Notes for owners · Industry-Specific Software Guides
How to Set Up Batch Traceability in a Chemical or Polymer Plant
Give every inward lot and every finished batch its own number, then record which lots each batch consumed and which customers received it. QC results, the formulation version and the COA sit against the same batch. GullySystem builds this beside its production software. A small plant can start on a disciplined register.
Ganesh HS, Strategy and Technology, GullySystem · · 4 min read
Number the raw material lot at the gate
Traceability starts at inward, not at dispatch. Each delivery gets an internal lot number, even when the supplier’s batch number is already printed on the bag. The supplier’s COA is filed against that lot.
QC then tests a sample and marks the lot approved, on hold or rejected. Stores should never issue a held lot. That single rule settles many later questions about what went into a batch.
- Internal lot number on every inward delivery
- Supplier batch number and COA kept with it
- QC status marked approved, on hold or rejected
- Quantity received and the bay where it sits
Tie each batch to a formulation version
A batch sheet should name the formulation and its version, not just the product. When a recipe changes, the old version stays on file and the new one gets a fresh number. Rework decisions then have a basis.
Access matters as much as versions. Only named people should open the recipe. The copy on the floor can show quantities to charge without revealing the formulation behind them.
Record issues, steps and yield while the batch runs
Material issued to a batch is written against the lot it came from. If one charge drew solvent from two lots, both lot numbers go on the sheet. Part lots are normal, so quantities matter.
Process times, temperatures and the operator are noted during the run, not filled in afterwards. Output is weighed and set beside the input. Off-spec material that is reworked or blended gets its own entry, so the yield figure is real.
Link QC results, the COA and the retained sample
Finished batch results are recorded against the customer’s specification. The COA is then prepared from those readings. Typing it up separately invites a gap between the readings and the certificate.
The retained sample carries the batch number, and its shelf position is noted. When a complaint arrives, the sample can be pulled and tested again.
- Test results against each customer’s specification
- COA drawn from the recorded readings
- Retained sample location by batch
- Hold on dispatch until results are approved
Close the chain at dispatch, then test it
Every dispatch line carries the batch number with the drum or bag count. The invoice, challan and batch documents then quote the same number. Returnable drums can be logged against the customer at this point too.
Once the chain exists, try it out. Pick a dispatched batch and trace it back to its raw material lots and forward to each customer who received it. Wherever the trail breaks, fix that step first.
A plant with few products can run all this in a bound register. Software helps once lots, batches and customers multiply.
- Batch number on every dispatch line
- Drums and carboys counted per customer
- A mock trace from one finished batch each month
- Each break noted against the step that caused it
Batch trace drill sheet
Draw columns for finished batch, formulation version, raw material lots, QC result, COA number, retained sample and customers supplied. Fill it for one batch using only the records you hold today. Every blank column marks a break in the chain.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Do we need software to trace batches?
Not on its own. A bound register can trace batches if every lot is numbered and every issue is written down. Software helps once the volume of lots, batches and customers makes the register slow to search.
Will traceability make our plant compliant with pollution or safety rules?
No. Compliance depends on how the plant is run and what your licences require. Traceability gives you a record of batches, tests and dispatches to produce when an auditor or customer asks. Your adviser can say what applies to your plant.
Does the production software work out cost per kilo for each batch?
No. GullySystem’s production software records material consumed, rejection and job work against each batch. Actual cost per unit is not calculated there, though the figures sit on record for your accountant.
Can rubber and plastic units follow the same method?
Yes. The lot and batch logic is the same. Moulding units also add the mould, its cycle count and the rejection reason to each batch record.