Batches, expiry and traceability for produced goods

Each production run of a food product should get its own Batch. The batch number is printed on the pack. If a customer complains or a supplier recalls an ingredient, the batch tells you exactly what is affected.

Before you start

• The finished good has Has Batch No and Has Expiry Date ticked and a Shelf Life In Days.
• For automatic numbers, the item has Automatically Create New Batch ticked and a Batch Number Series.
• Raw materials you want to trace (corn grits, oil, seasoning) are also batch items, received with their supplier lot numbers.

Steps

Give the finished goods a batch

1. Finish production from the work order. OLY ERP opens the Manufacture stock entry.
2. On the finished good row, look at the batch.
   • If your item creates batches automatically, OLY ERP makes the new batch when you submit.
   • If not, create a new batch on the row, for example CHS-2610-01.
3. On the material rows, check that the batches match the lots really used on the line.
4. Click Save, then Submit.
5. Write the batch number and expiry date on the packing label or the coding machine.

Check the batch

1. Search for Batch and open the new batch.
2. Check the Manufacturing Date and Expiry Date. The expiry date is the manufacturing date plus the shelf life.
3. The batch shows the quantity in each warehouse.

Trace back: which ingredients went into this batch?

1. Open the Stock Ledger report.
2. Set the Batch No filter to the finished batch, for example CHS-2610-01.
3. Find the Manufacture stock entry that created it and open it.
4. The material rows show the item and batch of every ingredient and packaging item used.

Trace forward: where did this batch go?

1. In the Stock Ledger report, filter by the batch.
2. The outgoing rows show each Delivery Note (or Sales Invoice with stock) that sent this batch to a customer.
3. To trace a raw-material lot forward, filter by the raw-material batch. You see each Manufacture entry that used it, and from there the finished batches.

Good to know

• One run, one batch. Do not put two days' production into one batch; a recall would then be twice as big.
• If the batch in the system and the code on the pack differ, traceability fails. Check the label at the start of each run.
• Use the Batch-wise Balance History report to see stock per batch, and sell the batch that expires first.
• OLY ERP does not let you issue an expired batch. Move expired goods to "Rejected - EF" and decide with your manager.
• Your consultant can set batches to be created from the work order instead. Ask if you prefer that.

Related

• Batches and expiry dates
• Produce with a work order
• Stock reports: balance, movements and ageing