Challenges in the master data management for niceshops

Efficient management of packaging master data: niceshops, the up-and-coming e-commerce company from Styria, masters the challenge despite 100,000 products and numerous international suppliers

niceshops sells products that are supplied by numerous international manufacturers and producers. “In order to prepare ourselves for upcoming EPR obligations at European level, we had to rethink the topic of packaging master data from scratch and start developing future-proof processes,” says Dario Käfer, Shop Manager at niceshops, describing the immense challenge facing his industry. However, the legal framework for providing sufficiently detailed packaging information about complex supply chains is still lacking. In order to be able to manage all packaging data efficiently, niceshops had to break new ground and relied on the professional advice of RecycleMe.

Mobile weighing line directly in the niceshops warehouse

Due to the size of the product range and in order to save on transport costs, it was agreed to set up the packaging analysis directly in the customer’s warehouse. The RecycleMe team of experts therefore travelled with all their equipment directly to the warehouse in Paldau in the Styrian district of Feldbach, where sufficient space was created to set up a mobile weighing line. There, the packaging was separated into the individual material components, various categorisations were carried out in accordance with legal requirements and all additional relevant packaging data was recorded. The categorised masses were weighed automatically using calibrated precision scales, while at the same time photo documentation was carried out using the specially developed digital weighing tool.

At the same time, the data provided to niceshops by its manufacturers was checked for plausibility. All recorded data flows into a digital master database and is thus available for various purposes at the touch of a button. This means that individual specifications for each sales market can also be easily taken into account.

Well-founded packaging data as a success factor for sustainable management

“With a view to the future and planned developments at European level, it is essential for companies to have well-founded packaging data. It’s not just about correctly determining the costs for licensing, but also about transparent data management for any audits and inspections. The European Packaging Ordinance (PPWR) entails a large number of producer obligations,” explains Eva-Müller Axmann, Managing Director of RecycleMe in Austria. “niceshops can rely on our expertise, our know-how and our international network while they concentrate on their core business.”