Daniel Bond

F&O currently has the ability to list alternative/substitution items on formulas by using the Plan group and Priority to identify the preferred item. A limitation to this functionality is that it is assumed the alternative/substitute item will have the same quantity as the preferred item it is a substitute for.

This limits functional use cases, as the assumption that the alternative/substitution item will follow the same quantity as the preferred item, is not always true. For instance, in terms of a packaging item like film, this is inventoried and tracked on formulas in terms of the weight. For films that have a different density, the weight of the material used is different.

Due to this, I am not able to reduce the number of formulas that my current company is maintaining as we need to have a formula version for each of the different film options we use as packaging for specific Finished Goods.

Another use case limitation would be in our meats. Depending on what meat item we are using in production, determines the weight of that item in our formulas.

This is the second food manufacturing company I have worked for that will have to maintain different formula versions due to the limitations of this functionality.

I believe it is fair to assume that if users are going through the additional formula line data to add a Plan group and Priority to their formula line, that they are aware they are using it for substitution purposes. I have already seen a company add a Substitutions form that is unique to each formula line to make up for this limitation.