Packwares ERP - Complete Reference
Everything about Packwares — Box Designing, Costing, Paper Recommendations, CRM, Production Planning, MRP, Quality Control, Dispatch & Invoicing.
Open in AppManufacturing ERP for the Corrugated Box Industry.
The Complete Picture
Packwares ERP manages the entire lifecycle of corrugated box manufacturing — from the first customer inquiry through production, quality inspection, dispatch, and invoicing. Every module connects to the next, ensuring data flows automatically without re-entry.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ CUSTOMER INQUIRY │
│ | │
│ v │
│ ┌─────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ CRM │───>│ COSTING │───>│QUOTATION │───>│ SALES │───>│PRODUCTION│ │
│ │ Leads │ │ Design │ │ Pricing │ │ ORDER │ │ ORDER │ │
│ │ Deals │ │ BOM │ │ Send │ │ Confirm │ │ Plan │ │
│ └─────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └─────┬────┘ │
│ | │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ | │
│ v │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ MRP │<───│SCHEDULING│───>│ TRACKING │───>│ QUALITY │───>│ DISPATCH │ │
│ │ Material │ │ Gantt │ │ Job Cards│ │ Control │ │ Ship │ │
│ │ Planning │ │ Assign │ │ Execute │ │ Inspect │ │ Invoice │ │
│ └────┬─────┘ └──────────┘ └─────┬────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
│ | | │
│ v v │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │PURCHASE │ │ WASTAGE │ │
│ │Buy Paper │ │ Tracking │ │
│ │Buy Consum│ │ Analysis │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The flow works like this: A salesperson captures a customer deal, designs the box, generates a BOM (Bill of Materials), and sends a quotation. Once accepted, the quotation converts to a sales order with one click. The sales order triggers a production order, which feeds the MRP engine to calculate material needs. Scheduling assigns jobs to machines, operators track production via job cards, quality control inspects the output, finished goods are warehoused, dispatch ships to the customer, and an invoice is generated. Every step is linked — the BOM created at the deal stage carries all the way through to the final invoice.
Subscription Tiers & Module Unlock
Packwares uses a progressive unlock model. The CRM is free forever. Each subsequent tier adds manufacturing capabilities and costs ₹250 per user per month. Tiers must be unlocked in order — you cannot skip ahead.
TIER 1 (FREE) TIER 2 (₹250) TIER 3 (₹250) TIER 4 (₹250) TIER 5 (₹250)
CRM + Tools Inventory Planning Production Dispatch & Finance
+ Procurement (needs Tier 2) (needs Tier 3) (needs Tier 4)
┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Dashboard │ │ Suppliers │ │ MRP │ │ Tracking │ │ Quality │
│ Customers │ │ Paper Stock │ │ BOM │ │ Machines │ │ Finished Gds│
│ Deals │ ───> │ Consumables │ ───> │ Prod Plan │ ───> │ Dies │ ───> │ Dispatch │
│ Quotations │ │ Purchase Ord│ │ Scheduling │ │ Tooling │ │ Invoices │
│ Sales Orders│ │ Goods Rcpts │ │ Purch Reqs │ │ Wastage │ │ Costing │
│ Tools │ │ │ │ │ │ Wastage Rpt │ │ Cost Settng │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
└─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘
FREE FOREVER per user/month per user/month per user/month per user/month
Referral Unlocks: 1 referral = Inventory | 3 = Planning | 5 = Production | 10 = Dispatch & Finance
Alternatively, users can unlock modules through referrals instead of paying. Each successful referral (where the referred company signs up and is verified) counts toward module unlocks.
Complete Sidebar Navigation
Every page in the application is accessible through the sidebar. Pages are grouped by module, and locked modules show a subscription prompt when accessed.
