Cost and Price Analysis
Cost Modeling & Performance Costing Software for Packaging Manufacturers
Update your cost model in hours, not weeks. Automated Performance Costing gives corrugated and folding carton manufacturers the true cost behind every quote, so estimating prices with confidence, finance trusts the allocations, and the plant knows exactly where margin is made and lost.
What Is Automated Performance Costing?
Automated Performance Costing (APC) is Amtech’s cost modeling and price modeling solution for packaging manufacturers, integrated with EnCore ERP and compatible with Imaginera. APC combines production data, costing systems, and the general ledger into one consistent cost model, with flexible allocation methods, what-if scenario analysis, and accurate P&L allocations, so sales, estimating, and costing teams can see true production costs and price accordingly.
A Stale Cost Model Is a Silent Margin Leak
Material prices move. Labor costs shift. Volumes and mix change monthly. But in most plants, the cost model gets rebuilt once a year in a spreadsheet, which means every quote in between is priced against numbers that are already wrong. You can win work that loses money and never see it happen. APC keeps the cost model current with the business, so pricing decisions rest on what production actually costs today.
One Cost Model the Whole Business Can Price From
For Estimating and Sales: quote fast, with the true cost underneath
- Quote against current costs, not last year’s model and know the margin you’re committing to before you send the number.
- Run quick what-if scenarios: volume breaks, material substitutions, machine routings compare multiple pricing models before the quote goes out.
- Respond to customer requests at sales speed without waiting on finance to re-cost the job.
For Finance and Costing: allocations you can defend
- Flexible cost allocation methods assign labor, material, and overhead the way your business actually runs.
- Accurate P&L allocations flow to the costing system, with general ledger integration keeping costing and accounting in agreement.
- Update the cost model in hours when conditions change, volume swings, supply disruptions, new equipment, instead of living with an irrelevant budget.
For Operations, Plant Managers, and Converting Systems Managers, production data that pays for itself
- Production data feeds the cost model directly, so machine performance shows up in costs, and the plant can see which jobs, products, and customers actually earn margin.
- Dynamic adjustment for volume and market changes keeps plant-level costs honest as mix shifts.
- Built-in graphical analysis gives intuitive views of cost and profitability, by product, job, customer, or facility, without exporting to spreadsheets.
Your Cost Model, Built with Amtech’s Costing Engineers
The hard part of performance costing isn’t software, it’s building a cost model your whole business trusts. Amtech’s costing engineers work directly with your finance and sales executives to design a flexible, scalable model that fits how your plant runs, and can be adjusted as conditions change. That’s how Mid-Atlantic Packaging stood up precision estimating and fast quoting in year one.
Part of the Amtech Manufacturing Ecosystem
APC gets stronger with every Amtech solution feeding it data:
EnCore ERP
One platform connecting estimating, production, inventory, and financial workflows.
AI-Powered Quoting
Turn accurate costs into fast, intelligent quotes.
ScoreKeeper
Real machine speeds, setup times, and downtime feed true cost of every order.
ScrapTrakker
Bring waste costs into the financial picture.
Advanced Planning Board
Align production schedules with profitability goals.
Amtech APIs
Connect external systems and business applications.
FAQ
What is performance costing software for packaging manufacturers?
It is software that calculates the true cost of producing each job by combining production data, material costs, labor, and overhead in one continuously updated cost model. Amtech’s Automated Performance Costing does this inside EnCore ERP, so corrugated and folding carton manufacturers can price quotes against current costs rather than an annual spreadsheet model.
How fast can the cost model be updated?
In hours, not weeks. APC dynamically adjusts for volume and market changes and supports flexible allocation methods, so costing teams can respond to material price moves, mix shifts, and supply disruptions without rebuilding the model from scratch.
How does APC help estimators quote more accurately?
Estimators quote against the same cost model finance maintains, with what-if scenario analysis to compare multiple pricing approaches before committing. That means every quote carries a known, current margin, and quoting doesn’t wait on a manual re-costing exercise.
Does APC integrate with the general ledger?
Yes. APC integrates production data, costing systems, and the general ledger, and delivers accurate P&L allocations to the costing system so costing and accounting stay in agreement.
Does APC work with both EnCore and Imaginera?
Yes. APC integrates with Amtech’s EnCore ERP and is also compatible with Imaginera environments.
Do we have to build the cost model ourselves?
No. Amtech’s costing engineers work with your finance and sales executives to design a flexible, scalable cost model fitted to your operation, the approach documented in Amtech’s work with Mid-Atlantic Packaging.
Price Every Quote on What Production Actually Costs
See how corrugated and folding carton manufacturers use Automated Performance Costing to keep cost models current, quote with confidence, and protect margin in any market.
