How a Top Automaker Cut Costs Fast with Alpega RPM
Industry: Automotive Manufacturing
Region: Europe
Suppliers Onboarded: 1,400
Results: Full ROI in 1 month | Fewer container purchases | Improved supplier performance
The Challenge: Managing Reusable Packaging Across a Complex Network
Reusable packaging is essential in the automotive industry, but managing it efficiently across multiple plants and suppliers is another story.
One of Alpega’s automotive customers faced a major logistics challenge: it was impossible to get a clear overview of packaging assets across their fast-growing network. Each plant operated independently, leading to:
- Overstock or shortages of packaging assets
- High operational and administrative costs
- Lack of visibility across production sites
The company needed a centralized reusable packaging management system to reduce waste, simplify coordination, and improve transparency across Europe.
The Solution: Centralized Reusable Packaging Management with Alpega RPM
To solve this, the manufacturer implemented Alpega RPM (Reusable Packaging Management),a web-based solution that connects plants, suppliers, and logistics centers in one ecosystem.
Key changes implemented:
- Switched from manual planning to a pull-based ordering process
- Gave suppliers direct access to the system for real-time packaging requests
- Integrated SAP to automate data exchange (goods receipts and issues)
- Created a transparent container network across all European sites
The results were immediate: less administrative effort, fewer errors, and a significant reduction in packaging stock levels.
The Next Step: Introducing Usage-Based Settlement
After successfully centralizing packaging management, the customer tackled another issue — suppliers holding on to reusable packaging for too long, causing costly shortages.
Previously, suppliers received empty containers for free, which meant there was no incentive to return them promptly. To fix this, Alpega implemented a usage-based settlement model via RPM.
What changed:
- 1,400 European suppliers onboarded in a single day
- Transparent tracking of every container’s usage
- Automated fee settlement based on retention time
“Orders, claims, and inventory are now managed in one integrated system. Frictionless interactions reduce errors, and simplified processes help us cut costs.”
— Customer Testimonial, Automotive Manufacturer
The Results: Full ROI in One Month
Within just one month, the company had fully recovered the project costs. The benefits extended far beyond financial savings:
- Better container supply: fewer shortages and unnecessary purchases
- Faster supplier returns: improved on-time delivery performance
- Reduced admin workload: one system for all packaging operations
- Full ROI achieved in 30 days
By integrating Alpega RPM, the customer now enjoys real-time visibility of almost 1,000 packaging assets circulating across its European network.
Why It Matters: Sustainability Meets Efficiency
Beyond cost savings and efficiency, this project highlights how reusable packaging management supports sustainable logistics, reducing waste, unnecessary production, and transportation emissions.
With Alpega RPM, the manufacturer not only improved supply chain performance but also aligned with circular economy goals increasingly critical to the automotive sector.
Key Takeaways
- Centralized packaging visibility across all plants and suppliers
- Full system integration with ERP (SAP)
- Usage-based billing for better accountability
- ROI achieved within 1 month
- Reduced costs and improved supplier collaboration
Alpega RPM enabled this automotive leader to turn packaging management into a strategic advantage — cutting waste, costs, and complexity in one move.
About Alpega RPM
Alpega RPM (Reusable Packaging Management) is part of Alpega’s modular Transportation Management System (TMS) portfolio.
It helps manufacturers manage returnable packaging pools efficiently, ensuring transparency, cost reduction, and sustainability.
Trusted by global leaders across the automotive, manufacturing, and logistics sectors, Alpega RPM transforms complex packaging networks into streamlined, data-driven ecosystems.