SIDEBAR
│
├── DASHBOARD ──────────────────── KPIs, AI Insights, Health Matrix
│
├── CRM (Free)
│ ├── Customers ──────────────── Customer master, contacts, addresses
│ ├── Deals ──────────────────── 11-stage pipeline, box design, costing
│ ├── Quotations ─────────────── Create from deals, PDF, pricing + GST
│ ├── Sales Orders ───────────── Convert from quotation, delivery tracking
│ └── Costing Request ────────── Sales-to-costing team handoff queue
│
├── TOOLS (Free)
│ ├── CS/Top Load & ECT Calc ─── Bi-directional strength conversion
│ ├── Box Strength (CS) Calc ─── McKee-Gander formula, 10+ factors
│ ├── Paper Optimizer ────────── AI paper recommendations (3/5/7 ply)
│ └── Box Costing Calculator ─── Complete cost breakdown
│
├── INVENTORY (Tier 2)
│ ├── Suppliers ──────────────── Supplier master, contacts, addresses
│ ├── Paper Inventory ────────── Reels/sheets, GSM, batch tracking
│ └── Consumables ────────────── Glue, ink, tape, reorder levels
│
├── PROCUREMENT (Tier 2)
│ ├── Purchase Orders ────────── Buy from suppliers, multi-item
│ ├── Goods Receipts ─────────── GRN from POs, quality check, stock update
│ └── Purchase Requisitions ──── Material requests (auto from MRP)
│
├── PLANNING (Tier 3)
│ ├── MRP Dashboard ──────────── Material shortage alerts, run MRP engine
│ ├── Bill of Materials ──────── Product recipes (paper + consumables)
│ ├── Production Planning ────── Create/manage production orders
│ └── Scheduling ─────────────── Gantt / Calendar / List views
│
├── PRODUCTION (Tier 4)
│ ├── Production Tracking ────── Live job cards, start/pause/complete
│ ├── Machines ───────────────── Machine master, downtime, maintenance
│ ├── Die Management ─────────── Die inventory, lifecycle, usage tracking
│ ├── Tooling ────────────────── Tool inventory, low stock alerts
│ ├── Wastage Tracking ──────── Log waste per job/machine/stage
│ └── Wastage Analysis ──────── Trends, cost impact, reports
│
├── QUALITY (Tier 5)
│ ├── Quality Control ────────── QC inspections (ECT, burst, visual...)
│ └── Finished Goods ─────────── FG warehouse, grades, reservations
│
├── DISPATCH (Tier 5)
│ └── Dispatch ───────────────── Challan, vehicle, POD, delivery
│
├── INVOICES (Tier 5)
│ ├── Sales Invoices ─────────── GST-compliant, HSN 4819
│ ├── Cost Dashboard ─────────── Cost centers, overhead, reports
│ ├── Production Costing ─────── Job-wise cost vs actual vs standard
│ └── Cost Settings ──────────── Overhead, labor, machine hour rates
│
├── HELP
│ ├── Notifications ──────────── In-app notification center
│ ├── Help Tickets ───────────── Support ticket system
│ ├── Team Dashboard ─────────── Team performance, KRAs, leaderboard
│ └── Achievements ──────────── Gamification badges, challenges, rewards
│
└── SETTINGS (12 Tabs)
├── Profile ────────────────── Name, email, avatar, password
├── Appearance ─────────────── Theme (light/dark/system), layout
├── Alerts ─────────────────── Email/in-app notification preferences
├── Referrals ──────────────── Referral codes, module unlocks
├── Organization ───────────── Company name, GSTIN, PAN, logo, address
├── Team ───────────────────── User management, invite, role assignment
├── User Roles ─────────────── RBAC, 107 permissions, custom roles
├── Unit Preferences ───────── Currency, weight, dimension, area units
├── Naming Conventions ─────── Custom ID formats per entity
├── Paper Master ───────────── Paper grade catalog (GSM, BF, RCT, Cobb)
├── Formula Master ─────────── Org-specific costing formulas
└── Billing ────────────────── Subscription, pricing, Razorpay checkout
Dashboard
The main dashboard is the first screen users see after login. It provides a real-time snapshot of business health across all modules. The dashboard adapts based on which modules the user has unlocked — locked modules show a teaser with an upgrade prompt.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DASHBOARD [Daily|Weekly|Monthly] │
│ │
│ KPI CARDS │
│ ┌──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┐ │
│ │Customers │ Deals │ Pipeline │ Quotation│ Stock │ Low Stock│ │
│ │ 245 │ 38 │ ₹12.5L │ 87% │ ₹8.2L │ 3 │ │
│ │ +12% │ +5 │ +8% │ convert │ value │ alerts │ │
│ └──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ DEAL TREND CHART │ │ TOP CUSTOMERS │ │
│ │ [Line chart: deals over │ │ [Bar chart: revenue by │ │
