Interview with SISTRADE following the Oro della Stampa event in the Italian magazine "Converting" [PDF] [Web Version]
Managing complexity: how and why
Sistrade is evolving from a software provider for the printing and packaging industry into a business partner for companies engaged in digital transformation, creating value through innovation. How this is achieved is explained by Firas Masri, Director of Country Managers & Partners, and Isabel Ferreira, Marketing Director.
Sistrade is strengthening its position by expanding into new printing and converting segments and placing its expertise at the service of customers’ digitalization journeys. The Portuguese software company, which provides specialized management solutions for flexible packaging, folding carton, labels, and other printing applications (notably editorial and commercial printing), thus closes 2025 on the stage of Oro della Stampa as sponsor of the Best Process Innovator award. On behalf of the company, the award is presented by Natacha Santos, Senior Business Developer at Sistrade, to celebrate the levels of excellence achieved by users who have embraced intelligent data and process management — as well as the reference role earned by Sistrade in the field through its expertise and service capability.
Director Firas Masri, when was Sistrade founded and with which products?
Sistrade was founded in 2000 with the aim of developing software for the digitalization of industrial processes — in commercial printing, packaging, labels, and other sectors — and today operates worldwide as a trusted partner in companies’ digital transformation. Our ultimate goal is to promote sustainable, efficient, and operational-excellence–driven practices. To this end, we continuously invest in R&D to anticipate the technological innovations that are redefining the future of industry.
How has your technological evolution progressed?
The principles of Industry 4.0 — IoT, Big Data, and the digitalization of production processes — have always been a priority for our team and have guided the development of cutting-edge technological solutions. With Industry 5.0, we have taken a further step forward by developing features that place collaboration between humans and machines at the center, enabling smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable production.
The year 2025 marks another milestone with the launch of the Sistrade ATLAS platform, which integrates Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity. This new generation of ERP software addresses the growing demands of Industry 5.0 and ensures the highest level of data protection in increasingly connected production environments.
What are the most pressing needs of your customers today?
The most common challenges include producing fast, accurate, and flexible quotations — to support job customization and meet increasingly tight delivery deadlines — as well as real-time monitoring of production, inventory, costs, and operational efficiency in order to enable agile, data-driven decision-making.
Today, companies are also aware that achieving efficiency, sustainability, and production flexibility requires the digitalization and automation technologies of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 (IoT, machine connectivity, cloud, and more). Likewise, transparency, waste reduction, and lower environmental impact — to be addressed across the entire value chain — demand appropriate tools for traceability, sustainability, and regulatory compliance. There is also the major challenge of expanding into new markets, which requires versatile and scalable ERP/MIS platforms.
How has your offering evolved?
Through a combination of products and services that bring together technology, experience, and innovation. Our MIS|ERP systems are integrated business management platforms, with modules for estimating, production, inventory, purchasing, sales, accounting, MES/SCADA, and Business Intelligence. We have also developed vertical solutions for printing and packaging, featuring dedicated functions such as ECMA/FEFCO libraries, CAD/DXF, print layouts, automatic calculation of ink and varnish consumption, traceability, palletization, and much more.
In addition, Sistrade offers Smart Factory / Industry 4.0+ solutions that integrate IoT, cloud, and Artificial Intelligence to optimize production. These tools are complemented by consulting, implementation, customization, maintenance, and training services, ensuring alignment with each customer’s business model. Our ongoing commitment to Research and Development, in collaboration with universities and scientific institutions, ensures that our offering remains aligned with the state of the art in technology.
Sistrade is also expanding into new markets…
Many of the challenges faced in package printing and converting are common to other manufacturing sectors, allowing us to transfer experience and know-how to areas such as security printing, corrugated cardboard, screen printing, the textile industry, plastic extrusion, and more. Our software platform has evolved into a complete and flexible solution, capable of adapting to diverse industrial contexts.
Dr. Masri, data management technologies are evolving at lightning speed. What is your R&D department investing in?
We are in the era of AI, and our team constantly updates tools in data science, machine learning, industrial IoT, and cloud computing. We work to create intelligent tools that make Sistrade software even more predictive, adaptive, and connected; we invest in predictive algorithms for production and maintenance, AI-based automated planning systems, and advanced performance analysis dashboards that provide a clear, immediate, and strategic view of production processes.
Can you give some examples?
Our Smart Assistant (AI), currently in beta, is an evolving virtual assistant we are training for commercial, customer care, equipment maintenance, planning, and production functions. It is one of the outcomes of our participation in national and European research projects on human-machine interaction, aimed at creating an increasingly collaborative, sustainable, and efficient industry. Because providing excellent management systems is no longer enough: Sistrade positions itself as a strategic partner for companies, bringing all the expertise needed to support them in their digital transformation and generate value through innovation.
Sistrade Software Consulting, S.A. develops web-based vertical software solutions for multiple industries and is structured into three business units dedicated to packaging, labels, and industrial applications, supported by a strong innovation-driven R&D department. Founded 25 years ago in Portugal, the company employs 100 people and operates six offices across different countries, serving customers in 40 nations worldwide. In Italy, it is represented by I&C-GAMA Group, the reference partner for the local market.
