DS Smith has deployed the BOBST Connect platform across its packaging facilities in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) to enhance digital integration and improve operational efficiency. The move strengthens a longstanding partnership with BOBST that dates back to 1971 and currently accounts for two-thirds of DS Smith’s converting equipment.
BOBST Connect is a cloud-based platform designed to link machines and digital workflows. At DS Smith’s Belchatow site in Poland, the system has been implemented to provide real-time machine data and insights across the production process. According to the company, the platform enables centralized access to key metrics, from file preparation to final output, supporting better planning, operational visibility, and process optimization.
François Duboin, Technical Excellence Director at DS Smith Packaging EMEA, stated, “We have used the BOBST Connect platform since its inception, and the system has been onboarded on our most recently installed converting lines. Having already seen benefits in terms of performance, we are excited to experience and have access to the wealth of data and the advances in efficiency and productivity that the platform helps us to unlock.”
He added that the platform is contributing to improved asset optimization and energy monitoring. Features such as Energy Monitoring allow facilities to assess consumption, track costs, and identify efficiency opportunities in real time.
Szymon Ochociński, Digital Performance Solutions Manager at BOBST, noted the collaboration’s broader significance, emphasizing efforts to digitalize and connect the packaging value chain in line with sustainability goals.
DS Smith services a wide range of sectors including e-commerce, FMCG, food and beverage, healthcare, and industrials.