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The batch record is your primary production document. It replaces the paper traveler that gets folded into someone’s pocket and the cleanup spreadsheet your team fills in after the shift ends. In Batchlane, a batch record captures the recipe version you ran from, the actual lots you used, the real quantities consumed, every deviation that happened, and the QA signoff that closes the record — all in one place, timestamped and frozen after approval.

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Creating a batch record

Start a batch record by selecting a recipe and creating a new batch run from it. Batchlane pulls in the recipe’s current version, lists the required ingredients with their planned quantities, and surfaces FEFO lot suggestions for each input. From there, you record actual usage as the run progresses and close the record when QA signs off. For the full step-by-step walkthrough of starting and completing a production run, see Production Runs.

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Recipe versions and runs

Every batch record is permanently linked to the exact recipe version that was active when the run was created. When you update a recipe — changing a formula, adjusting a yield, or swapping an ingredient — Batchlane saves the previous version and increments the version number. Historical batch records always reflect the recipe as it was run, not the recipe as it exists today. This means your production history stays accurate even as your formulas evolve: 
Recipe: Salsa Roja
  └── v1.2 (active as of 2024-06-01)
        └── Batch Run SAL-0612-02 (2024-06-12)
              └── Finished Lot: SAL-0612-02
If a customer or auditor asks what was in a finished lot from six months ago, you open the batch record and see the exact recipe version — ingredient list, quantities, yield, and processing notes — as it existed on the day of production.

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Input lot tracking

The inputs section of a batch record shows every ingredient required by the recipe, alongside the actual lots consumed during the run:
IngredientPlanned QtyActual QtyLot UsedLot Expiry
Fresh tomato50 lb51.2 lbTOM-0610-A2024-06-18
Fresh jalapeño42 lb46 lbJAL-0604-B2024-06-16
Glass jar 16 oz120 each120 eachJAR-0601-C—
When you open a batch run, Batchlane automatically suggests the earliest-expiring available lot for each ingredient (FEFO order). You can confirm the suggestion or override it and select a different lot. Every lot selection is recorded with the user who made it. Finished lots generated by the run retain the complete list of input lots. This is the foundation of your ingredient-to-finished traceability.

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Waste and deviation tracking

Production rarely runs exactly as planned. Batchlane gives you a deviation log on every batch record where operators can record anything that happened differently — extra trim loss, a temperature excursion, an ingredient substitution, or a quantity variance. Each deviation entry captures:
  • Timestamp — recorded automatically when the entry is saved
  • User — the operator or supervisor who logged the deviation
  • Description — free-text explanation of what happened
  • Quantity affected — optional field for the quantity involved
Example deviation entry:
Lost 4 lb fresh jalapeño to trimming, more than usual due to quality issues with incoming lot. Used 46 lb actual vs 42 lb planned. Remaining lot quality acceptable for processing.
Deviation entries are append-only. You can add as many as needed during the run, but you cannot delete or edit a saved entry. If you need to correct a deviation note, add a follow-up entry that references and supersedes it.

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Signoff and record freezing

When production is complete and the batch is ready for QA review, submit the batch record for signoff. An authorized QA reviewer or designated operator then reviews the inputs, actual quantities, and deviation log before signing. When the record is signed:
  1. The batch record status changes to Signed
  2. The record is frozen — no further edits can be made to ingredient quantities, lot selections, or recipe fields
  3. Any subsequent corrections must be added as deviation notes, preserving the full history of changes
  4. The finished lot is marked as available for shipping
This freeze behavior means your signed batch records are a reliable legal and regulatory document. There is no way to quietly change a quantity after QA has approved the record.
Only users with the QA Reviewer or Admin role can sign a batch record. If your team does not have a QA Reviewer assigned, contact your account admin to update role assignments before production runs go unsigned.

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Batch record exports

Export any signed batch record as a PDF for regulatory documentation, customer audit requests, or your internal QA archive. The export includes:
  • Run details (recipe, version, date, operator)
  • Full input lot table with planned and actual quantities
  • Deviation log with timestamps and user attribution
  • Signoff details (reviewer name, date, timestamp)
  • Finished lot information and yield
To export, open the batch record and click Export PDF in the top-right corner. PDF exports are available for all signed records regardless of plan.