Over five decades, Marchesini Group has grown from a single machine in an Italian garage into a multinational leader in the Packaging Valley. But with this rapid growth came increasing complexity, and the company sought a new way to manage its expanding operations.
The stakes were high. In pharmaceutical packaging — the main business of Marchesini Group — precision and efficiency are essential. Marchesini needed sophisticated workflows that could standardize processes, provide clear visibility into operations, and support data-driven decision-making across the organization.
The solution? Nintex Process Manager. Rather than continuing to navigate its expansion with disconnected processes and manual workflows, Marchesini Group chose a solution that could grow with them while maintaining the precision its industry demands.
A need for clearer process standardization and documentation
When you’re managing complex packaging operations, undocumented processes aren’t just inefficient — they’re a business risk. Marchesini Group faced this reality as they embarked on a major modernization of its data architecture, replacing several core management systems.
“Early on, we recognized the need to map our processes,” explains Francesco Flain, business analyst team manager at Marchesini Group. “Many of them weren’t documented in the system, in our procedures, or within the factory.”
This documentation gap sparked an ambitious process-mapping initiative involving more than 70 employees across the organization. The goal? To better understand operational impacts and plan the company’s digital future.
But Marchesini’s existing tools — Visio and Draw — couldn’t provide the systematic approach they needed to highlight connections between company processes.
“We were looking for a solution that could provide a standard for process mapping,” Flain says. “Our challenge was creating a consistent approach to documenting and visualizing processes. That was one of the reasons we chose Nintex, which has been a great help to us.”
Special attention was needed on the factory floor, where process inconsistencies created daily challenges. “If you asked different people, they would explain the same process in different ways, both acceptable,” Flain says. “Our first goal was standardization. The second goal was to document and approve processes that exist only in people’s heads. This way, we don’t have to rely on specific individuals to describe how a particular process works.”
The next step? Comparing the market’s best products to find one to achieve these objectives.
From vision to reality with Nintex
“The Nintex team was much more engaged in providing information and support compared to others,” says Flain. “The human element had a significant role in our decision, especially since we weren’t fully aware of all the platform’s capabilities at the time.”
Once Nintex Process Manager was in place, Marchesini Group launched its ambitious modernization initiative. They soon saw that the platform delivers value across three critical areas:
- Comprehensive process mapping: Teams can now map all company processes and identify crucial interdependencies between departments.
- Data-driven decision-making: By recording and analyzing process costs, impacts, and execution times, Marchesini can evaluate improvements objectively.
- Cross-departmental collaboration: With widespread system adoption and designated process owners, the company can coordinate efforts across all operational fronts.
Nintex has played a pivotal role in helping Marchesini streamline its operations and improve process consistency. “We’re now able to suggest a standard way of describing processes to directors or decision-makers, who can then approve them,” Flain says. “This allows us to implement standardized processes in the factory. Before, this was nearly impossible, due to differing ideas and repeated reevaluations of the same information.”
By enabling end-to-end process mapping, data-driven process decisions, and collaboration, Nintex Process Manager has given Marchesini the tools needed to drive its digital transformation forward.
The power of process excellence
In the first six months after implementing Nintex Process Manager, Marchesini Group mapped over 100 processes — and they’re just getting started. With complete mapping expected within another year, the impact is already clear: process optimization delivers significant value across the organization.
One striking example? A single process improvement that significantly reduced costs. “By identifying and highlighting a particular process step that needed change, we showed how the system could reduce wait times and, ultimately, the cost of the process,” explains Flain. “This resulted in a 20% cost reduction, translating to €200,000 in savings. This was possible because we pinpointed the key area for improvement.”
The power of visualization made all the difference. “The solution had already been identified through another analysis, but the software was incredibly useful for presenting it to stakeholders,” Flain notes. “It allowed us to easily compare version one and version two of the same process and highlight the differences.”
The efficiency gains have been dramatic, too. Process mapping and publishing now happen three times faster than with traditional tools, translating to over 2,000 working hours saved in operational mapping alone.
But perhaps most importantly, Nintex has proven to be more than just a tool — it’s become a partner in Marchesini’s digital transformation journey.
“What’s also interesting is that Nintex makes continuous improvements every month,” says Flain. “For example, when we’re waiting for implementation, we often get something new because other customers’ needs are anticipated. This is a key advantage.”
Looking ahead
Marchesini Group isn’t done optimizing its processes just yet. Next, the company wants to make sure every document finds its proper place within a streamlined workflow.
Flain says they plan to evaluate a document management system and will rely on Nintex to assess potential integration options when the time comes. By working with Nintex, Marchesini Group advances its commitment to innovation and continuous improvement—transforming efficiency gains today into a foundation for tomorrow’s growth.