│ │ time by stage] │ │ customer, top 10] │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐ │
│ │ AI INSIGHTS │ │ CUSTOMER HEALTH │ │
│ │ Trend detection │ │ Account scoring │ │
│ │ Anomaly alerts │ │ At-risk customers │ │
│ │ Recommendations │ │ Engagement levels │ │
│ └─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Production KPIs (if unlocked): │
│ ┌──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┐ │
│ │ Active │ Complete │ Effic. │ QC Pass │ │
│ │ Jobs: 5 │ Rate:92% │ 87% │ Rate:98% │ │
│ └──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The dashboard includes AI-powered insights that analyze trends across your data and surface anomalies. For example, it might flag "Deal conversions dropped 15% this week" or "Customer ABC hasn't been contacted in 14 days." The period filter (Daily/Weekly/Monthly/Quarterly/Yearly) controls the timeframe for all metrics on the page.
Key features: Period filtering, AI insights with trend detection, customer health matrix, pipeline bottleneck analysis, cash flow health card, production efficiency card (OEE), QC performance card. Data is pre-calculated and cached (5-minute refresh) for fast page loads.
PHASE 1: CRM & Sales
Customers
The customer master stores all customer information. Each customer record includes company details, contacts, billing/shipping addresses, and a complete interaction history. Customer data flows into deals, quotations, sales orders, and invoices — entered once, used everywhere.
Fields: Name, Email, Phone, Company Name, GST Number, Industry, Customer Type (B2B/B2C), Credit Limit, Payment Terms, Billing Address, Shipping Address, Tags, Notes, First Contact Date, Last Contact Date, Status (active/inactive).
Actions: Add Customer, Edit, View Customer Dashboard (deals + quotations + orders + invoices + communication history), Import/Export (CSV/Excel), Bulk Tag, Delete.
Deals
The deal pipeline is the heart of the CRM. Every customer inquiry starts as a deal and progresses through 11 stages. The deal page is where the box design happens — the user specifies box type, dimensions, ply configuration, paper grades, and the system automatically calculates the BOM (Bill of Materials) with accurate per-box weights.
NEW_LEAD ──> CONTACTED ──> MEETING_SCHEDULED ──> REQUIREMENTS_GATHERED
|
v
WON <── NEGOTIATION <── PROPOSAL_SENT <── COSTING_DONE
|
LOST ────────────────────── (can happen from any stage)
STALE ───────────────────── (inactive > threshold)
Each stage represents a real step in the sales process. Moving a deal forward requires certain data — for example, you cannot move to COSTING_DONE without completing the box design specification. The deal automatically creates a BOM when box specs are entered.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DEAL: DL-2602-0001 │
│ Customer: ABC Packaging Ltd Stage: COSTING_DONE │
│ │
│ BOX DESIGN SPECIFICATION │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Type: RSC Dimensions: 400 x 300 x 250 │ │
│ │ Ply: 5 Flute: BC │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ BOARD LAYERS (per box): │ │
│ │ ┌─────────┬─────────┬─────────┬─────────┬─────────┐ │
│ │ │Liner 1 │Flute B │Liner 2 │Flute C │Liner 3 │ │
│ │ │180gsm │120gsm │150gsm │120gsm │150gsm │ │
│ │ │Kraft │Medium │Test │Medium │Test │ │
│ │ │217.8g │203.3g │181.5g │196.0g │181.5g │ │
│ │ └─────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────┘ │
│ │ Total board weight: ~1.003 kg per box │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ COSTING BREAKDOWN │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Box Weight: 1.003 kg/box │ │
│ │ Paper Cost: ₹35.50/box (₹35.40/kg avg) │ │
│ │ Conversion: ₹5.20/box │ │
│ │ Printing: ₹2.80/box │ │
│ │ Margin (15%): ₹6.52/box │ │
│ │ ───────────────────────── │ │
│ │ Selling Price: ₹50.02/box │ │
│ │ Order: 5,000 boxes = ₹2,50,100 │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ [Create Quotation] [Edit] [Audit Log] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
BOM calculation formula: For each paper layer, the weight per box is calculated as blank_area_m² × GSM / 1000. Flute layers include a pickup factor (B flute = 1.4×, C flute = 1.35×) because corrugated fluting uses more paper than the flat area suggests. The system stores quantity_per_unit (kg per box) and the MRP engine later multiplies by order quantity.
