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A production run in Batchlane ties everything together — it creates the batch record that links your recipe version, input lots, actual consumption, waste notes, and final signoff into a single frozen document. Once signed, the batch record cannot be edited (only appended to), the finished lot enters inventory, and input lots are deducted. Every production batch leaves a complete, auditable trail.

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Before you run

Confirm the following before scheduling or starting a production run:
  • The recipe exists and is the correct version. Navigate to Recipes and verify the version number matches what your production team intends to use. Running against a stale recipe version is one of the most common causes of yield discrepancies.
  • Ingredients are received and available in inventory. Check the inventory ledger for each required input. Lots must be received before Batchlane can suggest them for a run. If stock is short for one or more ingredients, consider delaying the run or adjusting the planned quantity to match available inventory.

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Running the batch

1

Navigate to Batch Records > New Run

Open Batch Records from the left navigation and click New Run. This creates a new batch record in Draft status.
2

Select the recipe and version

Search for the recipe by name and select it. Then choose the specific version from the version dropdown. Batchlane displays the version’s creation date and any version notes so you can confirm you have the right one before proceeding.
3

Enter the planned quantity

Enter the quantity you plan to produce (for example, 240 cases or 500 kg). Batchlane scales the ingredient requirements from the recipe proportionally to your planned quantity and uses this to calculate how much of each lot to suggest.
4

Review the input lot suggestions

Batchlane generates a list of suggested lots for each ingredient, ordered by expiry date (FEFO). For each ingredient, you will see the suggested lot code, quantity to pull from that lot, and remaining inventory after the pull. If a single lot does not cover the full requirement, Batchlane chains multiple lots in expiry order.
5

Confirm or override FEFO suggestions

Accept the suggestions by clicking Confirm Inputs, or manually override individual lots by selecting a different lot from the available inventory. Every override is logged — Batchlane records which user made the change and why (you will be prompted to enter a reason). Overrides are visible in the batch record and audit exports.
6

Update actual quantities consumed during production

As the run progresses, update the Actual Used field for each ingredient line. You can update these figures incrementally — Batchlane saves each change as you go. Actual quantities may differ from planned quantities due to normal process variation; record what was truly consumed, not the planned amount.
7

Record deviations and waste notes

If anything deviates from the plan — an ingredient measured short, a spill, a temperature excursion, an equipment issue — add a deviation note using the Add Deviation button. Each note captures what happened, the actual quantity affected, and any corrective action taken. Deviation notes are append-only and time-stamped as soon as the batch record is signed.
8

Enter actual yield, assign the finished lot code, and sign off

Enter the actual quantity of finished product produced. Assign the finished lot code (or click Auto-generate if you use Batchlane’s lot code format). Review the batch record summary, then click Sign Off. You will be prompted to confirm your identity. Once signed, the batch record is frozen and the finished lot is created in inventory.

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FEFO suggestions explained

When an ingredient has multiple available lots, Batchlane lists them in ascending expiry date order — the soonest-expiring lot appears first and is consumed before later-expiring lots. This ensures you never bury stock that is approaching its use-by date beneath fresher inventory.
Before confirming inputs, you can see the expiry date of each suggested lot directly on the suggestion card. Review these dates against your production schedule — if the soonest-expiring lot expires before you plan to ship the finished product, flag it for your quality team before proceeding.
If your facility uses a different rotation logic for a specific ingredient (for example, FIFO for packaging materials with no expiry), you can override individual lot suggestions. The override is logged and does not affect the FEFO logic for other ingredients in the same run.

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Waste and deviations

To add a deviation note during or immediately after a run, click Add Deviation on the batch record. Fill in the following fields:
  • What happened — a plain-language description of the deviation (e.g., “Ingredient scale read inconsistently; remeasured twice”)
  • Actual quantity affected — the quantity of ingredient or finished product involved
  • Corrective action — what you did in response (e.g., “Recalibrated scale, re-weighed batch, confirmed within spec”)
Deviation notes become append-only the moment the batch record is signed. You can add additional notes after signoff if follow-up actions occur, but you cannot edit or delete existing notes. This preserves the integrity of the production record.

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Generating the finished lot

When you sign off the batch record, Batchlane simultaneously:
  1. Creates the finished lot in your inventory ledger, with the lot code, quantity, and production date you entered.
  2. Deducts input lots from inventory based on actual quantities consumed (not planned quantities).
  3. Calculates the cost of the finished lot by rolling up the costs of consumed input lots.
The finished lot is immediately available for allocation to an open shipment or a future production run (if the finished good is itself an ingredient in another recipe).

Ship Finished Lots

Allocate finished lots to customer shipments and maintain full traceability from input ingredients to the customer’s door.

QuickBooks Handoff

Push inventory value and COGS summaries from signed batch records into QuickBooks for accurate accounting.