ForSURE.reports

Comprehensive Reporting API Overview

The /reports endpoint encompasses two critical functionalities crucial for maintaining compliance: Report Creation and Report Submission. This documentation provides an integrated guide on how to effectively use these APIs to generate custom reports and submit completed reports to PRO portals.

API Capabilities Overview

1. Report Creation API

The Report Creation API enables companies to generate comprehensive compliance reports from their order and product data. The system processes raw order data, enriches it with category list information, and generates structured reports ready for submission to PRO portals.

Key Capabilities:

  • Data Integration: Merge order data with category list information to enrich product details with compliance-relevant attributes such as WEEE categories, battery types, packaging materials, and country-specific classifications.
  • Data Processing: Add sub-SKUs, handle products containing batteries, and calculate net weights from product weights.
  • Flexible Grouping: Group data by various dimensions including product category, business type (B2B/B2C), date ranges, and custom fields. This makes it flexible to be compliant with the requirements of any country.
  • Multiple Report Types: Generate reports for different compliance categories including WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), Batteries, and Packaging. Each report type uses appropriate calculations and aggregations specific to that category.
  • Timeframe Support: Create reports for various time periods including monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports, as well as custom date ranges.
  • Preview Mode: Preview report results before final generation to verify data accuracy and ensure correct grouping and calculations.
  • Progress Tracking: Monitor report generation progress in real-time, with status updates at key stages: data merging (25%), report creation (50%), saving results (75%), and completion (100%).
  • Audit Trails: Automatically generate comprehensive audit trails containing all source data, order details, category list mappings, and calculations used in the report for compliance verification.
  • Excluded Data Tracking: Identify and track data that was excluded from the report (e.g., SKUs not found in the category list) for review and correction.

Example Use Cases:

  • Generate a quarterly WEEE report for Germany showing product categories, weights, and B2B/B2C breakdowns
  • Create a monthly packaging report for the Netherlands with net weight calculations
  • Produce an annual battery report with battery type classifications and quantities
  • Preview a custom date range report to verify data before final generation
  • Track report generation progress for large datasets spanning multiple months

2. Report Submission API

The Report Submission API enables EPR agencies to submit completed compliance reports to various PRO (Producer Responsibility Organization) portals automatically. This API leverages the client credentials stored in the Client Management system to authenticate and submit reports on behalf of clients.

Key Capabilities:

  • Upload Reports: Submit completed reports in Excel or PDF format to PRO portals. The system uses stored client credentials to authenticate submissions automatically.
  • Manage Client Credentials: Upload and manage client login credentials for different PROs, countries, and report types. Credentials are essential for automatic report submission.
  • Track Submissions: View submission history and receipts for all submitted reports.
  • Zero Reports: Create and submit zero reports (reports indicating no data for a specific period) when applicable.
  • Report Management: View, download, and delete submitted reports and their associated documentation.

How Automatic Submission Works:

  1. EPR agencies store client credentials in the Client Management system for each PRO portal
  2. When a report is ready for submission, the system uses the stored credentials to log into the PRO portal
  3. The report is automatically uploaded to the portal on behalf of the client
  4. Submission receipts and confirmations are captured and stored
  5. Agencies can track the status of all submissions through the API

Example Use Cases:

  • Submit a WEEE report for a client in Germany to Stiftung EAR
  • Upload multiple packaging reports for different clients in the Netherlands
  • Create and submit zero reports when a client has no data for a reporting period
  • Track all submissions and download receipts for compliance records

Managing Reporting Processes

For Report Creation:

  • Data Preparation: Ensure your order data is properly uploaded and that your category list is up to date with all product classifications. Missing category list entries will result in data being excluded from reports.
  • Parameter Specification: Accurately specify all parameters including country codes (comma-separated for multiple countries), date ranges, report categories (WEEE, Batteries, Packaging), and grouping fields. Verify date ranges match your reporting obligations.
  • Preview Before Generation: Use preview mode to verify that data is being grouped correctly and calculations are accurate before generating the final report. This helps catch issues early.
  • Progress Monitoring: Regularly check the progress of report generation, especially for large datasets spanning multiple months or countries. The system provides real-time progress updates.
  • Audit Trail Review: Review the generated audit trails to verify that all source data was correctly processed and mapped to category list entries.
  • Excluded Data Handling: Review excluded data reports to identify SKUs or products that were not included in the report, and update your category list accordingly.
  • B2B/B2C Considerations: If your business has both B2B and B2C transactions, ensure the business type field is properly configured in your data to enable accurate splitting in reports.

For Report Submission:

  • Credential Management: Ensure all client credentials are up to date in the Client Management system before attempting submissions. Use collective accounts when multiple clients share the same PRO credentials.
  • Report Preparation: Verify that reports are complete and validated before submission. The system will attempt to submit reports automatically using stored credentials.
  • Submission Tracking: Regularly monitor submission status and receipts to ensure successful delivery to PRO portals.
  • Error Handling: Review any submission errors and update credentials or report data as needed.

Importance of Integrated Reporting

Integrating the creation of customized reports with automatic submission to PRO portals ensures that your business not only stays compliant with regulatory requirements but also leverages automation to reduce manual effort and errors. Timely compliance and accurate reporting are crucial for maintaining legal standing, enhancing operational decisions, and strategic planning.

The automatic submission capability is particularly valuable for EPR agencies managing multiple clients, as it eliminates the need to manually log into each PRO portal and submit reports individually. By centralizing credential management and automating submissions, agencies can scale their operations efficiently.

Conclusion

By utilizing the comprehensive capabilities provided by the Report Creation and Report Submission APIs, your business can enhance its compliance strategies, generate precise actionable reports, and automate the submission process. This integrated approach not only aids in maintaining good regulatory standing but also supports effective strategic planning by providing clear visibility into operational insights and submission status across all clients and PRO portals.