Custom dairy packaging deposit management software
Dairy leaves the premises in crates, on roll containers and milk trolleys, on pallets and sometimes in kegs, and that equipment has to come back. Every customer has a balance per type of packaging, and discrepancies cost money. Appfront builds software that records what goes out and what comes back on every delivery, keeps the balance per customer, settles deposits and shows discrepancies before they become a costly problem.
What is returnable packaging management software for dairy?
Dairy involves a lot of returnable packaging. Milk and yoghurt go in crates on roll containers or milk trolleys to supermarkets, wholesalers and hospitality. Cheese goes on pallets, and sometimes in kegs or trays. That equipment belongs to the producer or to a pool, and has to come back. Every customer therefore has a balance per type: what has been issued, minus what has been returned.
At many companies this is tracked on the consignment note, on a return slip or on paper by the driver, and retyped later. The balance per customer then rarely adds up. A distribution centre says it has returned everything, the driver noted a different number, and at the end of the year it turns out part of the roll containers are missing. Deposits are invoiced, but discrepancies are not investigated.
We build custom software because customers, types of packaging and agreements differ from company to company. The software records what goes out and what comes back on every delivery and every run, keeps the balance per customer and type, settles deposits on the invoice, and shows discrepancies while they can still be traced.
Balance per customer
Per type of packaging, always up to date.
On every run
Outgoing and returning recorded by the driver.
Discrepancies in time
Investigated before they become a costly problem.
How we build your returnable packaging management software for dairy
We start with your packaging: which types, from whom, with what deposit, and how it is currently tracked. Then we define which customers have which agreements, how the driver records outgoing and returning items, and how settlement on the invoice works. We often start with recording per run and the balance per customer, because that is where the biggest discrepancies arise. Deposit settlement, reconciliation with customers and alerts for growing balances follow after that. At go-live we establish the opening balances together with your customers, so the software calculates from an agreed starting position. Afterwards we maintain the software as types or agreements change.
Types, deposits and current registration.
Per customer and per type.
Run, balance and settlement.
Opening balances, integrations and maintenance.
What returnable packaging management software for dairy actually does
The components below appear in almost every returnable packaging system in dairy. Which ones you need depends on your customers.
Types
Crates, trolleys, pallets.
Per trip
Out and back.
Balance
Per customer and type.
Deposit
On the invoice.
Reconciliation
Agreed with the customer.
Alerts
When a balance grows.
Who we build returnable packaging management software for dairy for
The software is intended for companies that deliver dairy in returnable packaging. The more customers and runs, the more it pays off.
Dairy producers
Supplying retail. Counting roll containers matters.
Cheesemakers
Pallets and trays. Balance per customer matters.
Distributors
Many customers. Discrepancies matter.
Farm dairy
Own delivery. Simplicity is key.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we make your idea tangible in a single day for €1,150, so you know whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we deduct the cost in full.
View OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
This page is about returnable packaging in dairy. For how we tackled returnable packaging in another sector, read our case getting a grip on returnable packaging in ornamental plant transport. For returnable packaging in the building trade, see our page on pallet management, and for the sector as a whole our page on software for the food industry. You can read about our approach at building software.
Why choose Appfront for your returnable packaging administration software in dairy?
Packaging tracked on paper, and balances that are only sorted out at the end of the year, cost a dairy company crates, trolleys and money every year. That is what we build on: recording at every trip, a balance that is correct, and discrepancies spotted in time.
No paper
Recorded at the trip.
Balance is correct
Per customer and type.
Less loss
Discrepancies caught in time.
Security and privacy in returnable packaging administration software for dairy
The software processes data about customers, deliveries, trips and drivers. Access is set up per role, a customer only sees their own balance, and every entry and correction is logged with who made it and when.
The software runs in a European data centre, with encrypted storage and daily backups. We document the processing in a data processing agreement.
Frequently asked questions about returnable packaging administration software for dairy
Questions dairy companies ask before they get started.
All the types you use: crates, roll containers and milk trolleys, pallets, kegs and trays, whether your own or from a pool. For each type you record whether a deposit applies, what it is, and how it is settled. You can add new types yourself.
On a phone or handheld terminal, at every delivery. The driver sees what is going out according to the order and enters what comes back, optionally with a signature or photo from the customer. If you already use a driver app, the recording can be built into it.
According to the agreements per customer. Packaging issued with a deposit goes on the invoice, returns are credited, and the balance is settled or reconciled per period. The software calculates it and shows what it is based on.
Then it is recorded per trip what was issued and what came back, and who signed for it. If you wish, the customer can see their own balance and the trips behind it, so discrepancies are sorted out together rather than at the end of the year.
Yes, that is usually the idea. Orders and customers come from the ERP, trips from the planning, and deposits go to invoicing. Which integrations are needed depends on your systems, and we look at that in the first step.
At go-live, we work with you to establish the opening balances per customer, for example after a count or a reconciliation. The software continues from that position, so old discrepancies are not carried over into the new administration.
Check that first. Some ERP packages treat packaging as an item with a deposit. Custom software makes sense if returns are not recorded per trip, if balances per customer are wrong, or if discrepancies only come to light at the end of the year.
Want control over crates, trolleys and pallets?
Tell us which packaging you use, how outgoing and returned items are currently tracked, and where the discrepancies are. We will show you what the software looks like.