Plastics and packaging
ERP software for plastics and packaging manufacturers
Bills of materials for moulded items and corrugated boxes, work orders per shift or run, granules and kraft paper in kg, and invoices to the buyers who order every month.
In short
SimpleERP is ERP software for plastics and packaging manufacturers. BOMs cost each moulded item or carton from granules, masterbatch, kraft paper, ink and glue, work orders move stock per run, and invoices, purchases and payroll share one ledger.
Illustration of a bill of materials with cost roll-up and a work order moving from planned to in progress to completed.
A day in a plastics and packaging business
A packaging unit lives on thin margins and repeat orders, so the cost of one box or one container has to be known, not guessed.
The night shift hands over at seven. The moulding machines ran 500 ml containers for Greenleaf Foods, and the corrugation line made 3 ply cartons for the same buyer's dispatch next week. The supervisor writes the counts on a sheet.
By noon the owner wants to know: is there enough paper for tomorrow, what did the last cartons cost now that kraft prices have moved, and has Greenleaf paid. The answers sit in three places that do not agree.
SimpleERP puts the answers in two documents. A bill of materials says what goes into a batch of containers or cartons, with the wastage you expect, and a work order records what each run actually used and produced. The invoice then issues those goods at real cost, so margin is visible.
Bills of materials
Cost every carton and container from today's material prices
A bill of materials lists the raw material for one batch, the scrap you expect on each line and the labour or power per batch, and SimpleERP rolls it up into a cost per piece at current average costs.
- Moulded items from granules and masterbatch in kg; cartons from kraft paper, starch, ink and stitching wire.
- Scrap per line, such as 4% trim on kraft paper, raises planned quantity and cost.
- Versions when a buyer changes the ply or the GSM; old work orders keep the plan they used.
| Line | Planned quantity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Kraft paper 120 GSM (4% scrap) | 436.8 kg @ $0.80 | $349.44 |
| Corrugation starch | 18 kg @ $0.60 | $10.80 |
| Flexo ink | 2.5 kg @ $5.00 | $12.50 |
| Stitching wire | 3 kg @ $2.00 | $6.00 |
| Labour and power | per batch | $40.00 |
| Total for 1,000 cartons | $418.74 | |
| Cost per carton | $0.42 |
Work orders
One work order per run, and stock moves when the run is done
Raise a work order for each shift or run; completing it issues granules or paper at average cost and receives the finished pieces at the actual cost of that run.
- Plan pulls the material from the BOM and shows what is short in the source warehouse.
- Complete with the quantity actually consumed, so a bad run shows up as higher cost per piece.
- From a sales order: create the work order from a confirmed order line for a buyer's repeat lot.
Purchase and inventory
Granules and paper in kg, finished goods in pieces
Each product has its own unit, so polypropylene granules and kraft paper are counted in kg while containers and cartons are counted in pieces, boxes or a bundle unit you add yourself.
- Purchase orders and supplier bills for granules, masterbatch and paper receive stock at the bill cost.
- Low stock list with a reorder level per product, turned into purchase orders grouped by supplier.
- Warehouses for the raw material store, the factory floor and a finished goods warehouse, with transfers between them.
Illustration of stock on hand by warehouse at average cost, with a low-stock row highlighted and a movement ledger.
Sales and billing
Invoice regular buyers lot by lot against one order
A buyer's monthly order goes in as one sales order, and each dispatch is invoiced against it until the order is complete, with the tax on every line.
- Partial invoicing of a sales order, so the order shows what is still to be dispatched.
- Your tax rate on each product, with a summary by rate on the print.
- Credit limit per buyer warns you before a new invoice takes them over it.
- Ageing of each buyer's dues and a customer statement you can print or share.
Illustration of tax invoice INV-2026-0213 to Northside Retail with tax 10% and the amount in words.
People and payroll
Pay machine operators from the attendance you already mark
Mark attendance for every operator and helper on one screen, with shifts and grace minutes, and payroll reads paid days and loss of pay from it.
- Day and night shifts with weekly offs, so late marks are consistent.
- Salary structures with basic pay, allowances and deductions per employee.
- Advances recovered through the payslip, month by month.
Illustration of a payslip with Basic salary, Allowances, Bonus and net pay of 4,440.
Ready on day one
What you don't have to set up
SimpleERP seeds the routine parts when you sign up.
- A chart of accounts with inventory, cost of goods sold and a manufacturing overhead account already mapped.
- Your country's tax rates, ready to pick on a product or service.
