An entire day dedicated to imagine and build the future of box factories and paper converting companies, focusing on digitalization, artificial intelligence, and new organizational models. This was the spirit of the second edition of the “RTS Visionary Network 2025” conference, which brought together customers, partners, and supply chain operators in Desenzano del Garda on May 9 for an update on technologies, strategies, and opportunities.
After the success of the 2024 edition, RTS Sistemi Informativi immediately set to work on organizing a second edition of the “Visionary Network” conference, encouraged by the positive feedback from customers who had participated and particularly appreciated the dynamic, engaging format, where every topic was addressed in an open debate and mutual exchange between speakers and audience.
Robertino Piazza, CEO of RTS, opened the proceedings by presenting the vision of “assisted driving” ERP: an increasingly intelligent, proactive, and interconnected information system designed to automate business process management.
The heart of the new RTS Hub between Artificial Intelligence and data management
Andrea Danielli, R&D Manager at RTS, explored the potential of the RTS Hub in Data Centers, a technological hub where the latest innovations converge: from infrastructure scalability to protection against cyberattacks (expected to increase by 18% in 2024) to guarantee automatic backups and operational continuity.
Marco Trastu and Gianni Piolanti, Product Managers at RTS, clarified that artificial intelligence is not a magic wand, but an amplifier of the quality already present in processes. However, the two experts reiterate, “a solid, consistent, and structured database is needed”: without this prerequisite, even the best technologies lose their effectiveness.
The evolution of the interface, in HTML5, with Web Socket protocol, makes RTS ERP fully usable even on the go, on Windows, iOS, and Android. The new mobile features (native app, customer dashboards, order progress, visit management, quoting) are complemented by a chatbot with generative AI, a useful tool both operationally and strategically.
Optimizing logistics with real warehouse data, MotionMining®: logistics becomes strategic
Jan-Jürgen Bredereck, CEO of Induvation GmbH, made a valuable contribution by offering concrete insights into the role of logistics in box and paper converting companies, showing how this area, often considered a simple cost center, is becoming a real competitive factor. At the heart of the presentation was MotionMining® technology, developed in collaboration with the Fraunhofer IML Institute in Dortmund and now distributed exclusively by Induvation on the Italian market.
This is an advanced solution based on wearable sensors and AI, capable of automatically analyzing manual activities carried out in warehouses and production departments. The data collected, anonymously and non-invasively, are transformed into objective performance and ergonomics indicators thanks to the MPI (MotionMiners Process Intelligence) platform.
Induvation also took center stage with a fun and engaging game called “House of Debates,” an interactive workshop on digitization and supply chains that literally enlivened the atmosphere and the guests.
RTS ecosystem: connectivity and operational simplicity
Federica Bertozzi, RTS Consultant, guided attendees through the advanced features of the RTS ecosystem: from the ease of use of the new Hub with intuitive dashboards and mobile access to the possibility of integration with other systems. A cultural change that starts with overcoming of consolidated habits: “comfort is not synonymous with improvement”, Bertozzi reminded us, and in fact, by revisiting the usual processes, new things can be discovered.
Gabriele Magi, Sales & Marketing Manager at RTS, finally highlighted the strategic value of Business Intelligence, which has now evolved into real-time decision-making dashboards that are integrated and accessible even remotely. The advantages? With KPIs in hand, companies that adopt BI tools achieve:
- +10-20% in sales thanks to better customer profiling
- -20-30% in production downtime
- +25-40% in top management decision-making speed
The VPK Group case: RTS as a strategic partner
Among the company testimonials, one that stands out is that of Cristiano Pessina, Country Manager Italy at VPK Group, a major European paper-based packaging group. After acquiring Zetacarton, Iemme Packaging, and Open Imballaggi, VPK chose RTS to digitally manage the growth of its Italian units. “We needed a solid platform, but above all, a team capable of listening to us and growing with us”, said Pessina. Tools such as EasyStock, BI, and DR Corr are now central elements of their supply chain control.
VPK is a Belgian family-owned group with over 7,000 employees and more than 70 plants in Europe and Asia. Its core business is divided into three areas: corrugated cardboard production (over 2 billion m² per year), packaging paper production (more than 1 million tons), and compact cardboard and cardboard core production.
In this scenario, the collaboration with RTS becomes fundamental: “without control, without daily monitoring, without constant data analysis”, explained Pessina, “you cannot grow sustainably. RTS gives us real-time visibility into what is happening in our Italian plants, allowing us to make quick and informed decisions”.
Roadmap: RTS shows the way
Obviously RTS CEO Robertino Piazza summed up a day packed with highly valuable content and interesting ideas for all participants, summarizing the day in a “roadmap” to accompany companies on a path of sustainable innovation, combining efficiency, humanity, and operational realism.
RTS is determined to continue its commitment to the evolution of its “assisted guidance” ERP, an integrated vertical system designed to automate processes and make controls more objective and reliable. All this is done with technological continuity and consistency, which aims to seamlessly integrate digital innovations into the solutions offered.
With a direct and pragmatic style, the CEO offered some “purchasing advice,” emphasizing the importance of adopting a LEAN approach to continuous improvement, making the most of the resources already present in the company, and, at the same time, investing with foresight in innovative tools such as AI agents*. With this in mind, the invitation is clear: consider RTS HUB as the enabling platform capable of connecting and enhancing all new technologies.
*An AI agent is an autonomous system that processes information, makes decisions, and acts to achieve a goal. It is totally different from AI chatbots, which respond to inputs: an AI agent refers to software capable of making autonomous decisions. In fact, it is used to automate complex workflows, such as customer service, data analysis, or coding assistance.
The AI Observatory’s vision: manufacturing towards the future
Alessandro Piva, Director of the Artificial Intelligence Observatory at the Politecnico di Milano, illustrated the role of AI in the manufacturing industry: from predictive maintenance to energy optimization, to the advanced customization of production flows. But to grow in this direction, a cultural change is needed, as well as a technological one.
Subsidized finance: opportunities for innovators
Andrea Balboni, Commercial Director of Phorma Mentis, closed the series of presentations with a focus on facilitated finance to support innovation, sustainability, and digitization projects. European and national funds are often little known or difficult to activate, but they represent a concrete lever for overcoming budget constraints.
