--- title: "Connected Planning: Packaging's Competitive Edge" description: Learn how packaging leaders use Connected Planning to tackle volatile commodity costs, boost forecasting speed, and turn market uncertainty into advantage. image: https://www.profitand.com/hubfs/Pcakging%20Blog%20Banner.png --- Hit enter to search or ESC to close * ** * * ** * #### Contact us **Email:** [ info@profitand.com](mailto:info@profitand.com) Profit& Ltd** **100 Bishopsgate London EC2N 4AG United Kingdom **Telephone:** +44 208 1382241 Profit& Srl Via Savoia 78 00198 Rome Italy **Telephone:** +39 0685237413 Profit& Sp.zo.o Ul. Złota 59 Skylight p. 14 00-120 Warsaw Poland **Telephone:** +48 782 579 777 - [**](https://twitter.com/Profitand1) - [**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/profit%26-ltd/) [Connected Planning](https://www.profitand.com/blog/tag/connected-planning), [Packaging](https://www.profitand.com/blog/tag/packaging) # Connected Planning: Packaging's Competitive Edge By [Lee Hewitt](https://www.profitand.com/blog/author/lee-hewitt) September 03, 2025 [ No Comment](https://www.profitand.com/blog/connected-planning-packagings-competitive-edge#comments-listing) As a consultant with years of experience in the packaging industry, I’ve seen firsthand how unpredictable market forces can disrupt even the best-run businesses. The challenges packaging leaders face today are unlike anything we’ve seen before: extreme volatility in energy and raw material prices — particularly starch — unpredictable demand, and mounting sustainability pressures. These aren’t issues you can control. What you can control is how you respond. And that’s where better planning processes make all the difference. This is why I advise packaging leaders to embrace Connected Planning — a smarter way to manage uncertainty. It equips your business with real-time insights, agility, and collaboration, so you can respond decisively when market conditions shift. With our Profit& Frame – Starter Kit for Packaging, a pre-built Anaplan solution, you can start creating value in weeks, not months. --- # Is Your Planning Holding You Back? Your challenges are shared across the entire packaging sector. The difference between those who adapt and those who get left behind comes down to how you plan and respond. Volatile Input Costs: Energy and raw materials prices can swing wildly overnight. You need a planning process that keeps pace — and allows you to run what-if scenarios so you always have a Plan B. **Complex Operations:  **Your mills, plants, and regional offices need consistent, connected data to coordinate effectively across regions and functions. **Uncertain Demand:  **Shifting consumer preferences and evolving regulations make static forecasts unreliable. You need a system that can flex and adapt as conditions change. Focus Where The Value Is:  There’s no reward for spending hours manually converting data, checking for errors, or rolling forward static forecasts. Free up your teams to focus on value creation — driving insights, innovation, and smarter decisions. Forecasting Frequency:  In a market where conditions change like the wind, you need an evergreen forecast that updates continuously. Annual planning cycles are no longer good enough. You must be able to adjust quickly when the unexpected happens. Sustainability Pressures:  Track the financial and operational impact of green initiatives and capital projects to make informed, data-driven decisions. Connected Planning integrates finance, sales, operations, and procurement into a single platform. It gives you the power to model pricing, demand, and cost scenarios instantly and see the ripple effects across your value chain — all while freeing finance teams from manual processes so they can focus on strategic action. --- # How effective is your FP&A process? Take our self assessment to get a baseline score for your business today! [![Download Our Self Assessment](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/5385453/0d712eda-0a41-49d9-a95c-cc76cad4f423.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/5385453/0d712eda-0a41-49d9-a95c-cc76cad4f423) --- # A Story You Might Recognise I recently worked with the European paper mills division of a global packaging leader. Their situation may sound familiar: - Annual budgets built in Excel. - Variance reports only available at the very end of the process. - Complex raw material cost models were slow, opaque, and prone to error. When energy and commodity markets turned unpredictable, their old methods couldn’t keep up. By adopting Anaplan as their Connected Planning platform, we helped them: - Build a central data hub for one version of the truth. - Automate rolling forecasts that update in real time. - Gain transparent, flexible cost models to understand the impact of volatile energy and starch prices. Now, they can model scenarios in minutes — not weeks — and respond proactively rather than reactively. The results speak for themselves: Clarity:  A single, trusted source of data. Speed:  Quarterly forecasts are produced in real