In the fast-paced and precision-driven world of feed manufacturing, every ingredient counts—and so does how it’s measured. From raw material procurement to recipe formulation, production, inventory tracking, and billing, the unit of measurement (UOM) plays a pivotal role. But why is it so important to maintain multiple units of measurement for the same item?
Let’s break it down.
1. Diverse Procurement and Production Needs
In the feed industry, the same item is often procured in bulk (e.g., kilograms or tons) but consumed in smaller units (e.g., grams or liters) during batch production. For example, soybean meal may be purchased by the ton, stored in kilograms, and consumed in grams per recipe. If your system only recognizes one unit, it becomes harder to maintain accuracy, traceability, and transparency.
2. Ensuring Accurate Recipe Formulation
Precision in recipe formulation is essential for animal health, growth, and performance. Ingredients like vitamins, minerals, and additives are often required in micrograms or milliliters, while the base feed materials are in kilograms or tons. Supporting multiple UOMs ensures that each ingredient is used in the exact quantity needed, avoiding wastage and nutritional imbalance.
3. Seamless Inventory Management
With different UOMs, inventory systems must be able to automatically convert and update quantities based on transactions. For example, if 1 ton of corn is issued to production, your system should deduct 1,000 kg from inventory. Failing to maintain proper UOMs can lead to discrepancies, stockouts, or overstocking.
4. Billing and Compliance
Customers or suppliers may have their own UOM preferences—for example, purchasing in liters while billing is done in gallons or bags. To maintain professionalism and compliance with trade standards, your system should handle such conversions without manual calculations, ensuring clarity in transactions.
5. Yield and Cost Analysis
Accurate UOM tracking helps in yield calculation and cost analysis. If ingredients are not consistently measured, it becomes difficult to determine the cost per batch, identify inefficiencies, or evaluate losses. With consistent unit mapping, you can assess how much of each ingredient goes into every output unit—whether that’s a bag, pellet, or bulk mix.
6. Regulatory and Quality Compliance
Feed manufacturers often operate under strict regulations that require clear documentation and traceability of ingredients. This includes specifying both the quantity and UOM of each input. Systems that support multiple UOMs for the same item help ensure compliance with industry standards, audits, and certifications.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining different units of measurement for the same item is not just a feature—it’s a necessity in the feed industry. It promotes operational efficiency, accuracy, cost control, and regulatory compliance. An ERP or feed management system like Navfarm or Dynamics 365 Business Central can support this functionality seamlessly, enabling feed manufacturers to scale without compromising on precision or quality.
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