Empties management: scan-free tracking of empties

Updated on 29. September 2026

Optimized materials management: When analogue empties management is automated – Modern IoT technology as a solution for an industry-specific challenge.

In the dynamic world of the beverage industry, flexibility, efficiency and technological innovation are essential. The empties module, an industry-specific extension of the Warehouse Execution System (WES), makes a significant contribution to the transformation of warehouse logistics in the beverage industry.

Summary:

Empty pallets in the beverage industry do not have unique identifiers (no SSCC). This makes manual tracking error-prone and time-consuming.
The lack of an inventory overview makes production planning difficult and ties up staff unnecessarily.
identpro solves this problem with an AI-based empties module as part of the Warehouse Execution System (WES).
Existing forklifts are equipped with IoT kits without any changes to the infrastructure.
A real-time digital twin displays all inventory, movements, and orders in the warehouse.
Forklift operators record empty containers using features such as image selection in the software. And they can do this without leaving the vehicle or scanning anything.
Each pallet is assigned a virtual number and is now automatically tracked.
The system can be integrated with ERP solutions such as SAP EWM.
The result: reliable production planning, full inventory transparency, and significantly fewer manual processes.
Notable clients: Warsteiner, Refresco, and Asahi.

Empties management: a key element of the beverage industry

The return and refilling of empties is of central importance for breweries and beverage producers. The challenge, however, is to make this process seamless in order to optimize production planning and effectively reduce costs. Insufficient labeling and traceability of empties, complicated by different return sources such as retailers, often lead to manual, error-prone processes and loss of sales.

Why empties management is becoming more important

Reusable packaging is under growing pressure across Europe. Since August 2026, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has applied in all member states. From 2030, final distributors must offer at least 10% of beverages, including beer and soft drinks, in reusable packaging within a reuse system. For 2040, the regulation sets an indicative target of 40%. Wine, spirits and milk are excluded (ppwr-packaging.com, packaktuell, 2026).

Countries with established reuse systems show what this means in practice. In Germany, almost 80% of beer sales are in returnable packaging, and around 80% of beer bottles are pool bottles shared by all breweries (German Brewers’ Association). In February 2025, Austria raised its deposit on returnable glass bottles for the first time in 40 years, to 20 cents per bottle and €7 per crate, to speed up returns. A returnable glass bottle can be refilled up to 40 times (Bierland Österreich).

The more reusable packaging in circulation, the greater the challenge: even when empties arrive at the warehouse already sorted, they carry no unique identification. Without real-time transparency, breweries end up ordering new glass or planning filling runs that don’t match actual stock, and every lost crate or bottle is a direct cost.

Challenges in the beverage industry

Production planning:

Without precise knowledge of the available empties, it is difficult to plan production or filling efficiently. There is a risk that not enough bottles will be available, which can lead to production stoppages.

Personnel expenses:

Unclear information about the empties stock requires increased effort when searching for the required empties. Employees have to go through potentially long processes to find the empties they need, which affects productivity.

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Innovation in practice

Empty pallets have no unique identification (SSCC) and cannot be easily recorded. With identpro’s Warehouse Execution System, entire inventories can be localized and controlled in real time. The solution has a unique application for the challenges of the beverage industry. To this end, the existing industrial trucks are equipped with IoT kits to record all stocks / movements / orders live. The AI-based software generates a digital twin in real time and intelligently controls driving orders.

What does SSCC stand for?

The SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) is an international standard code that is used to identify shipping units (such as pallets, cartons or containers) in the supply chain. It enables each shipping unit to be uniquely identified worldwide and thus facilitates tracking and administration in logistics.

Each SSCC is a unique 18-digit numeric code. This is made up of an extension digit, a GS1 company number, a consecutive serial number and a check digit. The GS1 company number is a number assigned by the GS1 system that identifies the company that created the shipping unit.

By using the SSCC, companies can track their shipping units more efficiently, automate incoming and outgoing goods and improve the accuracy of their supply chain processes. The code is usually applied to the shipping unit in the form of a barcode so that it can be easily scanned and processed in IT systems.

The empties module: Automation of empties handling

Empties – without barcodes or other identification – can now be tracked fully automatically. The forklift driver picks up an unknown pallet of empties and the stock levels are recorded via the software interface. The forklift driver uses a quick filter to pick up pallets of empties with just a few clicks. The entry window asks how many pallets have been recorded. An optional image search can then be used to easily specify the type of bottle recorded – without having to scan or leave the vehicle. The empties pallet is recorded in the software and assigned a virtual number. Once connected to the system, the goods are automatically tracked and controlled.

Advantages at a glance

Simple recording & operation
Drivers no longer have to search for empties
Planning reliability in production
Valid inventory information leads to full transparency
Can be connected to any ERP system such as SAP EWM via an interface

How it works: Step by step

The Empties Module is designed around the day-to-day reality of beverage warehouse operations. The forklift driver never leaves the vehicle, searches for no barcodes, and enters no article numbers. The entire registration runs through a handful of interactions on the terminal interface: intuitive, fast, and error-tolerant.

