Packing Plans

PACKING -> Plans

Packing plans have a few purposes:

  • The plan defines requirements for submitted bins to be allowed to be packed on this plan.
  • The plan defines, by size and grade, the products that can be produced out of those bins. This potentially includes products for export, local market, and process.
  • Once a plan is setup, Runs can be created. These are the actual reconcilable "batches" processed through the packing lines (see PACKING -> Runs). Changes to products on a packing plan will immediately affect all runs created from the plan.

Typically you will have at least one packing plan set up for each variety and primary trader. The trader will usually provide a packing schedule (or order) detailing the products they want produced (pack types, brands, PLUs, etc). In addition to products from the main trader's order you may also add products for process bins and perhaps local market. Some traders may have very distinct orders for specific categories of fruit (eg CA, or Taiwan suitable) in which case you may have more than one packing plan for each of their varieties.

Add a packing plan

  • Code - a unique code for this packing plan. This is sometimes provided by the trader, otherwise use something meaningful to yourself.
  • Description - brief description of the plan. Typically includes the trader and variety.
  • Run Notes - provides more details and instructions required for packing this plan.
  • Runs - can mix orchard blocks? - tick to allow orchard management areas to be mixed on runs. This may be necessary to obtain sufficient volumes for efficient packing. Note that orchard production sites can never be mixed on runs as these provide the minimum level of traceability for export market compliance and carton labelling.
  • Runs - can mix submission profiles? - tick to allow submission profiles to be mixed on runs.

Fruit requirements

This section allows you to filter the bins that may be packed for this plan. Attributes that may be filtered include:

  • Varieties
  • Traders
  • Growing method
  • Storage types
  • Market suitability (including option to exclude fruit suitable for particular markets)
  • Packing groups
  • Supply groups etc

Products tab

This is where you define the products to be produced from this plan. Sizes and grades can be added down the left of the page.

For each size/grade, multiple priorities of products can be added using the large "+" buttons. The left-most column of products is considered to the be the first priority.

Adding products in bulk

The Add product(s) button at the top can be used to add products in bulk:

  • Materials - enter one or more trader material numbers. A new product will be added for each material number entered.
  • Pallet type - type of pallets to build.
  • Market type - export, local, or process.
  • Target markets - one or more target markets for these products.
  • Carton label - format of the carton label for printing.
  • Customer - customer suitability code to record against these products.
Note

There are many other product attributes that can be edited after the bulk products have been added.

Managing products

Products can also be dragged around on this page.

  • Dragging a product left/right (within the size/grade) will change its priority.
  • Press Ctrl + dragging a product left/right (within the size/grade) will copy the product.
  • Dragging a product up/down to a different size/grade will open the Add product page with all of the same details but the new size and grade selected.
  • Within the product editing page (below) you can deactivate a product which will hide it. Tick Show inactive products? at the top of the page to see any products that have been deactivated.

Adding/Editing a product

Product details

  • Size / Grade - these are prefilled in based on how you added the product.
  • Trader - the trader responsible for handling the product after packing.
  • Material - trader's material code describing this product (optional for some traders).
  • Pack - type of packaging to use.
  • Brand - brand of packaging to use.
  • PLU - fruit PLU label sometimes known as marketing attribute.
  • Treatment - any special treatments applied to the fruit during packing.
  • Variety - variety to use for marketing purposes (can differ from the inward orchard variety).
  • Growing method - organic, conventional, etc.
  • Fruit count - how many fruit are in each pack.
  • KGs (to label) - the weight of each pack for marketing (and labelling) purposes.
  • KGs (to pack) - the actual weight to fill each pack at the time of packing.
  • TCEs - the Tray Carton Equivalent value for each pack.
  • GTIN - a Global Trade Identification Number for this product.
  • Override storage - enter if you want to change the storage type.
  • Tags - enter any tags. Can be used to target extra charges. These can be maintained from the previous screen's Setup menu.
  • Active? - ticked if this product should appear on currently packing runs?
  • Include in QC lot? - ticked if this product should contribute to the current QC Lot planning on the packing line. This is typically unticked for process and local market products where a phytosanitary decision is not required.
  • Show as process in grower reports? - ticked if this product should not be included in the grower's packout.
  • Colour - use at your discretion to highlight groups of products on the packing plan and packing line pages.
Note
  • Selecting a material will populate many of the other product details.
  • You may optionally change some product details to differ from the material's details. In this case snapPacking will highlight the changed items with a warning icon. This can be a useful option if you need to provide more specific detail for the packing line. For example the trader's material may have PLU as "Labelled" but you may wish to provide a more specific choice such as "#4173 Royal Gala". Note that EDI files sent to the trader will include their material details, not your overridden values.

Pallet details

  • Pallet type - type of pallets to build.
  • # per pallets - the number of packs on each pallet.
  • Pallet card - pallet card format to print (if different from the default).

Markets

  • Market type - export, local, or process.
  • Target market(s) - markets this product is targeted at.
  • This product will not be available on the run unless its bins are suitable for at least one of these target markets.
  • Target markets may trigger other features. For example products targeted at USA will be included in any IQP block planning on the packing line at the time of labelling.
  • Class - quality classification.
  • Customer suit - customer suitability used to indicate special customer specific requirements and segregate inventory.

Order details

  • Order
  • # units required - this will show on the PACKING -> Packing lines page.
  • Storage contract
  • To repack on original run contract? - if ticked, the product packed will get the contract for the original run so can be repacked with the same grower contract. Can use if presizing.

Carton label

  • Label format - select the label format you wish to print for this product.
Tip

Depending on the label format you choose, you will be presented with a list of other optional fields you can use to either override the default details printed on the label or print additional information.

Inner label

Inner labels may be set up to for printing a secondary label containing run specific information. This is often used for bag or punnet labels. As with carton labels, select a format and optionally customise its contents.

Packaging

This section lists the packaging components consumed when cartons are produced for this product. Click the Load defaults button to bring through any default packaging components that match this product. These are set up in SETUP -> Packaging.

Other packaging components can be added by entering:

  • Packaging component - this is the stock item to be consumed.
  • Per - per fruit, carton, or pallet.
  • # used - enter the number of components used as per Per.

Any images that have been setup against the SETUP -> Packaging will be displayed.

Runs tab

This tab lists all of the runs created from this plan.

Clicking the add bins column next to any run allows you to add additional compatible bins to an existing run. Clicking anywhere else on the record will link through to the run details page PACKING -> Runs.

Adding runs

  • Click the Add button at the top of the list.
  • You will be presented with a list of bins that are compatible with this packing plan (see fruit requirements above). Sort or filter the list to find the bins you'd like to create runs for and tick those submissions (first column).
Tip

You can tick all of the bins in the list using the box in the header of the first column.

  • Below the list of bins, select the packing line you wish to create this run for.
  • Click Create Run(s) to generate the minimum number of runs for the bins you selected. The actual number of runs created will depend on the packing plan settings (eg are management areas allowed to be mixed).