Batch numbers can be used in manufacturing in a couple of ways. Firstly, your finished goods can be batched. For example, if you are running a bakery, the finished product of cookies would be batched with an appropriate expiry date. Secondly, your raw materials can be batched with expiry dates. For example, the flour you use to bake the cookies needs to be tracked by expiry date as well. As you can see, you can have batch numbers for both or either the raw materials and the finished goods.
To use batch numbers in Manufacturing, you first need to Enable Batch Numbers and Expiry Dates in your Megaventory account. Then enable the feature for each finished good and raw material you want to use batch numbers for.
To use batch numbers in a new production order, do the following.
Navigate to Production β New Order
Fill in the information as you normally would. Click on New Production Order to continue.
A new document will open up. Here you can see what raw materials are used for the finished good on hand. Click on Allocate Materials at the top of the document to continue.
A new document will open up. This is where you will use batch numbers in allocating your materials for production. This is important because it will help you use the correct materials with the correct expiration dates in your production.
Fill in the number of finished goods you will be manufacturing. Below this, you will see the list of raw materials needed for your production. Bring your cursor to the batch number field on the right and pick the appropriate batch for each raw material. Megaventory shows you the expiration of each batch, so it is easy for you to pick the one you need.
Once you have filled in batch numbers for all products that need them, click on Allocate Materials.
This is when you would physically get the raw materials and make the finished product. Once you have finished manufacturing the finished good, you can proceed in Megaventory.
Open the production order, and click on Receive Finished Goods at the top of the document.
A new document will open up. This is where you will create a new batch number for your finished goods. Type in a batch number, and select an expiration date for the goods. You can also pick an already existing batch number. This is handy if you have been making several runs, or want to pick up a task that got interrupted for some reason.
To finalize the document, click on Receive Finished Goods.
Batch Numbers and Manufacturing Shortcuts
If you want to skip selecting specific batch numbers for your raw materials, you can use the quick actions tool in Production Order Lists.
Navigate to Production β Order Lists
Find the order list and order you want to handle. You will see a gear icon right below the production order number. Click on the icon and select your desired action. For example, if you click on Allocate Materials, Megaventory will automatically select the batch numbers for the materials you need. To do this, Megaventory uses the FIFO (First In First Out) principle. Items will be allocated from the first batch received that still has available stock.
The use of this principle helps you keep your warehouse fresh. Just make sure you follow the production order and correct batch numbers when manufacturing the goods, so your inventory stays up to date.
Ready to start using Batch Numbers in Manufacturing?
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