Run your plastics and packaging exports on one platform
Quoting while resin prices swing, chasing inward processing offsets in spreadsheets, and the risk of starting production before print approval is confirmed: this is daily life for a plastics and packaging exporter. Sighthem brings the whole flow onto one platform, from finding buyers to proforma, from resin purchasing to lot-based production, and from inward processing commitment closure to shipping and invoicing. On repeat orders you build the new proforma from the previous record in moments, and keep tonnage and piece-count lines tidy on the same document.
Find packaging buyers: brands, filling plants and distributors
In plastics and packaging your buyer is rarely the end consumer; it is the food or cosmetics brand, the filling and co-packing plant, or the distributor. Sighthem finds these companies in your target market and keeps every touchpoint on one card.
- Discover packaging buyers in your target market, from food producers to cosmetics brands and filling plants; confirm decision-maker emails with the discovery and verification service so you never write to a dead address
- Build segmented campaigns by product group such as film, bottles, closures and flexible packaging; send separate email sequences and track opens and clicks
- Scan business cards at trade fairs with the mobile PWA and let OCR turn each booth conversation into a lead automatically; skip manual data entry when you return
- Discuss sample and print details over the official WhatsApp API or a phone call with live translation, in the buyer's own language, with the whole conversation stored on the customer card
From sample approval to order: sign-off on printed jobs is on record
On printed packaging, the order starts when the buyer approves the sample and the artwork. In Sighthem, quote, proforma and order are a single flow; buyer approval is captured in the system, so which version was approved is never in dispute.
- Build the quote with product, dimensions, grammage, print details and Incoterm; the approved quote turns into a proforma and an order in one flow
- Capture buyer approval through the system; with the revision history, which price and which artwork version were approved stays on record at all times
- On a repeat order, start from the previous proforma, update price and quantity, and send a fresh proforma fast; never keep a buyer waiting on a quote
- Manage mixed lines such as film sold by tonnage and closures sold by piece count on the same document, each in its own unit, and quote in multiple currencies
Resin purchasing and inward processing: the imported input offset under control
A plastics exporter's cost starts with resin; offsetting imported raw material against exports under the inward processing permit (DIIB) and closing the commitment is the riskiest file in the business. Sighthem keeps purchasing and DIIB in one chain.
- Tie resin, masterbatch and additive purchases to a purchase order (PO); track the supplier account balance in the system
- Run a 3-way match at goods receipt: the supplier invoice, the order and the goods receipt confirm each other, and any gap is visible before you pay
- Put incoming resin through an incoming-goods QC check; issue a non-conformance report for a failed batch so faulty raw material never enters production
- Offset imported inputs against export shipments in the DIIB module; track the commitment closure status per permit and download the DIIB report to Excel
Lot-based production and quality: work order, BOM and QC in one chain
On extrusion, injection and printing lines, production runs lot by lot; for food-contact packaging, traceability is the question your buyer's auditor will ask. Sighthem never detaches the work order from the order.
- Link the work order directly to the sales order; define resin, masterbatch and additive consumption with the bill of materials (BOM), so what each work order consumed stays on record
- Put critical work orders through the production approval flow; via the approval hub, production does not start without a manager's sign-off
- Issue a certificate of conformity for a batch that passes QC; keep a non-conformance report for a failed lot so a problem lot never ships
- Every produced batch enters stock with a lot number; on a buyer complaint, trace backwards which lot went on which shipment to which customer
Warehouse, shipping and customs: pallet binding, partial shipments, VAT refund
In a warehouse mixing reels, boxes and pallets, order survives only with a system. Sighthem ties the physical flow to the shipping documents and the customs side.
