Disclosed is a method and an apparatus for supplying, staging, and/or handling, and/or for replacing rolls (12, 20) with flat material and/or film material wound thereonto and serving as packaging material (22) for packaging piece goods, bundles, or the like sets of articles. Depleted rolls (20) are removed from at least one installation position (EB1, EB2) of a packaging machine (14), and new rolls (12) are mounted into the particular installation position (EB1, EB2), with new rolls (12) being staged to the packaging machine (14) in a specified feeder device.Each of the installation positions (EB1, EB2) of the packaging machine (14) includes at least one rotatable receiving mandrel (70) for the rotatable reception and holding of the rolls (12). The at least one receiving mandrel (70) is shiftable in its axial direction upon removing a depleted roll (20) and/or upon mounting of a new roll (12).