Product types: RSC (Regular Slotted Container), CSSC (Center Special Slotted Container), Die-Cut, FOL (Full Overlap), HSC (Half Slotted Container). Flute types: A, B, C, E, F, BC, EB, AC. Ply options: 3, 5, 7.
Quotations
Quotations are created from deals. When a deal reaches COSTING_DONE, the user clicks "Create Quotation" and the system pre-fills all box specs, pricing, and BOM data. The quotation adds GST calculations, payment terms, and validity period. Quotations can be sent as PDF via email or WhatsApp.
DEAL (won) QUOTATION SALES ORDER
┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐
│ DL-2602-0001 │ Create │ QT-2602-0001 │ One-Click │ SO-2602-0001 │
│ │──Quote──>│ │──Convert──>│ │
│ Box specs │ │ Items + GST │ │ Confirmed │
│ Costing │ │ PDF ready │ │ BOM cascaded │
│ Customer │ │ BOM attached │ │ Delivery date│
│ BOM created │ │ Email sent │ │ │
└──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────┬───────┘
│
"Create Production"
│
v
PRODUCTION ORDER
Fields: Quotation Number, Date, Customer, Items (product, description, HSN code, quantity, unit price, discount, GST rate), Subtotal, CGST, SGST, IGST, Total, Payment Terms, Validity Period, Notes, BOM ID.
Status: Draft → Sent → Accepted → Converted to SO / Expired / Rejected.
Sales Orders
Sales orders represent confirmed customer orders. They are typically created by converting an accepted quotation (one-click), though they can also be created manually. The sales order inherits all data from the quotation including the BOM, which cascades through to production.
Fields: SO Number, Customer, Delivery Date, Items (from quotation), Payment Terms, Shipping Address, Status, BOM ID.
Status: draft → confirmed → in_production → ready_to_ship → delivered → completed.
Key feature: The "Create Production Order" button on a confirmed sales order automatically creates a production order with the BOM, customer, and quantity pre-filled. This is the bridge between sales and manufacturing.
Costing Request
The costing request queue is a handoff mechanism between sales and the costing team. When a salesperson needs a box design costed but doesn't have the technical expertise, they submit a costing request. The costing team picks it up, designs the box, creates the BOM, and hands it back to the salesperson.
Tools
The tools section provides free engineering calculators used by the corrugated packaging industry.
CS/Top Load & ECT Calculator
A bi-directional strength conversion tool. Enter Edge Crush Test (ECT) value and get the estimated Box Compression Strength (BCT), or enter the required top load and get the minimum ECT needed. Uses the McKee formula with environmental and safety factors.
Box Strength (CS) Calculator
A comprehensive box compression strength calculator that considers 10+ factors: paper ECT values for each layer, flute type, box dimensions, moisture content, stacking pattern, storage duration, and palletization. Uses the McKee-Gander formula to predict real-world performance.
Paper Optimizer
An AI-powered tool that recommends the best paper grade combination for a given box specification. Enter the required strength, budget, and box dimensions, and the system suggests optimal 3-ply, 5-ply, or 7-ply configurations with cost comparisons.
Box Costing Calculator
A standalone cost estimation tool. Enter box dimensions, paper grades, quantity, and printing requirements to get an instant cost breakdown: paper cost, manufacturing cost (corrugation, printing, die cutting, gluing), overhead, and suggested selling price with configurable margin.