- Keep the raw material warehouse and the finished goods warehouse separate with the multi-warehouse model; run transfers through the system and import your current stock via Excel
- Reserve lots coming out of production against the order; one customer's goods never slip into another shipment, and GS1 barcode scanning confirms you load the right pallet
- Bind the shipment to packages and pallets; the packing list is generated from the pallets automatically, and partial shipments are tracked line by line
- Link the customs declaration to the shipment and track the VAT refund file against the export transaction; see where the cargo is with forwarder, demurrage and container tracking
Documents, invoicing and reports: from COMMERCIAL INVOICE to Excel
On a letter of credit sale, getting paid depends on the right document being ready on the right date. Sighthem gathers the document set, the invoice and the reporting on one screen.
- Generate the export invoice (COMMERCIAL INVOICE) fed from shipment data; produce a GIB-compliant UBL-TR e-invoice for domestic sales, and the system works with your existing e-invoice integrator
- On L/C sales, collect the document set (bill of lading, COMMERCIAL INVOICE, packing list, certificate of origin, insurance, certificates) in one list; get alerts on latest shipment and presentation dates
- Extract long L/C terms fast with AI-assisted letter of credit reading, so critical clauses are never overlooked
- Narrow order, shipment, DIIB, incoming-goods QC and production reports with the column picker and download to Excel; role-based permissions and notifications keep the team on the same data, in a TR and EN interface
Set up your product cards completely from day one: with the GTIP code, unit (kg, pieces, boxes), print details and packaging dimensions ready on the card, the proforma for a repeat order derives quickly from the previous record. No step in quote preparation keeps the buyer waiting.
When the supplier invoice, the purchase order and the goods receipt meet in a 3-way match inside one system, the input records you need for the inward processing commitment closure are already in place. When the closure period arrives, you are not hunting for documents piece by piece.
Starting production on a printed job without the buyer's recorded approval means rejected batches and scrap cost. Tie sample and artwork sign-off to the buyer approval step in the system, so no order flows into production without an approval on record.
Frequently Asked Questions
What separates Sighthem from a generic CRM for a plastics exporter?
A generic CRM stops at tracking customers and opportunities. Sighthem manages the real flow of a plastics and packaging exporter: from sample approval to proforma, from resin purchasing to the inward processing offset, from lot-based production to pallet-bound shipping and the COMMERCIAL INVOICE. Because each step is fed by the previous one, you never enter the same data twice.
Can I track the offset of resin I import under an inward processing permit?
Yes. The DIIB module tracks inputs, offsets and commitment closure per permit. Because the resin purchase is tied to a purchase order and the export to a shipment record, the offset table is not built by hand; it is fed by the system. You can narrow the DIIB report with the column picker and download it to Excel, ready for the closure file.
How do I keep the customer's sample approval on record for printed packaging?
Buyer approval is captured through the system in the quote and proforma flow; which revision was approved stays in the history. So when artwork or price changes, there is no argument about which version was signed off. Internally, the approval hub lets you gate critical steps behind a manager's approval, so unapproved work never flows into production.
Does it speed up proforma preparation for repeat orders?
Yes. Because the buyer's previous proforma lives in the system, you start the new order from that record and just update price, quantity and delivery date. Incoterm, currency and the GTIP code come from the product card, so they are never re-entered. The revision history also makes it clear which version was sent and which was approved.
Film sells by the kilo, closures by the piece; does it handle mixed units?
Yes. Each line is defined in its own unit, so film sold by tonnage and closures sold by piece count sit cleanly on the same proforma and the same shipment. Because the packing list is fed by package and pallet binding, weights and box counts are not calculated by hand. In reports, you pick the columns you need with the column picker and download to Excel.
We make food-contact packaging; is there lot traceability and a quality record?
Yes. Every produced batch enters stock with a lot number; a certificate of conformity is issued for a batch that passes QC, and a non-conformance report for one that fails. At shipping, GS1 barcode scanning records which lot went on which pallet to which customer. In a buyer audit or a complaint, you show the traceability chain straight from the system.
Run your plastics and packaging exports on one platform, from resin purchasing and inward processing closure to sample approval and shipping. Try Sighthem free for 14 days on the PRO plan, no card required.
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