Request demo

Digitalising packaging management: traceability, operational control and reporting

Digitalizarea managementului ambalajelor

The new European requirements for packaging are bringing changes for companies that manufacture, import, distribute or sell packaged products. Beyond the regulatory implications, they highlight an important operational need: packaging information must be easy to identify, verify and connect with the company’s processes.

Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste, also known as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), generally applies from 12 August 2026. It establishes a common framework across the European Union and covers the entire packaging life cycle, including design, composition, recyclability, reuse, labelling and waste management. Requirements are being introduced gradually, with deadlines varying according to the specific provision, type of packaging and role of the economic operator.

For companies, preparation involves more than monitoring the regulatory timetable. In practice, packaging information needs to be structured more effectively and connected with products, suppliers, documents, inventory, production and the quantities handled across the business.

The new requirements are being phased in

The Regulation aims to reduce packaging waste, increase recyclability, promote the use of recycled content for certain categories, expand reuse and introduce harmonised labelling rules. The timetable includes several key stages:

  • General application of the Regulation from August 2026
  • Harmonised packaging labelling from August 2028
  • Digital information for reusable packaging from 2029
  • Recycling, reduction and reuse targets from 2030

The requirements do not all become applicable at the same time. Companies need to identify the provisions relevant to them based on their activities, the types of packaging they handle and their role in the supply chain.

Responsibilities vary depending on the company’s role

The Regulation establishes different obligations for manufacturers, importers and distributors of packaging.

Manufacturers are responsible for carrying out conformity assessments, preparing technical documentation and issuing the EU declaration of conformity. Importers must verify that these documents are available and ensure that the packaging meets the applicable requirements before it is placed on the market. Distributors also have verification obligations and must act with due care when making packaging available on the market.

A company’s role is not determined solely by its industry or primary business activity. It may also depend on how the packaging is designed, manufactured, imported, modified, labelled or made available under a particular trade name.

For this reason, specific responsibilities need to be assessed from both a legal and technical perspective in each case. Software systems can support the organisation of data and processes, but they do not replace compliance analysis.

Trasabilitatea ambalajelor in fluxul operational

Where operational issues arise

The information companies need often already exists within the organisation, but it is stored across different departments, applications and files.

Procurement manages suppliers and the documents received from them. Production teams know the actual quantities consumed. Logistics manages inventory and stock movements, while commercial teams handle products and quantities sold. When this information is not connected, several issues can arise:

  • Technical specifications are stored separately from product data
  • Materials and weights are manually updated across multiple product codes
  • Packaging changes do not reach every department at the same time
  • Actual consumption differs from the values used for planning and reporting
  • Returns and reusable packaging are tracked in separate records
  • Reports are created by consolidating information from multiple files

These difficulties become more pronounced in companies with large product portfolios, multiple suppliers, high volumes or operations spread across several locations. A check that should take only a few minutes may instead require email exchanges, document searches and manual reconciliation across several data sources.

Connecting products and packaging becomes essential

For better control, packaging data needs to be linked to the product for which the packaging is used. Depending on the company’s activities, it may need to track:

  • Packaging type, material, weight and dimensions
  • Supplier, technical specification and related documents
  • Product or product code for which the packaging is used
  • Relevant recipe, bill of materials or production version
  • Quantities purchased, consumed, sold or returned
  • Location, status and recorded movements throughout the process

The exact data structure depends on the company’s role and the requirements that apply to it. Not every organisation needs to track the same information or maintain the same level of detail. What matters is that relevant data does not remain isolated. A change in material, weight or supplier should be traceable to the products and processes it affects.

Digitalisation connects packaging data with operational processes

Digitalisation enables packaging information to be managed in direct connection with the activities that generate it. An integrated workflow can include the following stages:

Defining packaging data

Packaging type, material, weight, unit of measure and supplier are managed within a common data structure.

Linking packaging to products

Packaging is connected with the relevant products, product codes, recipes or bills of materials.

