Batches are used for packing or manufacturing. Batches have inputs such as fresh produce, packaging, and labor; and outputs such as finish product or unfinished product that may be used in other batches.
About batchs
Use Batches to record inputs of ingredients (eg: packaging, raw fruit), and outputs such as finished manufactured/packed products ready for sale. You can also use Good Manufacturing Practices to guide users through the manufacturing process (see the Manufacturing screen), choose from our built in templates (edit to suit) or create your own. Each Batch has an automatically generated serial number that should be on the finished product label. The batch number is represented by this icon .
Use Batches if your business performs food manufacturing, packing of goods/fresh produce, or re-packing of goods. If you are purchasing inventory for immediate resale, you don't need to use batches.
Inventory can be processed in multiple batches if necessary. Most businesses will use batches to simply manufacture or pack a finished product; however, in some cases it may be practical to create a batch for sorting or grading (eg: record inputs of raw materials, and the outputs may be unfinished materials that will then be used in multiple subsequent batches). You can process food through as many batches as are required and still maintain traceability and food safety standards.
Where possible try to minimize the number of suppliers of materials in a batch to reduce your recall / financial exposure in the event a batch must be recalled.
For packers of fresh produce: If practical, process a single variety in each batch; this gives you the highest level of waste and quality data after the packing process.
Create a new batch Tap + to create a new batch, the app will create a new Batch number and ask for a Batch Name (optional), and start and finish dates. Tap the paperclip icon to attach documents and other records to the Batch. When you are finished processing or manufacturing in a batch, switch Finished to ON, so completed batches will be hidden from the batch screen and the app can calculate manufacturing / packing costs and apply them to the finished product. Alternatively batches can be created from the Production & projections screen, if you want the app to tell users which inventory is needed to manufacture selected orders in a batch.
Batch inputs Batch inputs are the ingredients, packaging materials, and labor/services that go into a batch. This will usually include things like raw materials, fresh produce, preservatives, additives, packaging materials. To select or scan Batch inputs from your available inventory, tap the inventory selection icons on the right side. View existing Batch inputs on the "Inputs" tab. You can also select batch inputs from the Inventory screen by selecting some inventory and then "Add to batch" (requires Setting > Employee "Add to batch" ON), normally access to the Batch screen is restricted to line managers and higher. If you didn't use all of one batch input in this batch tap the "Remove" link to remove a portion (or all) of that inventory from the batch, the inventory you remove will now become available for processing in other batches.
Batch outputs Outputs are the inventory that are manufactured in the batch. Usually these are finished products ready for sale, however, if you are performing a manufacturing process then you may also have Batch outputs that are going to be processed in another batch to make a finished product at a later date. Use Create Inventory icon to record the Batch outputs. You can also create Batch outputs from the Create Inventory screen by selecting "Create from batch" (requires Setting > Employee "Create from batch" ON), normally access to the Batch screen is restricted to line managers and higher. View existing Batch outputs on the "Outputs" tab.
Suggested inputs This link is viable only if you used Production & projections to create the batch automatically AND you previously configured the Ingredients of your finished product Parts (this tells the app what materials are needed to manufacture the selected finished product, go to Settings > Part > edit each parts Ingredients to set this up). This link will automatically select the Batch inputs and direct users to their location for collection of the inventory. Use the Batch order tab to view the Sales order items associated with this batch.
Create batch inventory This link is viable only if you used Production & projections to create the batch automatically, and will show you a list of Batch outputs that you should have theoretically produced from this batch based on the Orders assigned to this batch. You can adjust the quantity in case you over or under produced, then generate pallet and inventory labels.
Batch details & recalls Use the icon to view a report of inputs, outputs, waste, and sales results for a batch. This report can also be used for recalls. For more complicated recalls use Dashboards > Recall & audit or Reports > Traceability > Recall.
Quality control To perform Quality inspections on batch inputs or outputs, use the Quality screen.
MANUFACTURING
From Settings > Manufacturing, configure processes required to manufacture specific foods. These will appear on the Manufacturing tab to guide users through the manufacturing process and capture required manufacturing data.
Managing waste
Use this process to manage waste or product discarded as no commercial value.
Batch costs, labor, waste with no commercial value (NCV)
Batch costs are based on the inputs, eg: the cost of inventory that is an input, and any additional services, labor, or overheads you add from the Inputs tab. If you activate setting 322, when you close a batch, the cost of inputs is divided over the outputs (note: if you record waste as an output, make sure Part UDF.Name = "NCV" (No commercial value) is TRUE to exclude waste from inclusion in this calculation (ie: all costs assigned only to inventory you can sell)
• Waste inventory during a batch: create outputs from the batch for a part called “Waste: Scarring” or “Waste: Sunburn” etc. This will now show as part of the batch outputs.
o If you turn on “Not stocked / service” on the waste Part, it will not appear in inventory, Report on this using Batch recall and Batch Analysis, and Pack dashboard. Alternatively if you don’t use “Not stocked / service” ON….
o The waste inventory exists as inventory records in Producepak, you should immediately ‘sell’ the inventory to a “Waste” company (see below process) and you can report on the waste using Customer Sales for a detailed analysis of overall waste. Report on this using Pack dashboard and Grower Payment, and Customer Sales and Sales Dashboard.
• Waste inventory after packing: Use Sell Inventory process to ‘sell’ the wasted inventory to a Customer that has “Waste” anywhere in their name (create the customer from Settings > Company, create multiple customers with “Waste” in their name like “Waste donated to charity”, “Waste expired” etc to categorize your waste reporting). Assign to appropriate account in your finance app when importing the invoices.