Interu’s Heritage in Timber Traceability

When it comes to EUDR compliance, one-size-fits-all software solutions doesn’t cut it. That’s because traceability isn’t just a technical problem, it’s a practical one, that requires knowledge and experience to understand the nuances of complex supply chains and regulatory requirements. 

Before the EUDR, there was the EUTR (EU Timber Regulation), which means that since 2020 the Interu team has worked to support organisations needing to comply with EUTR, with clients including EU and UK traders and operators, suppliers in producer countries, and certification bodies/3rd party verifiers. This experience has given us a strong understanding of the inner workings of wood products due diligence and what is needed to build trust and prove provenance. 

We’ve seen how enforcement investigations unfold, we know what questions Competent Authorities ask, what documents get scrutinised, and the challenges Operators face. And importantly, we know which processes are inefficient when it comes to tracking down information across supply chains. 

People who’ve walked the walk

A number of our colleagues have spent years as Chain of Custody compliance managers, some come from a paper, packaging and print background, and others have built supply chain management systems. We’ve seen first-hand what makes traceability systems break down - and more importantly, what helps them succeed.

That’s why Interu is built the way it is: not to boil the ocean, but to help operators and their suppliers get the job done - efficiently, accurately, and with confidence.

Documentation isn’t universal 

What we found when working with operators seeking EUTR, UKTR (UK Timber Regulation) and now EUDR compliance, is that they are still using spreadsheets, shared drives and emails to manage, store and share due diligence information. Not only is this a security issue and incredibly inefficient, but the lack of control over its quality and accuracy to ensure compliance is a huge concern which could result in hefty fines and reputational damage.

For example, Sunseeker International Limited, a luxury yacht manufacturer based in Poole, was fined £240,000 after admitting to violations of the UKTR. The company failed to carry out due diligence and did not properly document timber imports during 2021 and 2022. These imports included Teak from Myanmar, Wenge from Africa, and Oak from Europe.

This, combined with the quality of documents from suppliers not being up to scratch, creates a huge headache for operators relying on this information. We’ve worked with operators sourcing from all over the world including Gabon, Malaysia, China and more and have found that each country comes with its own documentation norms, languages, levels of formality, and legal expectations.

Our system is built to handle that. We have worked through these differences which means Interu is adaptable and customisable. For example you can:

• Define and organise your locations based on your business model - whether that's farms, processing facilities, or distribution centres.
• Adapt to complex supply chains, including multiple upstream traders or agents, and whether you import, export, or process goods.
• Customise document tracking to include the information you need - such as certificates of origin or sustainability reports - regardless of your company’s naming conventions or your suppliers’ languages.
• Support for all certification statuses and standards, whether your goods are certified or not, and no matter which standards apply.
• Set your own compliance, quality, and reporting rules, ensuring the system aligns with both industry requirements and internal processes.
• Be flexible to your organisational structure and user access needs, allowing you to shape the system around how your teams work.
• Track any product type, whether or not it falls under EUDR, so no item is missed.
• Log data in the units that make sense for you - tonnes, kilograms, cubic metres, or any industry-specific measure.
• Meet EUDR requirements and beyond, with support for additional traceability data your customers may need - such as emissions, recycling, or product-specific information.

Not a repurposed logistics tool

Let’s be clear - Interu isn’t a general logistics or supply chain platform dressed up for EUDR. It is not a general ESG reporting tool suddenly trying to repurpose itself to facilitate end to end product traceability. And it’s not a GIS analysis tool trying to stretch itself to handle transactions or chain of custody flows. This is a purpose-built solution with carefully selected best-of-breed technology partners who we believe provide the best satellite imagery analysis and verification capabilities. 

Interu was ultimately shaped with input from across the timber industry: producers and suppliers, Competent Authorities, Certification Bodies, third-party verifiers, large EU operators and SME traders. This isn't software trying to be something it’s not - it is a solution designed for the reality of EUDR.

Designed for integration and scale

Our technical team comes from a background in secure infrastructure and integration. They’ve helped scale digital identity systems and designed APIs for secure data sharing. That expertise shows up in Interu’s architecture. Whether you’re a multinational with complex digital tooling or a growing SME, Interu is built to plug in and grow with you.

This also extends to our integration with Traces NT, the EU’s system for EUDR data submissions. As businesses adapt to the EUDR, seamless compliance is critical and through this integration businesses can directly submit their due diligence statements (DDS), manage geolocation data, and retrieve DDS reference numbers - all within one system.

People who’ve walked the walk

Some of our colleagues have spent years as Chain of Custody compliance managers, others come from a paper, packaging, and print background. We’ve seen first-hand what makes traceability systems break down - and more importantly, what helps them succeed.

That’s why Interu is built the way it is: not to boil the ocean, but to help operators get the job done - efficiently, accurately, and with confidence.

Get in touch to learn more.

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