PHASE 2: Inventory & Procurement
Suppliers
The supplier master stores all vendor information. Suppliers are categorized by type (paper, board, consumables, services) and linked to purchase orders, goods receipts, and inventory items.
Fields: Name, Email, Phone, Company Name, GST Number, Address, City, State, Postal Code, Country, Supplier Type, Payment Terms, Credit Period, Bank Details (Bank Name, Account Number, IFSC Code), Last Order Date, Total Orders, Total Purchase Value, Status.
Actions: Add Supplier, Edit, View Supplier Dashboard (purchase orders + invoices + inventory items supplied), Import/Export, Filter by Type & Status.
Paper Inventory
Paper inventory tracks all paper stock — reels, sheets, and cut pieces. Each entry includes the paper grade, GSM, dimensions, and current stock quantity. The system monitors stock levels against reorder points and safety stock thresholds, flagging items that need replenishment.
SUPPLIER
│
Purchase Order
│
v
GOODS RECEIPT
(GRN-YYMM-XXXX)
│
┌──────────┴──────────┐
v v
PAPER INVENTORY CONSUMABLES
┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐
│ Kraft 180gsm │ │ Starch Glue │
│ Stock: 500kg │ │ Stock: 120kg │
│ Reorder: 200 │ │ Reorder: 50 │
│ Safety: 100 │ │ Safety: 25 │
└──────┬───────┘ └──────┬───────┘
│ │
└──────────┬──────────┘
│
Consumed by Production
(tracked per job card)
Fields: Paper Grade (Kraft, Test Liner, Fluting, etc.), GSM, Width, Length, Quantity (kg/reels), Reorder Level, Safety Stock, Location (warehouse rack), Supplier, Batch Number, Manufacturing Date, Unit Cost, Stock Value.
Key features: Low stock alerts, batch tracking, stock movement history, AI-powered paper recommendations based on usage patterns.
Consumables
Consumables tracks non-paper materials used in production: starch glue, printing ink, tape, staples, stretch film, and other supplies. Like paper inventory, each item has a reorder level that triggers alerts when stock runs low.
Fields: Item Code, Name, Category (ink, glue, tape, staples, etc.), Quantity, Unit, Reorder Level, Supplier, Unit Cost, Location, Last Purchase Date.
Purchase Orders
Purchase orders are created to buy materials from suppliers. They can be created manually or auto-generated from MRP purchase requisitions. Each PO can contain multiple line items from the same supplier.
Status: draft → sent → partial_received → received → completed.
Goods Receipts (GRN)
Goods Receipt Notes record the physical receipt of materials from suppliers. Each GRN links to a purchase order, verifies received quantities against ordered quantities, and updates inventory stock levels upon posting.
Flow: Create GRN from PO → Verify Received Quantities → Quality Check → Post to Inventory (stock levels automatically updated).
Fields: GRN Number, PO Number, Supplier, Received Date, Items (quantity received, quality check status), Total Amount, Notes.
Key feature: 3-way matching — the system can match Purchase Order, GRN, and Supplier Invoice to ensure accuracy before payment.
Procurement Cycle
NEED IDENTIFIED ORDERED RECEIVED
(MRP or Manual)
Purchase ───> Approved ───> Purchase ───> Supplier ───> Goods ───> Stock
Requisition Order Ships Receipt Updated
(PR-YYMM) (PO-YYMM) (GRN-YYMM)
The procurement cycle can be triggered automatically by the MRP engine (when material shortages are detected) or manually by a user. Purchase requisitions require approval before converting to purchase orders.
PHASE 3: Planning
Bill of Materials (BOM)
A BOM is the recipe for a product. It lists every raw material needed to produce one unit, with exact quantities. BOMs are created automatically when a deal's box design is completed, and they cascade through the entire system — from quotation to sales order to production order.
