Abaca

What Abaca does

Abaca, founded in 1991 and headquartered in Ormskirk, United Kingdom, is an integrated packaging management software vendor that operates as a product line under Advantive. Its core platform, Packaging 3000, is an end-to-end suite connecting sales order processing, production, invoicing, reporting, and plant workflows into a single system where data is entered once and reused across modules. The platform is supplemented by optional add-on modules: Global 3000 (multi-company, multi-currency accounting with unlimited profit centres), RF3000 (barcoded stock control), Portal 3000 (web/mobile customer and rep portal), an Electronic Document Management system, a Visual Planning Board for multi-site scheduling, an integrated CRM, and a reporting and analytics suite.

The product is purpose-built for corrugated packaging manufacturing — covering integrated plants, sheet plants, and sheet feeders — with extensions into paper-related products (sacks, carton board, spiral wound tubes, drums) and distribution operations. Packaging 3000 is installed in over 130 corrugated factories, and the customer base is described as "hundreds of packaging manufacturers," including enterprise brands such as Autoliv, Ben & Jerrys, GAF, Ocean Spray, GB, and VC2. Documented customer outcomes include up to 1,573% ROI with planning time cut by 50%, £466,000+ in annual paper-related profit opportunity, and profit lift toward £1.1M per year at a 7.3% net profit margin with live stockholding across 4 locations and 4,000+ pallets.

Abaca generates revenue through quote-based, multi-year subscription contracts that bundle software licenses, implementation, training, and ongoing support. GTM is enterprise field sales — direct, high-touch, with specialized packaging-industry consultants delivering on-site consultancy and one-to-one training, plus a no-pressure demo and 20-minute expert consultation funnel. Geographic focus is EMEA and the Caribbean; the website URL is abaca.co.uk, with the product page hosted on the Advantive parent site. Abaca has 11–50 employees and no public revenue disclosure.

Name

Abaca

Legal name

Abaca (product brand; no standalone legal entity identified)

Website

https://abaca.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Abaca, a product line of Advantive, provides integrated ERP/MES software for corrugated packaging manufacturers across EMEA and the Caribbean, with its Packaging 3000 suite installed in 130+ factories and serving hundreds of customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Packaging Manufacturing Software (Packaging ERP/MES)

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Corrugated Packaging & Boxes (RSC, die-cut, bulk bins) (IMAMAHAA)

Keywords

• Packaging ERP software
• Corrugated manufacturing software
• Production planning software
• Packaging management suite
• Manufacturing execution system

Headquarters

HQ city

Ormskirk

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses and Subscriptions: Abaca generates revenue through software licenses for its integrated packaging management suite including Packaging 3000, Global 3000 accounting, and optional modules like RF3000 and Portal 3000. The model includes implementation, training, and ongoing support services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Abaca provides an integrated packaging management software suite (centered on its Packaging 3000 platform) that connects sales order processing, production scheduling, invoicing, reporting, and plant workflows into a single centralized system for corrugated packaging manufacturers. The platform is sold with optional modular add-ons including Global 3000 Accounting, RF3000 bar-coding, Portal 3000 customer web portal, Electronic Document Management, Visual Planning Board, integrated CRM, and Reporting and Analytics, and is delivered with implementation, training, and ongoing support services. The suite is installed in over 130 corrugated factories and serves hundreds of packaging manufacturers across EMEA and the Caribbean, including customers such as Autoliv, Ben and Jerrys, GAF, and Ocean Spray.

