1. A method of side-by-side production for at least a pair of boxes at an electronic packaging system, the method comprising: accessing item data identifying a plurality of items to be packaged in the at least pair of boxes; determining packaging requirements for each of the plurality of items; selecting at least a pair of box sizes for side-by-side production at a packaging production machine of one or more packaging production machines of the electronic packaging system, each packaging production machine being loaded with packaging material for producing boxes, the at least pair of box sizes including a first box size for packaging a first one or more items in the plurality of items and including a second box size for packaging a second one or more items in the plurality of items, the at least pair of box sizes satisfying the packaging requirements for the first one or more items and the second one or more items and the requirements for producing the at least pair of box sizes in a side-by-side manner at the packaging production machine, the packaging production machine selected from among the one or more packaging production machines, including: at a specified time, collectively analyzing (a) the packaging requirements for each of the plurality of items, (b) electronic packaging system characteristics of the electronic packaging system, some of the electronic packaging system characteristics varying over time, and (c) packaging production machine characteristics of each of the one or more packaging production machines, including the capability of each packaging production machine to produce the at least pair of boxes in the side-by-side manner according to the at least pair of box sizes, some of the packaging production machine characteristics varying over time; and determining how to allocate box production to the selected packaging production machine for a period of time based on the collective analysis, including: matching the at least pair of box sizes to the selected packaging production machine based on the collective analysis; generating box production instructions in response to the selection, the box production instructions indicating how to produce the at least pair of boxes according to the at least pair of box sizes in the side-by-side manner at the selected packaging production machine; and sending the box production instructions to the selected packaging production machine.