In addition, completely new technological approaches, such as AI-supported production planning and cloud-based SaaS solutions for data management and corporate control, will be explained and discussed in detail.

Partnerships in focus: Aicomp expands its network with industry leaders

Aicomp focuses on the continuous expansion of its partner network and therefore brings together numerous partner companies to present relevant solutions at the summit. Among the partners represented are well-known companies such as SAP, OMP, ORTEC and T.CON.

These partners will present their current technologies and solutions to meet the specific requirements of the packaging industry. SAP will show approaches on how existing systems can be gradually developed for building a smarter company – especially in the context of modern production planning. OMP focuses on optimizing the supply chain along the entire value chain – from production planning to manufacturing. ORTEC will present innovative solutions for efficient transport and route planning. T.CON focuses on the development of untapped production potential and shows how modern SAP technologies can be integrated into existing system landscapes in a targeted manner.

In this way, Aicomp and its partners contribute to the further development and improvement of the packaging industry through cooperation and the exchange of technologies and solutions.

Insights into the digitalization strategies of well-known packaging manufacturers

Some of the largest and most established packaging companies are also supporting the summit with their valuable insights. Participants include renowned Aicomp customers such as Mondi and MM Group, as well as other leading packaging manufacturers such as Gatner Packaging, who will share their extensive experience in digitalization with those present. These companies present their digitalization strategies and development approaches in a vivid way and provide exciting insights into their processes for overcoming the everyday challenges of their industry.

In compellingly designed lectures and discussion panels, they will explain their proven approaches to meeting the requirements of digitization and implementing technical optimizations in their operations.

Global Knowledge Exchange: Aicomp Summit – Live Event in Vienna and Stream

The event is an English-moderated event that is open to all interested parties after prior registration. On-site participation in Vienna can be booked for 650 euro per participant. For those who cannot attend on site, the event will be livestreamed free of charge. All that is required is user access to the Aicomp Summit Website. In addition, the individual lectures will also be made available retrospectively via the website and can be accessed after logging in.

The three-day format, with over 30 live sessions and more than 20 speakers, offers an even more immersive learning experience than previous years. In addition to keynote lectures and panel discussions, deep-dive sessions and interactive breakout formats will also be offered, promoting direct exchange between participants.

Networking: Where packaging experts meet technology professionals and ideas flow

The Aicomp Summit event offers a diverse framework that brings together stakeholders from the packaging industry and creates the opportunity to establish new networks. This is where technology experts with extensive industry knowledge and many years of experience meet experienced experts from the packaging industry. This unique gathering makes the Summit an outstanding knowledge and exchange platform where innovative ideas and best practices merge.

The success of the Summit 2024 in Berlin with 100% participant satisfaction and 77% “very satisfied” and 23% “satisfied” ratings underlines the quality and relevance of the format. This track record motivates Aicomp to take the 2026 event in Vienna to a new level.

The US packaging manufacturing industry, with a market volume of $209 billion, faces unprecedented challenges: While 90% of companies are modernizing their ERP systems by 2024, they simultaneously struggle with increasingly complex product configurations and shrinking profit margins. For packaging manufacturers already using SAP, specialized add-on solutions provide the decisive competitive advantage.

The Complexity Trap of Modern Packaging Production

Packaging manufacturers today manage hundreds of product variations with different materials, sizes, finishes, and printing specifications. This variety of variants requires dynamic configuration capabilities that can adapt to customer requirements in real-time – a requirement that often overwhelms standard ERP systems.

The critical challenges:

• Product configuration complexity: Managing multiple variations across different substrates and barrier properties
• Multi-level BOM management: Material substitutions and supplier variations in real-time
• Dynamic pricing: Multi-tier pricing models with quantity discounts and custom configurations

SAP Add-ons as Industry Solution

While SAP provides a solid foundation, specialized add-on solutions address the unique requirements of the packaging industry without compromising the existing system architecture.

Intelligent Variant Configuration

Modern add-on solutions use rule-based mechanisms that automatically determine valid material combinations, consider production constraints, and suggest cost-optimal configurations.

Automated Cost Calculations

Through integration of historical production data, add-on systems create precise cost estimates:

• Automatic material requirements determination
• AI-supported machine time and scrap factors based on product attributes
• Real-time price adjustments for fluctuating raw material prices

Advanced BOM Management

Intelligent add-ons offer alternative material paths with probability indicators, automatic substitution suggestions during material shortages, and sustainability assessments of different material alternatives.

Measurable ROI Improvements

The implementation of SAP add-ons shows impressive results:

• Quote process: 65% time reduction in cost calculation
• Configuration accuracy: 85% fewer errors in product specifications
• Material optimization: 12-18% reduction in material costs
• Production efficiency: 25% improvement in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

These metrics are particularly relevant since 78% of manufacturers allocate more than 20% of their improvement budgets to technology initiatives.

