Over the past decades, SAP has provided various options to facilitate the efficient management of returnable packaging materials, catering to the needs of some industries and use cases.
The main supported scenarios are as follows:
Returnable Packaging to Vendor (RTP) in Inventory Management
This scenario enables the management of returnable transport packaging received from a vendor and stored at a location on your premises. This packaging material is managed as special stock and clearly assigned as belonging to the vendor. It is the property of the vendor and is therefore not included in the customer's valuated stock. For a more detailed description of this scenario, see SAP Help Portal.
This scenario was supported in the older version of SAP ERP and continues to be supported in SAP S/4HANA cloud, public edition and SAP S/4HANA cloud, private edition.
Returnable Packaging Processing (RPP) in Sales
This scenario enables the management of packaging materials that are stored at the customer location, but which remain the property of your company. The customer is only required to pay you for the returnable packaging if he does not return it to you by a specified time. Using this function you can, for example, process euro-pallets. You can also use it to resell returnable packaging to a third party. Since stocks of returnable packaging form part of your valuated stock even when they are at the customer site, you must manage them in your system. For a more detailed description of this scenario, see SAP Help Portal.
This scenario was supported in the older version of SAP ERP and continues to be supported in SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Public edition, SAP S/4HANA cloud, private edition and on-premise.
Returnable Packaging Logistics (RPL) in Automotive
This scenario is designed mainly for the automotive industry where the OEM provides the suppliers with empty (returnable) packaging. The suppliers then return this returnable packaging filled with the required goods, either directly or via a third party. These lending/borrowing relationships must be reproduced in order to track the quantities of returnable packaging that are in circulation.
This scenario was supported in the older version of SAP ERP and continues to be supported in SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition and on-premise.
SAP Returnable Packaging Management in the Industry Cloud
SAP Returnable Packaging Management is a strategic solution for the management of empty packaging materials. Based on SAP's long-standing industry experience, SAP Returnable Packaging Management enables customers and suppliers in different industries to increase automation and efficiency in managing returnable assets. SAP Returnable Packaging Management is the successor of the automotive solution Returnable Packaging Logistics (RPL), and can be used in combination with Returnable Packaging Processing (RPP) and Reusable Transport Packaging (RTP) in SAP S/4HANA.
Solution Overview
The SAP Returnable Packaging Management solution offers a diverse set of capabilities, which can be categorized into five key areas as follows:
- Returnable Account Management: SAP Returnable Packaging Management uses returnable packaging accounts to track returnable packaging materials throughout the supply chain. A returnable packaging account is established for each combination of exchange location (plant), exchange partner (customer or vendor), and packaging material. All goods movements involving these three attributes are recorded in the respective returnable account. This serves as the foundation for several capabilities, including account statements, stock overviews, the Returnable Packaging Dashboard, and more. These features leverage the data stored in the returnable account to provide valuable insights and facilitate effective returnable packaging management.
- Returnable Packaging Rentals: The rental calculation for returnable packaging is a crucial requirement in many industries, such as automotive, and its adoption is expanding across various other sectors. To address this need, SAP Returnable Packaging Management provides a flexible solution that supports different rental modalities and enables accurate rental fee calculations for both serialized and non-serialized packaging materials. This feature allows businesses to efficiently manage and track the rental costs associated with their returnable packaging assets, ensuring accurate billing and cost allocation.
- Returnable Packaging Planning: Returnable Packaging Planning supports three planning strategies as follows:
- Consumption-based planning
- Forecast-based planning
- Demand-driven planning
- Portal Access to External Parties: The development of SAP Returnable Packaging Management on the Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) has unveiled a range of new functionalities that enhance collaboration between supply chain partners. With the partner portal seamlessly integrated into SAP Returnable Packaging Management, partners gain access to pertinent data, such as account statements and planning information, eliminating the need for overwhelming communication. Furthermore, the portal empowers partners to proactively address potential issues by triggering replenishment or initiating a complaint process.
- Packaging Agreements and Packaging Standards: Packaging standards and agreements are standardized documents that outline the packaging requirements for materials procured from selected suppliers. These documents are centrally stored in the RPM system, ensuring easy access for both customers and suppliers. To enhance collaboration and streamline processes, additional features such as chat functionality and workflow management are available for use by both parties
Keep track of returnable packaging inventory across the entire supply chain.
Supporting multiple planning scenarios to cover a broad range of use-cases.
- Seamlessly collaborate with partners on multiple dimensions in Packaging Management.