The ‘ECMA Code’ is a communication and information tool that serves as reference standard across the supply chain. As such it serves different purposes depending on the user concerned. The ECMA coding system is widely used within the folding carton industry developed on an 8-digit code system that very easily explains the structure of different packaging designs. In the new ECMA digital software your will find the 250 most common generic designs available in the market which are categorised by their market segment(s) and constructional properties.

Users have the possibility to add their own customer specific designs to the library and use this as a catalogue on their Windows laptop when discussing and assessing possible constructions with their customer. Developers on the other hand can use the Code as ‘Book of Ideas’ and select basic designs that they want to use as starting point, end then export them to their Cad/Cam system to develop new customised designs, which in turn can be added back to the ECMA Code so as to develop their personal catalogue.

The codes can be browsed in a very user friendly way. They can conveniently be searched and viewed in PDF, in 3D and as animated VRML files to illustrate the folding ‘sequence’. With the click of a button, the user can switch from one to five other common European business languages.

Using the ECMA Code properly will really help to improve your external and internal supply chain!

Fig: Using one language through the whole supply chain can lead to better avoidance of mistakes.

Benefits for the different users through the supply chain

Customers
• Broader view of packaging possibilities
• 250 of the most generic design codes
• Better understanding of the packaging industry’s supply chain approach
• Easier communication
• Internal training of marketers, designers, product managers, R&D
• Better assessment possibilities of ‘runnability’ on filling lines

Sales persons
• Book of ideas to share with their customers
• Direct connection with developers based on codes
• Easier avoidance of mistakes
• Portable and digital software with high usability
• Better possibilities to give direct price assumptions
• ‘Nesting’ (i.e. positioning of design on the sheet and assessment waste)

Developers/designers
• Book of ideas
• 250 of the most generic design codes to start from (instead of starting from scratch)
• Easier to spread their new design within the organization
• CAD/CAM connectivity (generic designs can be imported in CAD/CAM, customised
designs can be imported in ECMA Code library)
• Availability of building a database with codes

Planning
• Facilitation of workflow
• Job formatting
• Communication

Production
• Production optimisation
• Production analysis
• Quality analysis tool (e.g. recording mistakes/problems by code nr)
• Product info

Visit www.ECMA.org for more information regarding the ECMA codes and how to acquire this unique business tool