Sustainability and Compliance

With 94% of manufacturers considering sustainability as a key factor, modern SAP add-ons must integrate environmental compliance:

• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) tracking
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for different configurations
• Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) content optimization
• Automatic FDA compliance checking

Implementation Strategy

Phase 1: Assessment (2-4 weeks) Analysis of existing SAP configuration and definition of ROI metrics.

Phase 2: Pilot Implementation (6-8 weeks) Implementation for selected product lines and user training.

Phase 3: Full Rollout (8-12 weeks) Extension to all product areas and continuous optimization.

The Competitive Advantage

In an industry with 84% increased M&A activity, the ability for efficient product configuration becomes the decisive differentiating factor. Companies that extend their SAP investments through specialized add-ons achieve faster market response, improved cost accuracy, and increased customer satisfaction.

 

Sources:

• Mordor Intelligence: US Packaging Manufacturing Market Analysis 2025
• Deloitte Insights: Manufacturing Leadership Survey 2024
• Business Wire: Sustainability in Packaging Manufacturing Report 2024
• Oracle: Packaging Industry M&A Analysis 2024
• Gartner: ERP Market Analysis and Magic Quadrant 2024
• SAP: Business AI Customer Adoption Study 2024

On April 3, 2025, the international IT company Aicomp opened its doors to four female students as part of the nationwide Girls’ Day initiative. The company, which specializes in ERP solutions for the packaging industry, offered the participants practical insights into the professional fields of IT specialization with a focus on application development and system integration.

Promoting Female Talent: A Key Element in Addressing the Skills Shortage

For Aicomp, participation in Girls’ Day represents a consistent step toward promoting diversity in the IT industry. In a sector traditionally dominated by men, the company is deliberately focusing on fostering female talent. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to combat the skills shortage by tapping into previously underrepresented talent pools.

“Digitalization is advancing in all industries, and we need diverse teams to master the complex challenges of our customers,” emphasizes Elke Mayerle, EU HR Director at Aicomp Consulting GmbH. “Girls’ Day offers an ideal platform to demonstrate to young women the versatility and creativity that comes with a career in IT. It’s no longer just about programming – it’s about interdisciplinary thinking, teamwork, and innovative approaches.”

Robotics and Programming: Practical Insights into the IT World

The day’s program was divided into two main sections: The morning focused on independently constructing robots, while the afternoon was dedicated to programming these self-built systems. The students had the opportunity to gain first-hand experience with robot “thinking” under professional guidance – a core competency in the modern IT industry.

“It’s impressive to see the enthusiasm and competence with which the young participants approach technical challenges,” explains Patrick Mair, Head of IT at Aicomp. “With Girls’ Day, we aim to specifically inspire young women to pursue technical professions and show them that the IT industry offers exciting and future-proof career opportunities.”

Sustainable Commitment to Greater Diversity in the Tech Industry

With its Girls’ Day engagement, Aicomp joins a growing number of companies actively working against the gender gap in technical professions. Following the successful event, the company plans to further expand its commitment to promoting young women in IT and to conduct similar initiatives on a regular basis.

At the end of the day, participants took home not only their self-constructed and programmed robots but also valuable insights into potential career paths and a new understanding of the diverse opportunities in the IT industry.

In recent years, digitalization has impacted nearly every industry—and the paper industry is no exception. The study “Digital Transformation in the Paper Industry: Assessing Maturity, Challenges, and Opportunities”, published in the journal Sustainability (Othen, Padberg, Möbitz & Gries, 2025), examines the current state of digital maturity in the paper industry, identifies key challenges, and explores the opportunities presented by digital transformation.

Why is digital transformation important for the paper industry?

Traditionally characterized by stable production processes that have stood the test of time, the paper industry faces increasing pressure to digitalize in an increasingly interconnected world where efficiency, sustainability, and flexibility are crucial. The study argues that companies that do not actively embrace digital transformation risk falling behind:

“Digital technologies not only offer efficiency advantages but also open up new business models and markets.” (Othen, Padberg, Möbitz & Gries, 2025)

Study methodology: How was digital maturity measured?

Researchers employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to assess digital maturity in the paper industry, including:

• Surveys of industry experts: Over 100 executives from the paper industry were surveyed about their experiences with digital technologies.
• Case study analysis: The study examined specific companies that have already implemented successful digitalization strategies.
• Maturity models: Digital maturity was divided into different stages, from initial (first steps) to optimized (fully integrated digital processes).