- Units such as kilograms, pieces, boxes and metres, plus document numbering on your financial year.
- Seven ready-made roles, from Owner to Employee self-service, to copy and adjust later.
By job
Plastics and packaging by job
Inventory for plastic manufacturers
HDPE and PP granules and masterbatch in kg, regrind as its own item, and cans, containers and closures in pieces per warehouse.
Read moreAccounting for packaging businesses
Buyer dues, polymer bills, the power bill, mould depreciation and reclaimable tax in one ledger that posts itself.
Read morePayroll for plastic factories
Monthly pay for machine operators on day and night shifts, with the deductions you set and travel advances recovered.
Read moreManufacturing for plastic moulders
BOMs for jerry cans, containers and closures from granules, masterbatch and regrind, and work orders that cost each run.
Read more
One system
The modules that do this work
A completed work order writes stock movements and a journal; the invoice for the finished goods writes the sale, the cost and the tax.
Manufacturing
Bills of materials with scrap and cost roll-up, and work orders from plan to complete.
See howInventory
Stock on hand by warehouse at weighted average cost, with a movement ledger and a low-stock list.
See howPurchase
Purchase orders, supplier bills that receive stock, debit notes and payables.
See howInvoicing & tax
Tax invoices with VAT, GST or sales tax on every line, numbered by fiscal year and posted in one step.
See howPayroll
Salary structures, monthly runs and payslips with your earnings and deductions, posted to the books.
See howPayments & receivables
Receipts and payments allocated oldest first, receivables and payables ageing, and statements.
See how
Honest limits
What SimpleERP does not do for plastics and packaging yet
We would rather you know now than find out in month two.
- Machine, mould or die scheduling. Work orders carry planned dates, not machine slots.
- Roll or reel tracking by weight. Kraft paper is one stock figure in kg per warehouse, not reel by reel.
- By-products from a run. A work order produces one product, so record regrind or saleable waste with a stock adjustment and a reason.
- Batch or lot tracking for food-grade traceability. Stock is tracked by product and warehouse.
- E-invoicing or transport documents filed through a government system.
Getting started
Start with your first invoice
Sign up with your email
Name, email and a password. No card for the seven-day trial.
Tell us about the business
Pick your country and, if you are registered, type your tax number. Accounts, tax rates, units, roles and numbering are seeded for that country.
Add what you sell
Import your granules, paper and finished items from a CSV file with opening stock per warehouse, or add them one by one. Then build the BOM for your best-selling carton or container.
Post your first invoice
Pick the customer, add lines and save. Your first invoice can be out within 10 minutes of signing up.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Which tax rate applies to plastic packaging and cartons?
Usually your country's standard VAT, GST or sales tax rate, though packaging sold to a manufacturer for resale goods can be treated differently in some sales tax states, and some countries add a separate plastic packaging tax. Set the rate on each product and the invoice applies it line by line. Rates differ by country and change, so confirm the rate for your goods with your accountant or tax authority before you rely on it.
Can SimpleERP track each paper reel by weight?
No. Kraft paper is held as one product per GSM or size, with a single quantity in kg per warehouse at weighted average cost. Enter the total kg on the supplier bill and correct it with a physical count at month end.
How do I record wastage and regrind from a moulding run?
Plan the expected wastage as a scrap percentage on the BOM line. On completion, enter the granules actually used; any extra raises the cost per piece. If you reuse regrind, keep it as its own product and bring it into stock with a stock adjustment and a reason.
Do machine operators need a login?
No. Operators can be employees in payroll without a login, with attendance marked by a supervisor. To let them see their own payslips and leave, invite them with the Employee self-service role.
Can I move from spreadsheets or another app in the middle of the year?
Yes. Import products from a CSV file with opening stock per warehouse, import customers and suppliers with their opening balances, and start posting from a date your accountant agrees. Switching at the start of a month keeps opening stock clean.
Related
Keep reading
Printing and labels
Job quotations that become invoices, paper and ink stock, billing for goods and services, and payroll.
Read moreManufacturing
BOMs with scrap and cost roll-up, work orders that move stock, and payroll for shop-floor staff.
Read moreWholesale & distribution
Keyboard-first billing, stock across warehouses at average cost, party ledgers and receivables ageing.
Read moreStore & purchase teams
Low stock to purchase order, supplier bills, counts, transfers and work orders.
Read moreWeighted average cost
How weighted average cost values stock and cost of goods sold, with the formula, a worked example and how it compares with FIFO.
Read more
Run your whole business from one simple place.
Seven days free. No card. Your first invoice in minutes.