Step 1: Select the empties type

The starting point: an unidentified empties pallet on the stack. The system doesn’t know it yet. From this moment, the Empties Module takes over. The driver selects which product is on the pallet using a visual image selection.

Step 2: Set the quantity

The driver then enters the number of units — either via quick-select (6, 8, 10, 12, or 18 units) or manually using the number pad. The system updates in real time to reflect the actual load.

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Step 3: Define the carrier type

Next, the driver selects the load carrier type: beer kegs, Euro pallet, industrial pallet, wire mesh container, transport box, and more. If the Hub carries multiple different products, additional pallets can be registered in the same process. Mixed Hubs are not an edge case — the module is built exactly for this.

Step 4: Empties go digital

Once confirmed, all registered pallets switch to green in the system. The WES now knows what is on which vehicle — in real time, without a single manual scan. Each pallet receives a virtual ID and is tracked automatically from that point on: from pickup through transport to put-away or handover to production.

Conclusion

The challenges of empties management can have a negative impact on production planning and efficiency. The introduction of automated tracking systems can help to fully exploit this potential. Efficient empties management is not only a sign of operational efficiency, but also an important factor for customer satisfaction and the economic success of a company.

International success stories in the beverage industry

Breweries and beverage producers in several European countries already use identpro’s solution, in some cases across multiple sites.

Warsteiner: recording empties in four clicks

At Warsteiner, 36 forklifts at the Warstein and Paderborn sites run on identpro’s Warehouse Execution System, with tracking areas of 280,000 m² and 70,000 m². The integration with SAP EWM provides full transparency over full and empty containers. A dedicated terminal app handles the empties: the forklift driver records an empties pallet in four clicks, without a scanner and without getting off the forklift.

Pilsner Urquell (Asahi): empty kegs and bottles in view

At Pilsner Urquell, part of the Asahi Group, the existing forklifts were equipped with IoT kits, and an automatic detection system was added at the conveyor belts of the filling station. The system tracks full and empty kegs and bottles in real time and passes the stock data directly to the ERP system. Manual scanning in the warehouse is no longer needed. Pilsner Urquell plans to roll the solution out to further Asahi Group sites.

Refresco: more performance with the same fleet

With identpro’s WES, Refresco Germany migrated from SAP WM to SAP EWM. The 35,000 m² warehouse handles around 7,000 movements per day, and its 13 forklifts now operate scan-free with 3D forklift guidance. The result: well over 25% more pallets transported with an unchanged fleet and 50% fewer empty runs. The investment paid for itself in less than 15 months.

In an era where efficiency, sustainability and digital transformation are decisive, identpro is at the forefront of this movement, demonstrating how digitalization and intelligent automation deliver tangible results in the real world of the beverage industry.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About identpro’s WES

Empties management refers to the recording, tracking, and control of empty containers (such as bottles, crates, and pallets) that are returned to the brewery or beverage manufacturer after being sold by retailers or wholesalers. Since these containers come from various sources and often lack unique identification, the process is error-prone, time-consuming, and difficult to plan without digital support.

A digital twin is a virtual, real-time representation of the physical warehouse. At identpro, existing forklift trucks are equipped with IoT kits that track all movements, inventory, and orders in real time. This data is used by the AI-based software to create an exact digital replica of the warehouse, including all empty pallets. This way, the system knows at all times where each empty pallet is located, without the need for manual scanning or searching.

A lack of transparency regarding empty containers leads to costs in several areas: Employees spend time searching for empty containers instead of moving them. Production lines cannot be planned optimally because it is unclear how many empty containers are actually available for filling. In the worst-case scenario, production downtime occurs because bottles or crates simply cannot be found, even though they are physically present in the warehouse.

This is exactly where identpro’s empty container module comes in. Since empty container pallets do not have an SSCC or barcode, identification is handled differently: The forklift operator picks up a pallet with the forklift and uses a simple image selection feature in the software to specify the type of bottle. The pallet is then assigned a virtual number and is automatically tracked by the system from that moment on—via the IoT equipment on the vehicle, without any additional scanning equipment.

With identpro-WES, you get a real-time overview of all warehouse resources—vehicles, pallets, or load carriers—with centimeter-level precision. This allows you to avoid bottlenecks, reduce empty runs, and boost operational efficiency.

Returnable packaging is well established for beer in many European countries. In Germany, almost 80% of beer sales are in returnable packaging, and around 80% of beer bottles are pool bottles shared by all breweries. In February 2025, Austria raised its deposit on returnable glass bottles to 20 cents per bottle and €7 per crate to speed up returns. A returnable glass bottle can be refilled up to 40 times.

The PPWR has applied in all EU member states since August 2026. From 2030, final distributors must offer at least 10% of beverages in reusable packaging within a reuse system, including beer and soft drinks. For 2040, the regulation sets an indicative target of 40%. Wine, spirits and milk are excluded. For breweries and bottlers, more reusable packaging also means more empties that need to be recorded, stored and scheduled back into production.

Empties management in the beverage industry: real-time localization as a game changer

Empties management: a key element of the beverage industry

Why empties management is becoming more important

Challenges in the beverage industry