Key findings of the study

a) Digital maturity has room for improvement

Despite some companies in the paper industry already using digital technologies, the study indicates that the majority of the industry is still in the early stages of digital transformation:

• 40% of companies are in the initial phase, where initial digital tools are being introduced.
• 35% are in the integration phase, where digital technologies are increasingly integrated into existing processes.
• Only 25% of surveyed companies have achieved a high level of digital maturity, where data-driven decisions and automated processes are standard (Othen, Padberg, Möbitz & Gries, 2025).

b) Challenges on the path to digitalization

The study identifies three main barriers to digital transformation:

1. Technological hurdles: Implementing new technologies requires investments not only in software and hardware but also in training and skilled personnel. Many companies struggle with outdated IT infrastructure and a lack of qualified personnel (Karl Isler, o. d.).
2. Cultural change: Digital transformation is not just a technical challenge but also a cultural one. Resistance within the workforce, fear of change, and insufficient digital skills complicate the transformation. The authors emphasize:

“The success of digitalization depends not only on technology but primarily on the willingness of employees to embrace new ways.” (Othen, Padberg, Möbitz & Gries, 2025)

3. Data security and privacy: With digitalization comes an increased risk of cyber-attacks. Companies must invest significant resources in security measures to protect sensitive production and customer data (Univio, 2024).

c) Opportunities and potential of digital transformation

Despite these challenges, the study highlights significant benefits that digitalization can bring to the paper industry:

• Efficiency gains: Automated processes and data-driven decisions can reduce production costs and improve product quality (Voith, 2024).
• Sustainability: Digital technologies enable more precise resource management, leading to reduced energy consumption and waste (Modellfabrik Papier, 2024).
• New business models: Digitalization opens up opportunities for personalized products, data-driven services, and new distribution channels. An example is the use of IoT technologies for predictive maintenance of machinery (Karl Isler, o. d.).

Other relevant factors and digital solutions

In addition to the challenges identified in the study, there are other factors critical to the digital transformation of the paper industry.

One key aspect is managing large volumes of data. The paper industry generates immense amounts of data across the entire value chain—from raw material procurement through production to logistics. Effectively capturing, storing, and analyzing this data poses a significant challenge. However, with the use of big data analytics, companies can transform these data volumes into valuable insights. Modern IT services enable real-time data processing, optimizing production processes and early detection of maintenance needs (Karl Isler, o. d.).

Another issue is the shortage of skilled personnel and the need for digital competencies. The lack of qualified professionals with digital skills significantly complicates the implementation of digitalization projects. Companies can address this challenge through targeted training programs and collaboration with technology partners. User-friendly digital tools can also increase acceptance of new technologies and facilitate the transition (Karl Isler, o. d.).

Sustainability and decarbonization also play a crucial role. Reducing CO₂ emissions and implementing sustainable production methods are central concerns of the paper industry. Intelligent systems enable real-time monitoring and control of energy consumption. By using sensors and data analysis, companies can optimize their energy and resource consumption, contributing to decarbonization (Voith, 2023).

Recommended actions for companies

Based on the study results and further analysis, the following recommendations emerge:

1. Gradual digitalization: Companies should begin with small-scale initiatives and conduct initial pilot projects before implementing broader changes.
2. Investment in training: Training and further education for employees are crucial to support cultural change.
3. Partnerships and collaborations: Working with technology providers and startups can facilitate access to new innovations.
4. Focus on data security: Implementing robust security measures is essential to gain the trust of customers and partners.

The future of the paper industry is digital

Digital transformation offers significant opportunities to the paper industry—from efficiency gains to more sustainable production processes and new business models. At the same time, the transformation requires investment, commitment, and a willingness to question traditional structures. Companies that embrace this challenge can not only secure their competitiveness but also actively contribute to shaping Industry 4.0.

“Digitalization is not a one-time project but a continuous process of adaptation and innovation.” (Othen, Padberg, Möbitz & Gries, 2025)

Further information:

You can read the full study here: Digital Transformation in the Paper Industry

 

References

Karl Isler (o.d.). Digitalisierung in der Papierindustrie: Wie IT-Services den Wandel      unterstützen.

Modellfabrik Papier (23.05.2024). Forest on the way to the digital twin for the paper industry. 

Othen, S., Padberg, A., Möbitz, T., & Gries, T. (2025). Digital Transformation in the Paper       Industry: Assessing Maturity, Challenges, and Opportunities. Sustainability, 17(2), 770. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/2/770

Univio (06.02.2024). The 10 biggest challenges of digital transformation. 

Voith (09.04.2023). Next Level: Voith Paper Customer Magazine.

Voith (11.10.2024). Next Level: Voith Paper Customer Magazine.