Managing documents and versions

Technical specifications, declarations and other documents are associated with the relevant supplier, product and version.

Tracking consumption and inventory

Planned quantities can be compared with packaging received, used, transferred or currently available.

Managing returns and reuse

Movements, returns and the availability of reusable packaging can be tracked within the logistics flow.

Analysing operational data

The information can be transformed into KPIs and reports tailored to the company’s control and management requirements.

By connecting these stages, companies can reduce manual checks and use the same data across procurement, production, logistics, sales and management. Operational benefits include:

  • Faster identification of related products and packaging
  • Faster identification of related products and packaging
  • Comparison between planned and actual quantities used
  • Better control over inventory, transfers and returns
  • Faster preparation of analyses and internal reviews
  • Fewer discrepancies between departmental records

The same data can also support decisions related to procurement, inventory levels, consumption or supplier changes.

Gestionarea stocurilor si retururilor de ambalaje

Reusable packaging adds another operational dimension

For companies that use reusable packaging, control does not end when packaging is purchased or consumed. Reusable packaging may circulate between warehouses, customers, partners and collection points. Companies need to know where it is located, how much is available and where discrepancies have occurred within the cycle.

For certain types of reusable packaging, the Regulation provides for labelling and the provision of information through a QR code or another standardised digital data carrier. This may support the tracking of packaging and the calculation of trips or rotations, subject to the exceptions set out in the Regulation. These requirements are scheduled to apply from 12 February 2029 or 30 months after the entry into force of the relevant implementing act, whichever is later. From an operational perspective, relevant information may include:

  • Reusable packaging available at each location
  • Movements between warehouses, customers and partners
  • Returns and re-entry into circulation
  • Availability for the next use
  • Losses, discrepancies and identified exceptions

How the Senior Software ecosystem supports packaging management

Effective management of packaging data does not depend on a single application. The appropriate architecture should be determined based on the company’s activities, data volumes, existing processes and the requirements it needs to address.

Senior Software solutions can connect commercial, logistics, production and analytical data within an integrated operational flow. The portfolio includes ERP, WMS, MES, Inventory, Business Intelligence and e-commerce systems that can be configured and integrated according to each organisation’s requirements.

SeniorERP and SeniorXRP – the foundation for operational data

ERP systems can centralise information about products, suppliers, procurement, inventory, sales, documents and production operations.

SeniorERP is a system developed by Senior Software for companies operating in distribution, manufacturing, retail and e-commerce. The application can support the management of products, inventory, suppliers, recipes and consumption within a unified working environment.

SeniorXRP is designed for organisations with complex processes, large data volumes, multiple locations or extensive integration requirements. The system includes functionality for inventory management, batch and serial number traceability, procurement, inter-location transfers, returns and e-commerce sales.

In the context of packaging management, the ERP system can serve as the central point where product, supplier and transaction data is connected with the company’s other processes.

WMS – control over inventory, movements and returns

The WMS solution supports warehouse operations, including receiving, put-away, transfers, picking, shipping, stocktaking and returns.

WMS can manage different packaging types, units of measure and logistics attributes. The system can track the movement of goods and packaging within the warehouse, as well as the history of completed transactions.

For reusable packaging flows, WMS can support the tracking of warehouse movements and returns, depending on how the packaging is defined and managed within the system.

MES – connecting production, products and packaging

In manufacturing companies, packaging data needs to be connected with what actually happens on the shop floor. The MES solution in the Senior Software portfolio makes it possible to identify product batches and their relationship with batches of raw materials, packaging or other materials used in the production process.

Companies can therefore track the packaging actually used and the products or batches with which it is associated. MES becomes particularly relevant when actual consumption, traceability and production changes need to be analysed together.

SeniorInventory – planning packaging inventory

Packaging materials are also an inventory component that needs to be planned and replenished. SeniorInventory can support packaging inventory planning when these materials are managed as stock items and sufficient data is available on consumption, demand, procurement and lead times.