BOM: BOM-2602-0001
Product: 5-Ply RSC Box (400x300x250mm)
Type: RSC | Ply: 5 | Flute: BC
Order Qty: 10,000 boxes
Blank Size: 1440mm x 840mm = 1.21 m² per box
Per-Box Qty (kg) For 10,000 Boxes
───────────────────────────────────────── ──────────────────
# Material Qty/box Unit Total Qty Unit
1 Kraft Liner 180gsm 0.2178 kg 2,178 kg (outer liner)
2 Fluting B 120gsm 0.2033 kg 2,033 kg (B flute, 1.4x pickup)
3 Test Liner 150gsm 0.1815 kg 1,815 kg (middle liner)
4 Fluting C 120gsm 0.1960 kg 1,960 kg (C flute, 1.35x pickup)
5 Test Liner 150gsm 0.1815 kg 1,815 kg (inner liner)
6 Starch Adhesive 0.020 kg 200 kg
7 Printing Ink (CMYK) 0.003 kg 30 kg
───────────────────────────────────────── ──────────────────
Total per box: 1.003 kg 10,031 kg
Note: Qty/box calculated as: blank_area_m² x GSM / 1000
Flute layers include pickup factor (B=1.4x, C=1.35x)
BOM stores qty_per_unit (per box), MRP multiplies by order qty
BOM Cascade
The BOM cascades automatically through the system. When a quotation is converted to a sales order, the bom_id travels with it. When a production order is created from the sales order, the same bom_id is attached. The MRP engine then reads this BOM to calculate total material requirements.
QUOTATION SALES ORDER PRODUCTION ORDER
┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐
│ QT-2602-0001 │ │ SO-2602-0001 │ │ PO-2602-0001 │
│ │ one │ │ create │ │
│ bom_id: 42 ──┼─click──>─ bom_id: 42 ──┼─prod───>─ bom_id: 42 │
│ │convert │ │ order │ │
│ customer ──────────> customer ──────────> customer │
│ product ──────────> product ──────────> product │
│ quantity ──────────> quantity ──────────> quantity │
└──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────┬───────┘
│
MRP ENGINE
explodes BOM
│
v
┌─────────────────┐
│ REQUIREMENTS │
│ (10,000 boxes) │
│ │
│ Kraft 180gsm │
│ Need: 2,178 kg │
│ Have: 1,500 kg │
│ Short: 678 kg │
│ │
│ --> Purchase │
│ Requisition │
└─────────────────┘
MRP Engine
The MRP (Material Requirements Planning) engine is the brain of the planning module. It reads all open production orders and confirmed sales orders, explodes their BOMs into raw material requirements, compares against current inventory (including incoming purchase orders), and generates purchase requisitions for any shortages.
┌───────────────────────────────────┐
│ MRP ENGINE │
│ │
│ Input: │
Production ───────>│ - All open production orders │
Orders │ - All confirmed sales orders │
│ - Safety stock settings │
Sales ───────>│ │
Orders │ Step 1: COLLECT DEMAND │
│ Sum all material needs │
Inventory ───────>│ │
Parameters │ Step 2: BOM EXPLOSION │
│ Break BOMs into raw materials │
│ Apply wastage multipliers │
│ │
│ Step 3: NET REQUIREMENTS │
│ Net = Gross │
│ - Available Stock │
│ - Incoming POs │
│ │
│ Step 4: GENERATE ACTIONS │
│ If shortage: Purchase Requisition │
│ Order date = need date - lead time│
│ │
│ Run Types: │
│ Full | Net Change | Selective │
│ Horizon: 7/14/30/60/90 days │
└───────────────────────────────────┘
│
v
┌───────────────────────────────────┐
│ Purchase Requisition Flow: │
│ │
│ Generated ──> Approved │
│ | | │
│ Rejected Converted to PO │
└───────────────────────────────────┘
Run types: Full MRP recalculates everything from scratch. Net Change only processes changes since the last run. Selective runs MRP for a specific production order or material. The horizon setting controls how far ahead the engine looks (7 to 90 days).
