Working with food involves numerous challenges: on the one hand, the handling of sometimes perishable products that require special storage conditions, or on the other hand, the exact documentation and recording of every step, starting with the receipt of goods and ending with the dispatch of goods. Since defects in these foods have a direct impact on our health, it is essential that they are always controlled. A batch certificate here certifies that the goods or services supplied meet the required standards. However, the creation of such a certificate is sometimes very time-consuming and error-prone, especially in the case of manual data transmission.
Furthermore, different products require specific cooling and processing conditions, which can make it difficult to keep track. In addition, there is a risk that important information will be lost if an employee is absent. Another significant expense comes from organic certification, as the documentation for this alone can take many days or even weeks. In this complex and multifaceted industry, it is crucial to find suitable solutions to optimize processes and maintain an overview.
With Odoo and our manaFood extension, we offer a solution to represent these processes simply and clearly. Odoo can not only map the documentation and processes along the supply chain, but also integrate inventory, the sales and purchasing process, as well as manufacturing and quality controls - all in a single application!
As mentioned in previous blog posts, Odoo is extremely versatile and can cover a wide range of business processes. Thanks to its open source code, the ERP system can be flexibly adapted to map processes that are not included in the extensive standard. This is especially true for processes required for food processing. To adapt Odoo to the needs of a company in this industry, we have developed various extensions that meet the high requirements for control and traceability. These extensions not only allow easy management of batches and production, but also save valuable time in organic certification.
The extensions we have developed for this industry can be roughly divided into three groups:
- Extensions for tracking processes
- Extensions for the general representation of food processing, in particular batch certificates
- Extensions for mapping the organic control and traceability processes
1. Extensions for tracking processes
Our apps for tracking build on the existing Odoo standard. The processing process is initially mapped in the Odoo standard: The (raw) goods are assigned a batch number upon delivery. As the raw materials pass through the production process, it is possible to trace where they come from at any time. When the goods are processed into semi-finished goods, they are also given a new batch number that can be tracked. The batch number is also stored and can be viewed at the time of delivery; the Odoo standard can already do this.
Using batch tracking, it is therefore possible to determine exactly which raw materials and which semi-finished goods make up each product that leaves the inventory. Our extension then ensures that the batch numbers are displayed for incoming goods movements, with the supplier also linked to the corresponding batch number. This means that it is always possible to trace where the goods come from. In this way, the standard forward tracking is extended by backward tracking, so that it is always possible to see which movements have been passed through by which goods.
In conjunction with the quality checks of the "Quality" app, it is ensured that all products always meet the required standards and have passed inspection.
We have extended the Odoo standard to include forward batch tracking, whereas the standard system only offers backward tracking. In addition, you can map all manufacturing processes using the Odoo "Manufacturing" app, which is already included in the Odoo standard. With this app, not only can manufacturing data, responsibilities, origin and expected shelf lives of products be summarized, but also the required consumables for the manufacture of a particular product can be clearly displayed. Thanks to our extension, it is possible to separate organic products from conventional products in manufacturing.
Even after production, thanks to the interaction of the Odoo standard with our extensions, it is always possible to see which raw materials make up which finished goods. In the delivery process from the inventory, in addition to the delivery addresses, transaction types and important data stored as standard, additional information can also be viewed through our extensions. This includes, for example, whether a product was produced according to organic specifications, whether it needs to be refrigerated, and if so, at what temperature. In this context, we have expanded the storage processes and can now clearly display different cooling requirements. In addition, storage space is used intelligently: Refrigerated products can also be stored in the freezer and non-refrigerated products can also be stored in the cold storage (of course, it is also stored here if products may not be refrigerated). Thanks to this extension, a lot of space and organizational effort can be saved.
2. Extensions for the general representation of food processing, in particular batch certificates
We have extended the Odoo standard for handling food to meet the special requirements. These extensions take effect in various modules, especially in the "Quality" module. In doing so, we have added the type of measurement, as well as tracking and logging of value changes in quality controls, setting a priority in quality controls, assigning serial numbers, pass/fail conditions based on tags, and quality views in the product. Below we see the overview of the "Quality" module including our customizations. The type of inspection already mentioned is stored under the title, and the important tracking is also documented via the production lot. Fortunately, in the example we see that all quality tests have been passed. In case a sample should not pass a test, the responsible manager can view this here and initiate measures to correct the problem. In this way, we ensure a quick response and quality assurance along the entire production chain.
In addition, we have extended the module to include the function of taking reserve samples for laboratory samples, which are mapped in the quality module. These samples can also be stored in the production and batch view via a wizard. In addition, labels can be created from these reserve samples in PDF format using the "Print" button. Below we see a single quality control sample showing the detailed instructions on how to perform the sample.
To minimize the effort of creating quality control points for each product and product variant, we have created the possibility to define templates for inspection points. This will automatically create new points when a new product is created. We have also added the EU and ALBA list of allergens to the "Quality" module.
The templates can be automatically assigned to different products via tags, and their frequency and operation type can also be defined.
All these controls are stored in Odoo and can always be viewed. Thanks to our extension, it is now also possible to print batch certificates with these results directly and send them to the customer. In the process, the relevant target and actual data are automatically compared. This is particularly important because in the real world specifications, measurements and certificates can differ.
Our adaptation records all changes and versions in an audit-proof manner and makes it possible to manually track which customer has received which product from which batch. In addition, it is possible to specify which values should be automatically transferred to the next batch certificate. This ensures that the target value and the actual value are only recorded at a single source and are therefore reliable; manual transfer effort is eliminated. In addition, our extension offers the option to automatically send an e-mail with the batch certificate to the customer as soon as he confirms the delivery. This convenient feature saves time and ensures that all important documentation is quickly and transparently accessible.
Numerous adjustments have also been made to the products themselves. These include important fields such as allergens, mandatory nutritional information, optional information, vitamins and minerals. This data is directly viewable and can be retrieved as needed. Furthermore, our extension also brings the net weight and the corresponding units of measure in the product data.
We have also added a best-before date to the Odoo standard. These are normally set at the batch, now information can also be stored whether the products need to be cooled and if so, at what temperature. Our adjustments also have an impact on the inventory, as the best-before date is taken into account in inventory bookings. The expected expiration date can also be stored in the sales order. This in turn has an impact on the corresponding production order.
3. Extensions for mapping the organic control and traceability processes
With our extensions, we have also significantly simplified organic certification, which is normally very time-consuming. As already demonstrated, our extension enables the labeling of products as "organic" or "non-organic". In addition, our extensions add the company's inspection body to the organic products and also store it in the batches, so that they can always be viewed transparently.
A central role in organic control is played by our extension of the OCA module "Management System", which is provided by default for external reporting. Due to the aforementioned tracking of products, all relevant information on origin, storage and processing is already available and is clearly combined in our extension. This makes organic control extremely easy and convenient to map. Particularly helpful are the smart buttons, which, for example, count and display suppliers, customers, products, productions, etc. since the last control.
Thanks to our extensions, you can also easily manage the organic contract. The software clearly shows you which partner has carried out the organic control, which manager was responsible for it and until when the certificate is valid. This function is especially helpful to determine the time of the next control. In addition, you have the option to conveniently download the certificate document.
The simplifications in production and the simple mapping of batch certificates have aroused your interest? The implementation of Odoo in combination with our extension manaFood could be relevant for your company? Then do not hesitate and contact us now, we will be happy to advise you!
Source: www.saloodo.com