Product overview

Abaca is an Integrated Packaging Management Suite delivered as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core platform, Packaging 3000, connects sales order processing, production, invoicing, reporting, and plant workflows into one centralized system. Additional modules include Global 3000 (accounting with multi-company and multi-currency capabilities), RF3000 (barcoding/stock control), Portal 3000 (web-based customer portal), Electronic Document Management, Scheduling/Visual Planning Board, and integrated CRM. The system is designed for corrugated packaging, paper-related products, and distribution operations, with optional modules that can be tailored to specific industry needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Packaging 3000: Core integrated packaging management system connecting sales order processing, production, invoicing, reporting, and plant workflows.
• Global 3000
• RF3000
• Portal 3000

Products and services

• Packaging 3000 Core integrated packaging management suite that connects sales order processing, production, invoicing, reporting, and plant workflows in one centralized system; installed in over 130 corrugated factories and serves as the central platform for corrugated packaging, paper products, and distribution operations.
• Global 3000 Accounting Accounting add-on module providing multi-dimensional financial management with multi-company and multi-currency processing, unlimited profit centres, General Ledger, Debtors Ledger, Creditors Ledger, and Cash Manager.
• RF3000 Barcoding Bar-coded stock control add-on providing wireless stock accuracy, with capabilities for material check-in, warehouse movements, vehicle loading, and rotational stock taking via scan-and-go functionality.
• Portal 3000 Web-based, multi-device customer portal that connects managers, sales representatives, and customers directly to the Abaca system 24/7, accessible via internet browser or mobile phone app for real-time access to business information.
• Electronic Document Management Digital document generation add-on creating encrypted, tamper-proof Adobe PDF documents for EDI, email, or print distribution, with automatic filing of every document generation for secure retrieval.
• Scheduling / Visual Planning Board Visual planning add-on providing multi-site, multi-stage scheduling with drag-and-drop overrides, configurable scheduling algorithms, and a real-time view of machine/factory capacity across all machines.
• Integrated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Integrated CRM add-on that prevents customer service-related data duplication and provides manual or automatic workflow triggers for activities such as sales follow-ups and tooling orders.
• Reporting and Analytics Suite Comprehensive reporting and analytics add-on delivering operational and management reports as PDF files or Excel spreadsheets, with standardized formats, electronic filing, and remote access for sales colleagues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 1,573% ROI with planning time cut by 50%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Innovative Computing Systems (ICS): Long-standing ERP provider focused on corrugated box manufacturers with modules for estimating, scheduling, and plant management. Competes head-to-head with Abaca in corrugated plant software.
• Kiwiplan: Order-to-cash packaging execution system also owned by Advantive. Targets the same corrugated and folding-carton converters with overlapping sales motion, making it an intra-portfolio direct peer.
• Amtech Software: ERP/MIS software purpose-built for the corrugated packaging industry, covering estimating, scheduling, production, and shipping. Closest independent competitor to Packaging 3000 in the corrugated niche.
• Advantzware: A flexible ERP for mid-market packaging manufacturers sold by the same parent (Advantive). Direct competitor in the corrugated/packaging ERP segment, often pitched to overlapping customer profiles.
• EFI Corrugated Packaging Suite (One EFI): End-to-end corrugated workflow, MIS, and shop-floor software from EFI. Direct competitor for large converters needing integrated order-to-cash and production scheduling, similar to Packaging 3000.

Broad incumbents

• Epicor Kinetic: Broad ERP for make-to-order and process manufacturers including packaging. Competes with Abaca for mid-market converters seeking a generalist ERP with packaging-adjacent features.
• Infor CloudSuite Industrial (SyteLine): Large ERP vendor with manufacturing and distribution capabilities frequently considered by mid-market packaging companies evaluating integrated suites like Abaca.
• IFS Cloud: Enterprise ERP for industrial manufacturers with MES and asset management; an alternative for packaging groups that want a single platform across multiple plants, comparable in scope to Abaca's multi-site scheduling.
• SAP S/4HANA for Manufacturing: Global ERP incumbent with industry solutions for mill products and packaging; competes at the upper end of the market that Abaca targets, especially with larger multi-site corrugated groups.

Emerging players

• ParityFactory: Specialty food & beverage all-in-one WMS/MES owned by Advantive. Sibling product targeting adjacent packaging-adjacent verticals; competes for shared R&D and cross-sell opportunities within the parent portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Advantive_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZzDFWYLC7Z2zrAOAQj6uxA
• Facebookfacebook.com/abacasystems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abaca-systems-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Abaca