Automation CZEN

Automation for your industry

Automation for food manufacturers: batches, label checks, EAN and use-by dates

We connect batches, expiry dates, label checks and HACCP records with the accounting program you already have, and add phone-based recording right at the line. We pack food ourselves in Kuřim, so we know this from day-to-day operations.

Free audit · 30 minutes What we can automate for you What do you run on?

Do you recognize this from your own production?

A food manufacturer must be able to trace who it got a raw material from and who it supplied a product to (Article 18 of Regulation 178/2002). In a smaller company, however, this often relies on paper, Excel and one person’s memory.

  • “We shipped a label with the wrong use-by date because nobody checked it.”

  • “If a supplier recalled a raw material, we would not know which of our products it ended up in.”

  • “We took in a raw material with a short shelf life and half of it expired.”

  • “We write temperatures for HACCP records on paper, often only at the end of the shift.”

  • “One person checks whether the EAN, date and allergens on the label are right. When they are away, nobody checks.”

  • “The auditor wants records for the past six months and we piece them together from paper.”

What we can automate for you

Choose the area you want to tackle first.

Module

Batch traceability

From the raw material batch to the customer. Tracing one step back and forward, and a mock recall.

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Module

Batches and expiry dates in the warehouse

Expiry dates recorded at receipt and issuing the earliest expiry first (FEFO).

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Service

Quality control

Checklists and measurement records on a phone, alerts outside the limit.

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Module

Non-conformity records

A non-conformity recorded at the line, quarantine and a corrective action with a deadline.

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Service

Warehouse automation

Barcodes, mobile receiving and dispatch, and stocktaking on top of your accounting program.

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Service

Documents and contracts

Contracts with customers and suppliers in one register, with notice periods monitored.

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Flow

From raw material to customer – where we keep watch over the batch

We automate records and checks. Releasing raw material and decisions on non-conformities and recalls stay with people.

  1. 01

    Raw material receipt

    The supplier’s batch and shelf-life date are recorded by scanning or from the delivery note. When a detail is missing, the delivery stays in quarantine.

    Person: Releases the delivery from quarantine.

  2. 02

    Production

    Only released raw material goes into production, earliest expiry first. The link between the product batch and the raw material batches is recorded automatically.

    Person: Enters the product batch.

  3. 03

    Label

    A check that the EAN, batch and use-by date on the label match the record. At a photo station, also with AI.

    Person: Assesses every deviation.

  4. 04

    Dispatch

    Only a batch with an OK check goes out. For each shipment, who it went to is recorded.

    Person: Hands the goods over to the carrier.

  5. 05

    Tracing

    The batch back to the supplier and forward to customers in one overview. The list for a possible recall comes from data, not from binders.

    Person: Decides on a recall.

What we automate for food manufacturers

You do not have to take everything. We start with what hurts most. Often that is batches or labels.

01

Batches and traceability

Raw material batch → production lot → dispatch → customer. Tracing one step back and one step forward, and a mock recall while things are calm.

02

Label, EAN and use-by date checks

EAN check digit, batch and use-by date against the production record. A photo station with AI checks randomly selected packs so a faulty lot does not go out.

03

HACCP temperature records in an app

Temperature or weight entered on a phone or taken over from a measuring device. Outside the limit, an alert arrives along with a corrective action record. Export to PDF for inspections.

04

Expiry dates and FEFO in the warehouse

Batches and expiry dates recorded at receipt, issuing the earliest expiry first and a weekly overview of what expires soon.

05

Non-conformities and complaints

A non-conformity recorded at the line with a photo, quarantine and a task with a deadline. Complaints to suppliers with photos and quantities, not just by email.

06

Contracts and documents

Framework and supplier contracts and quality agreements in one register that watches notice periods. Contracts for seasonal temporary workers from an approved template.

Commonly used software

What do you run on?

Most accounting programs can handle batches and expiry dates. What matters is whether they are switched on and recorded at both receipt and issue.

  • POHODA

    Batches as tracking numbers with an expiry date on receipts, issue slips, in production and in complaints. It accepts receipts and production through XML import.

  • Money S3

    Batches with expiry dates, issuing the earliest expiry first and minimum stock with an alert. Warehouse documents through the API.

  • ABRA Flexi

    Batches and expiry dates on stock movement lines and balances by batch through the REST API. Webhooks on changes.

  • ABRA Gen

    Batches and serial numbers with expiry dates, a process status on the receipt for incoming inspection (for example “To be checked”), a mobile warehouse app from the vendor.

  • Dotykačka

    Electronic delivery note: a café or store you supply confirms it in Dotykačka and receives it into stock without retyping.

  • EAN and GS1

    EAN (GTIN) for sale in retail chains, GS1-128 for logistics and pallet labels.

Do you keep batches in Excel or on paper? That is a starting point too. At the audit we tell you what to switch on in the program you already have.

When you do not need us

We are not a software vendor or a certification company. When an off-the-shelf solution is enough, we say so.

