Packaging Compositions
Packaging compositions define which packaging elements belong to a product during a specific time frame. Multiple products can be assigned to a single packaging composition but the time frames during which they are assigned cannot overlap.
Packaging compositions can be created in two ways:
- Data import using a file or the API
- In the Manage Packaging Compositions application
Packaging elements can be added to packaging compositions that were imported. But it is not possible to delete or change imported items.
Packaging compositions can be created and edited in the Manage Packaging Compositions application. In this application, you can add or remove packaging elements or products that were created using the application. For these items the source system is indicated as RDP.
The information below provides in-depth explanations of some attributes of packaging compositions. To see a complete table of all of the data that packaging compositions consist of, see PackagingComposition_Template.xlsx.
Packaging Compositions
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Base quantity | Base quantity is a reference quantity that is defined for the packaging composition. It contains the header quantity of the packaging composition. Item quantities refer to this header quantity. |
| Quantity | Indicates the item quantity, referring to the base quantity. For example, base quantity 20 cases – item quantity 1 pallet. This means that 20 cases fill one pallet. |
| Packaging element | Indicates the packaging element that is assigned to a packaging composition. |
| Packaging level | The packaging levels are predefined. There are four possible values for packaging elements:
|
| EPR group | An attribute that can be used to define groups of packaging elements on the same packaging level. There are EPR reports where items with the same EPR group are treated as one single packaging element. The EPR (disposal) group can be used for this purpose. For example, it might be required that the label and the bottle have a different group from the cap on the bottle, but the same packaging level. This way it is indicated that cap and bottle are disposed separately. There is a special case for how PROs can treat compounds that also concerns EPR groups. Compounds are packaging elements that consist of different basic material fractions that cannot be separated from each other by the end-consumer. If a compound consists of several packaging elements, it may be treated as one packaging element if the following conditions are true:
|
| WWF group | Another attribute that can be used to define groups of packaging elements on the same packaging level. These groups are defined by the WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature) and they can be used to create a report for the WWF. Usually the grouping is done per packaging level. Groups on deviating packaging levels are calculated separately. Groups on transport level are usually not considered. |
| Source system | The system where the data has been created. 'External file' indicates that data was imported. 'RDP' indicates that data was created in SAP Responsible Design and Production. |