SMART iNTERIM / Logistics & Operations
Returnable packaging management.
You know what you produce.
But do you also know where your returnable packaging is?
Containers, mesh box pallets and load carriers are on the move every day. Between plants, suppliers and customers. What is often missing: visibility.
Analyse returnable packaging management01 / The Starting Point
Where is the
stuff, actually?
What is often missing: a reliable overview of which returnable packaging is where, who it is allocated to and how much value is actually tied up in circulation.
For some companies, this is not about a few pallets. It is about thousands of load carriers, international flows of goods and substantial assets.
A logistics issue becomes a process, data and management issue.
02 / When visibility is missing
When load carriers become
a management problem.
As long as materials are flowing and production is running, inadequate returnable packaging management often goes largely unnoticed. Problems develop gradually.
Stock figures without a reliable basis
Physical stock levels do not match system records.
Unclear allocation
Returnable packaging cannot be clearly allocated to individual partners or sites.
Gaps in returns
Returns are late or do not happen at all.
Different procedures
Plants and partners use different processes.
Lack of visibility
No one can reliably say at short notice which containers are where.
Unclear capital position
There is insufficient transparency around the financial value of returnable packaging in circulation.
03 / Understanding the cycle
Greater transparency does not start with another Excel spreadsheet.
Effective returnable packaging management considers the entire cycle. From goods dispatch through transport and use to return.
Goods dispatch
What was moved? In what quantity?
Transport
To which partner or site?
Use
Where is the returnable packaging currently located?
Returns
What is expected back, and when?
Identify discrepancies. What discrepancies exist between physical stock and the system?
Make capital visible. What value is currently tied up in returnable packaging?
It is not just the technical setup that matters. Processes, responsibilities, master data and system logic must align.
04 / Two directions
Outbound and inbound:
Returnable assets move in both directions.
When returnable assets are mentioned, everyone thinks first of outbound goods. At least as important, but often more difficult: returnable assets owned by others that arrive at your premises with your supplier’s goods.
Outbound
Owner: Your companyYour returnable assets are with the customer
Containers, mesh boxes and load carriers leave your plant with the goods. They must be traceable throughout their journey until they return.
- Goods dispatch: What was moved?
- Transport: To which customer?
- Use: Where are they now?
- Return: What is expected back and when?
Inbound
Owner: Supplier or partnerThird-party returnable assets arrive at your premises filled
The returnable assets belong to a third party. They arrive filled with that party’s product, we consume it in production, and then the assets go back to their owner.
- Delivery: Filled with the supplier’s product
- Consumption: Your process empties the returnable assets
- Return shipment: The empty returnable assets go back to their owner
- Availability: Enough empty returnable assets for the next requirement
Both directions need to be properly reflected in the process and system. Otherwise, stock records are inaccurate, visibility is lacking and capital remains tied up without anyone noticing.
Returnable assets are not product returns.
Returnable assets are load carriers that stay in a planned cycle and come back again and again. A product return is goods sent back, usually because of a complaint, and requires inspection and a decision. The two are often mixed up, but follow different process logic.
More on return processes with SAP ARM05 / A concrete example
How 400 containers a week turn into a gap.
Simplified, typical scenario from practice.
- 01
Starting point
A supplier ships around 400 small load carriers with parts to two customer plants every week. The containers belong to the supplier and are meant to come back empty.
- 02
What happens
Plant A confirms every return properly. Plant B collects empty containers and sends them back in batches without a delivery note. Some are reused internally for other purposes.
- 03
What the system shows
After three months, the balance account for plant B shows a gap of several hundred containers. Nobody can prove whether they were lost, used up or simply not posted.
- 04
What it costs
The supplier buys extra containers to keep delivering. Capital is tied up, and the dispute over balances strains the customer relationship.
The cause rarely lies in the warehouse. It lies in missing confirmations, unclear balance rules and no one owning the cycle.
06 / Technical building blocks
Technology-neutral. But concrete.
We do not commit to one technology. But effective returnable asset management always rests on the same four building blocks.
Identification
Container type, barcode or QR code, RFID or a unique container ID, depending on how precisely you need to steer.
Data foundation
Master data, ownership, partners, locations, movements and balances. One truth for everyone involved.
Integration
Connection to ERP or SAP, the warehouse management system and existing logistics processes.
Management
Overview of stock, cycle times, differences, returns and tied-up capital.
Important: precisely locating individual containers is not automatically possible without suitable identification and reliable capture points. That is why we start with the process and choose the technology to fit.
07 / Free download
The Returnable Assets Compass.
14 container groups at a glance: typical types and uses, with schematic illustrations. A quick way to sort out your own returnable assets.
- 01Pallets
- 02Mesh pallet boxes
- 03Small load carriers (KLT)
- 04Large load carriers (GLT)
- 05Transport frames and racks
- 06Liquid containers
- 07Bulk material containers
- 08Rolling load carriers
- 09Reusable crates and trays
- 10Insulated and cooling containers
- 11Special and protective packaging
- 12Load securing and accessories
- 13Swap bodies and transport modules
- 14Industry-specific carriers
Returnable Assets Compass as PDF
4 pages, available right after you submit.
08 / SMART iNTERIM Returnable Assets Check
How well does your returnable asset management really work?
That is exactly why we are developing the Returnable Assets Check: an initial assessment of your biggest risks and opportunities for improvement.
The plan is to provide a concise assessment with a returnable assets score and specific areas for action.
In development
These areas for action are the focus
- 01Stock levels and locations
- 02Traceability of movements
- 03Return processes
- 04Responsibilities
- 05System representation
- 06Outbound and inbound processes
- 07Coordination with customers and suppliers
- 08Transparency around tied-up capital
09 / Does this sound familiar?
The right questions get things moving.
If these questions cannot be answered quickly and clearly internally, it is worth taking a closer look at the process.
„Why are our returnable packaging stock figures incorrect?“
„How do we achieve transparency across multiple plants and partners?“
„How do we accurately represent our returnable packaging cycle in the system?“
„How do we reliably return empty returnable packaging to suppliers?“
„Where are we losing containers, and why?“
„How much capital is actually tied up in our returnable packaging?“
„How do we standardise different procedures across our sites?“
10 / Operational. Not just theoretical.
From the problem to effective returnable asset management.
SMART iNTERIM supports companies with more than just analysis. Our specialists work within existing processes, identify weaknesses and develop a solution together with those responsible that also works in day-to-day operations.
Process
Data
Responsibilities
System
Implementation
Visibility does not come from building a dashboard. It comes when the underlying process works.
11 / Let's talk about it
“Where are our load carriers?”
How quickly can you get a reliable answer today?
If this first requires checking several systems, Excel spreadsheets, plants or contacts, we should take a look at your returnable asset management together.
Discuss returnable packaging management