HACCP temperature records in an app are all you need
A smaller operation usually gets by with an off-the-shelf HACCP app. It makes sense to call us when the records need to link to batches, the warehouse or the accounting program.
You already have batches and expiry dates in your license
Money S3, ABRA Gen and ABRA Flexi can do it, and POHODA keeps tracking numbers with expiry dates. Often it is enough to switch the feature on and record it at both receipt and issue. We show you how.
You need a legal interpretation or certification
A lawyer gives the interpretation for your operation, and a certification body handles certification (IFS, BRC). We build the records that let you document compliance.
You do not want to handle packing and labeling yourself
Our Packaging and logistics division in Kuřim does packing, labeling and deliveries to retail chains for you.

We pack food ourselves

We handle food packing, labeling and dispatch in our own packing facility in Kuřim, and we build the systems for batches, checks and dispatch for it ourselves.

Our own operations · PackLabs

Batch traceability in our packing facility

In our own packing facility in Kuřim we record every batch through simple forms on a phone. For each batch (LOT) we can trace the raw material delivery, its shelf life and who the batch went to, and the system itself makes sure that no raw material in quarantine or past its best-before date gets into packing.

Packaging and logistics division Our own operations · PackLabs

Hygiene checks in PackLabsApp

The operations app of our packing facility in Kuřim: shifts, training signed on a phone, hygiene checks with limits, QR labels and the order plan. In Czech and Ukrainian.

Automation references
Our own operations · PackLabs

Cartons, packing list and delivery notes

Every carton we handle gets a label with its own number and a QR code. At dispatch we photograph the cartons, the app builds a list from the photos and flags missing or duplicate numbers, and the client receives a packing list to tick off the shipment against. The worker at receiving just photographs suppliers’ delivery notes with a phone and the file is filed automatically under the document number.

How it works

  1. 01

    Free audit

    30 minutes. We go through what you use today and what slows you down.

  2. 02

    Proposal

    We tell you what makes sense to tackle, what you can leave out and how much it will cost.

  3. 03

    Rollout

    We set it up, connect it and migrate the data. We show your team how to work with it.

  4. 04

    Handover

    We hand over the finished solution and agree whether you also want ongoing maintenance.

Frequently asked questions

Do we need new food manufacturing software for this?
Usually not. Money S3, ABRA Gen and ABRA Flexi handle batches and expiry dates, and POHODA keeps batches as tracking numbers with expiry dates. We connect what you have and add phone-based recording, checks and alerts. We recommend a different system only when the current one really is not enough.
How quickly can we trace a batch when a customer or an inspector gets in touch?
The goal is minutes instead of hours. The condition is that the batch is recorded at both receipt and issue. In POHODA it cannot be added retroactively to old movements, so we start from a set date. We then test the tracing with a mock recall.
Can you check labels, EAN and use-by dates?
Yes, in two steps. Our free EAN Checker tool verifies the EAN check digit, even for hundreds of codes at once. At the packing station we can add a photo station: a camera photographs randomly selected packs and an AI model checks that the label is in place and that the EAN, batch and use-by date are legible and correct. Reliability depends mainly on lighting, so we start with a pilot on your photos.
Our HACCP temperature records are on paper. Can they be moved to an app?
Yes. A person enters the temperature on a phone, or we take it over from a measuring device that can pass on data. A value outside the limit sends an alert and requires a corrective action record. You export the records to PDF for inspections. If you only need temperature records, we tell you at the audit whether an off-the-shelf HACCP app is enough.
Will this make us compliant with the legislation?
We help you keep and trace the records required by legislation and your auditor. Article 18 of Regulation 178/2002 requires you to be able to trace suppliers and customers and to provide this information to the authorities on request. Your company, however, is responsible for the content of the quality system. We are not a certification body or a legal advisor.
We supply retail chains. Can you help with EAN and pallet labels?
Yes. EAN (GTIN) is assigned by GS1 Czech Republic, and you usually need it for sale in retail chains. We link the codes to stock cards, labels and delivery notes. Our Packaging and logistics division also handles GS1-128 pallet labels and deliveries to retail chains.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
It depends on the systems and the scope. We do not have a price list on the website because no two companies are the same. You get the price and timeline after the audit, in advance and in writing.
Can you also physically pack our products?
Yes. Our Packaging and logistics division in Kuřim does manual and semi-automatic packing into bags, doypacks and boxes, labeling and kitting.

Related

EAN code checker

Verifies the EAN and GTIN check digit, even for hundreds of codes at once. Free.

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Batch traceability in food

Article: how to trace a batch one step back and one step forward.

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Packaging and logistics

Food packing, labeling and dispatch in Kuřim.

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Labeling and marking

Labels, EAN and QR codes on your products.

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Deliveries to retail chains

Lidl, Kaufland, Globus and other B2B customers.

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Enquiry — Food manufacturers

Tell us what you are dealing with. We start with a free 30-minute audit.

What are you interested in?