The system analyses historical data, available inventory and forecast requirements, generating purchase, transfer or production proposals for each location.

This approach can help companies avoid both material shortages and excess inventory.

SeniorVisualBI – analysing integrated data

SeniorVisualBI can consolidate data from multiple sources and transform it into dashboards, reports and analyses tailored to the KPIs monitored by the company.

By connecting to available data sources, users can analyse operational, commercial or financial information and drill down to the transactions underlying each indicator.

For packaging management, the reporting structure needs to be configured according to the available data and the requirements relevant to the company. The solution does not provide a universal, out-of-the-box reporting framework covering every packaging-related obligation.

Dock9 – consistent data across online sales channels

For companies selling online through B2B or B2C channels, product information also needs to remain synchronised with e-commerce platforms. Dock9 can integrate with ERP, WMS, Inventory and other systems, enabling product, inventory, pricing and order data to flow between online channels and operational applications.

Dock9 is particularly relevant when product-related information needs to be managed consistently across multiple sales channels. The platform is not a compliance solution, but rather a component of the company’s digital sales infrastructure.

Preparation starts with assessing existing data

For many companies, the first step is to identify the information they already manage and where that information is stored.

Products, packaging, suppliers, documents, inventory, consumption and sales are already part of day-to-day operations. The difference lies in whether this data can be connected, verified and used without repeated manual consolidation. An operational assessment can examine:

  • What packaging data is currently available
  • Which applications or files contain the data
  • Who enters, verifies and updates the information
  • Who enters, verifies and updates the information
  • Which reports are still prepared manually
  • Where discrepancies or incomplete information occur

This assessment helps define the software architecture, integration priorities and digitalisation stages based on the company’s existing processes and data.

Greater control over packaging-related data and processes

Find out how you can connect information about products, packaging, documents, inventory, reuse and reporting within an integrated software ecosystem tailored to your company’s workflows.

Talk to a Senior Software consultant

What companies need to know about the new packaging requirements

Regulation (EU) 2025/40, also known as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), establishes common requirements across the European Union for packaging and packaging waste. It covers packaging design, composition, recyclability, reuse, labelling and management throughout the entire life cycle.

No. The Regulation generally applies from 12 August 2026, but a number of requirements have later deadlines, including in 2028, 2029 and 2030. The specific timetable depends on the type of requirement, the packaging category and the role of the economic operator.

The Regulation establishes obligations for several categories of economic operators, including manufacturers, importers and distributors. In certain situations, material suppliers, authorised representatives and fulfilment service providers may also be affected. The company’s exact role needs to be determined according to the activities it carries out.

No. They may also be relevant to companies that import, distribute or sell packaging or packaged products. Obligations vary depending on how the packaging is produced, labelled, imported, modified or made available on the market.

Relevant information may include the packaging type and material, weight, supplier, related documents, the product for which it is used, quantities purchased and consumed, inventory levels, returns and movements of reusable packaging.

The exact list should be established based on the company’s activities and the requirements that apply to it.

An ERP system does not replace legal, technical or environmental analysis and cannot guarantee compliance on its own.

The role of the ERP system is to support the management of the data, documents and transactions required by the company’s processes and connect them with other operational systems.

WMS can track receiving, inventory, movements, transfers and warehouse returns. The system can also manage different packaging types, units of measure and logistics attributes, depending on how the workflow is configured.

MES can link finished product batches with the batches of raw materials, packaging and other materials used in production. This allows the company to identify which packaging was used for specific products or batches.

SeniorVisualBI can consolidate data from ERP, WMS, MES and other sources and transform it into analyses and dashboards. KPIs need to be configured according to the data available and the requirements monitored by the company.

Integration reduces the need to manually reconcile information stored across different applications and files.

Products, packaging, consumption, inventory, movements and sales can be analysed using connected data, while internal reviews can be prepared more quickly and consistently.

Digitalising packaging management: traceability, operational control and reporting