time. Efficiency:  Teams focus on insights, not reconciliation. Agility: Energy and commodity changes are modelled instantly. Confidence: Leadership decisions are backed by real-time insights. --- # Lessons From Across The Packaging Industry Today, major players in the packaging sector are embracing Connected Planning. It’s no longer a nice-to-have — it’s essential for staying competitive. Luxury packaging: Groupe **Pochet **aligns supply chain planning with dynamic product portfolios. Beverage packaging: The Coca-Cola Company connects demand, supply, and finance to stay responsive across global markets. Paper and board manufacturers: Large global players have eliminated spreadsheet-heavy processes, gaining agility and self-sufficiency with Anaplan As one finance leader explained:  “Our collaboration with Profit& to implement Anaplan has transformed planning and reporting. We now have consistent, accurate data at our fingertips, and our teams can focus on analysis and strategic decision-making.” --- # See the Value for Yourself At Profit&, we’ve distilled our experience into the Profit& Frame – FP&A Starter Kit for Packaging, a ready-to-use Anaplan application designed specifically for packaging companies. With Frame, you can: ●    Configure the model to your company’s structure. ●    Start delivering value in weeks, not months . ●    Add custom features to meet your specific business needs. 👉 Get a demo of the Profit& Frame today and see how fast you can move from spreadsheets to real-time insights. [![REQUEST A DEMO](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/5385453/26dec891-c21a-4b26-8de2-345a90aab368.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/5385453/26dec891-c21a-4b26-8de2-345a90aab368) --- # Beyond The FP&A Frame Connected Planning doesn’t just improve financial planning — it creates a foundation for strategic, data-driven decisions across the business: **Operational Efficiency:** Plan your resources strategically to reduce overtime costs and avoid last-minute, short-term fixes. Sales and pricing optimisation — model discounts and pricing strategies in real time. CapEx planning — Compare and prioritise investments with connected, consistent data. Sustainability impact — Accurately measure both operational and financial outcomes of green initiatives. In packaging, uncertainty is a given. Connected Planning turns uncertainty into a competitive advantage. --- # Why Work with Profit& At Profit&, we specialise in helping packaging companies transform their planning processes. Our Connected Planning implementations are: ●    Transparent and user-friendly — no “black box” models. ●    Designed for self-sufficiency — your teams own and run the solution. ●    Proven in packaging — from paper mills to global bottlers and luxury brands.   --- # Start Fast. Scale Smart. Stay Competitive With the Profit& Frame – Starter Kit for Packaging, you don’t need to start from scratch. You get a proven, scalable Anaplan solution that delivers fast results while adapting to your business’s unique needs.   I invite you to explore how Connected Planning can transform your packaging business. [![Talk to Pawel](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/5385453/ea847e42-6b2f-4a2a-b676-8caa4b446045.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/5385453/ea847e42-6b2f-4a2a-b676-8caa4b446045) 👉 Not Ready to see how Frame can help you navigate market volatility and stay ahead of the competition? Take our self assessment to see how your FP&A processes measure up. [![Download Our Self Assessment](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/5385453/0d712eda-0a41-49d9-a95c-cc76cad4f423.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/5385453/0d712eda-0a41-49d9-a95c-cc76cad4f423) #### SHARE THIS - ** - ** - ** [Connected Planning](https://www.profitand.com/blog/tag/connected-planning) [Packaging](https://www.profitand.com/blog/tag/packaging) ![Lee Hewitt](https://www.profitand.com/hubfs/Lee%20Hewitt-1.jpg) #### [Lee Hewitt](https://www.profitand.com/blog/author/lee-hewitt) Lee Hewitt is a seasoned business leader with over 17 years of experience in customer service, financial analysis, and business process improvement. As the Chief Customer Officer at Profit& Ltd since January 2024, Lee excels in strategic thinking, financial reporting, and simplification, focusing on delivering tangible value to customers. Previously, he led service delivery at Profit&, driving strategic initiatives and enhancing business processes. Lee's career includes a significant tenure at Aviva, where he held roles such as Anaplan Solution Lead and Operations Performance Manager, contributing to automated processes and operational efficiencies. His technical skills and customer-focused approach have earned him recognition and awards. Based in Norwich, Lee continues to drive customer success and satisfaction. [**](https://www.profitand.com/blog/connected-planning-packagings-competitive-edge#) ** ** ** ### Recent Posts [ ## Manufacturing Planning Is Connected. 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