Dazmii Included in Gartner® Cool Vendors Research Addressing Packaging EPR and Data Quality Challenges

We’re pleased to share that Dazmii has been included in Gartner® research focused on emerging vendors addressing packaging data quality challenges driven by Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation and related regulatory pressures.

In its report, Cool Vendors in AI and Data Tools for Packaging EPR, Gartner examines how evolving packaging legislation is creating new operational, financial, and data governance risks for organizations across industries. As EPR laws, recycled content mandates, and European packaging regulations continue to expand, companies are being required to report detailed, accurate, and auditable packaging specification data — often for the first time.

This shift is exposing a long-standing challenge: many organizations do not have packaging specification data that is complete, traceable, or consistently maintained across products, suppliers, and regions.

The Growing Risk of Packaging Data Gaps

Historically, packaging data has often been managed outside of core enterprise systems. Spreadsheets, shared drives, emails, and disconnected supplier files remain common sources of record. While these approaches may have been sufficient for internal reference or basic supplier communication, they fall short when regulatory reporting requires precision, repeatability, and accountability.

Gartner’s research highlights several systemic issues organizations face today:

• Missing or incomplete specification data

• Inaccurate or outdated packaging attributes

• Limited ability to trace data origin or changes over time

• Heavy reliance on suppliers to provide critical data on demand

• Manual data collection processes that introduce delays and errors

As packaging legislation accelerates, these issues are no longer operational inconveniences — they represent financial risk. Inaccurate reporting can result in fee overpayment, penalties, audit exposure, and missed compliance deadlines. At the same time, manual data collection places increasing strain on internal teams, diverting resources away from product development, cost optimization, and innovation.

EPR as a Structural Shift, Not a One-Time Event

One of the most important themes in Gartner’s analysis is that packaging EPR should not be viewed as a one-time compliance exercise. EPR laws establish fee structures, reporting requirements, and enforcement mechanisms that depend on ongoing access to accurate packaging specifications. As products evolve, suppliers change, and regulations are updated, packaging data must be continuously maintained — not collected once and forgotten.

In the United States alone, multiple states have already passed packaging EPR legislation, with others actively considering similar laws. Internationally, European regulations add another layer of complexity for organizations operating across regions. Each jurisdiction defines its own reporting rules, material categorizations, and data requirements, increasing the importance of structured, governed specification data.

This environment has created urgency. Many organizations must report now, even if their long-term packaging specification management strategy is still evolving.

Emerging Approaches to Address the Data Challenge

Gartner notes that emerging vendors are applying new approaches to address packaging data challenges, including the use of AI to extract data from unstructured sources and the application of subject matter expertise to validate and govern that data.

These approaches reflect a broader recognition in the market: technology alone is rarely sufficient. Accurate packaging data depends on a combination of tools, process discipline, and domain expertise. AI can accelerate extraction and normalization, but human oversight remains critical for interpreting specifications, resolving inconsistencies, and ensuring alignment with regulatory definitions.

Dazmii’s inclusion in this research reflects its approach to addressing these realities through a blend of software, services, and packaging expertise.

Dazmii’s Role in the Packaging Data Ecosystem

As described in the Gartner research, Dazmii supports organizations by gathering, cleaning, digitizing, and maintaining packaging specification data. This work is performed through a combination of technology and dedicated packaging subject matter experts, including early-career packaging engineers supported by experienced professionals.

A challenge highlighted in the research is that many organizations have not yet implemented a fully scalable specification data management platform — yet regulatory reporting deadlines cannot wait. Dazmii’s model is designed to support organizations in this transitional state by helping them acquire and govern packaging data now, while remaining flexible for future system decisions.

In addition to data acquisition, ongoing data stewardship is a critical component of compliance. Packaging specifications change frequently due to supplier updates, cost optimization efforts, sustainability initiatives, and product redesigns. Maintaining data accuracy over time is just as important as initial collection.

Dazmii’s approach emphasizes continuity — ensuring that once data is gathered, it can be housed, maintained, and updated as requirements evolve. When organizations later implement or expand internal specification management platforms, data can be transferred in a structured, usable format rather than re-collected from scratch.

Why This Matters Beyond Compliance

While regulatory compliance is a primary driver, accurate packaging specification data delivers value beyond EPR reporting. Reliable data supports:

• Cost modeling and fee optimization

• Supplier performance analysis

• Sustainability reporting and claims validation

• Audit readiness

• Cross-functional decision-making across R&D, procurement, finance, and supply chain

Gartner’s research points out that many organizations are still early in this journey. A significant percentage of respondents in recent industry surveys report continued reliance on manual tools for specification management. Closing these gaps requires both near-term execution and longer-term strategic planning.

Looking Ahead

Packaging legislation represents one of the most significant disruptions to the packaging industry in decades. As regulatory expectations continue to expand, organizations will need to rethink how packaging data is acquired, governed, and integrated into broader enterprise processes.

We view Dazmii’s inclusion in Gartner’s Cool Vendors research as a reflection of this broader industry transition. It underscores the growing recognition that packaging data quality is foundational — not only for compliance, but for operational resilience and informed decision-making.

We appreciate being included alongside other vendors addressing these challenges and remain focused on supporting organizations as they navigate an increasingly complex regulatory and data landscape.

Attribution

Gartner, Cool Vendors in AI and Data Tools for Packaging EPR, John Blake, 28 October 2025.

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