MRP Dashboard
The MRP Dashboard presents MRP results in 4 tabs, giving planners a clear view of material status and actions needed.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MRP DASHBOARD [Run MRP] button │
│ │
│ ┌────────────┬────────────┬────────────┬────────────────┐ │
│ │ REORDER │ REQUIRE- │ PENDING │ MATERIAL │ │
│ │ ALERTS │ MENTS │ PRs │ SHORTAGES │ │
│ ├────────────┴────────────┴────────────┴────────────────┤ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Tab 1: Items below reorder point │ │
│ │ Kraft 180gsm Stock: 800kg Reorder: 2000kg LOW! │ │
│ │ Fluting 120gsm Stock: 450kg Reorder: 1500kg LOW! │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Tab 2: What materials are needed for open orders │ │
│ │ Gross: 2178kg | Available: 1500kg | Net: 678kg short│ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Tab 3: Purchase Requisitions awaiting approval │ │
│ │ PR-2602-0007 Kraft 180gsm 60kg [Approve][Reject] │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Tab 4: Critical shortages blocking production │ │
│ │ 3 items short across 5 production orders │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Tab 1 (Reorder Alerts): Shows all inventory items where current stock is below the reorder level. Each row shows current stock, reorder level, safety stock, and a "Create PR" quick action.
Tab 2 (Requirements): Shows gross material requirements (from BOM explosion), available stock, incoming PO quantities, and net requirements (what's still needed).
Tab 3 (Pending PRs): Lists all purchase requisitions awaiting approval. Managers can approve (which allows conversion to PO) or reject with a reason.
Tab 4 (Material Shortages): Critical view showing materials that are short and blocking production orders from starting. Each shortage links to the affected production orders.
Production Planning
The production planning page manages production orders. Each production order represents a manufacturing job — it has a product, quantity, BOM, and priority. Production orders are created from sales orders or manually.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PRODUCTION PLANNING │
│ │
│ Metrics: │
│ ┌──────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐ │
│ │ Pending │ Capacity │ Scheduled │ Available │ │
│ │ Orders │ Utilization │ Production │ Machines │ │
│ │ 12 │ 73% │ 8 │ 4/6 │ │
│ └──────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Order# SO# BOM Customer Product Qty │ │
│ │ ──────────── ────── ────── ───────── ──────── ─────── │ │
│ │ PO-2602-001 SO-01 BOM-1 ABC Ltd RSC Box 1000 │ │
│ │ PO-2602-002 SO-03 BOM-2 XYZ Corp CSSC 500 │ │
│ │ PO-2602-003 -- BOM-1 DEF Inc RSC Box 2000 │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Status: pending -> scheduled -> in_progress -> completed │
│ Priority: urgent (red) | high (orange) | normal | low (gray) │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Production Scheduling
The scheduling module assigns production orders to machines with specific time slots. It offers three views — Gantt, Calendar, and List — to accommodate different planning styles. The Gantt view is the primary tool for visual capacity planning.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SCHEDULING [Gantt] [Calendar] [List] │
│ [Auto-Schedule] [Refresh] │
│ │
│ GANTT VIEW (72px rows, today marker, task details) │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Machine │ Mon 3 │ Tue 4 │ Wed 5 │ Thu 6 │ │
│ │ ──────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼─────────── │ │
│ │ ● Corrugator-1│████████│████ │ │ │ │
│ │ CORR-001 │PO-001 │PO-001 │ │ │ │
│ │ Corrugator │Box ABC │Box ABC │ Available │ │
│ │ │▓▓▓░ 60%│▓▓▓░ 60%│ · · · · · · · · │ │
│ │ ──────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼─────────── │ │
│ │ ● Printer-1 │ │████████│████████│████ │ │
│ │ PRNT-001 │ │PO-002 │PO-002 │PO-003 │ │
│ │ Printer │Avail. │Box XYZ │Box XYZ │Box DEF │ │
│ │ │· · · · │▓▓░░ 40%│▓▓░░ 40%│░░░░ 0% │ │
│ │ ──────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼─────────── │ │
│ │ ○ Slotter-1 │ - - - │ - - - │ - - - │ - - - - │ │
│ │ SLOT-001 │ Maintenance │ │
│ │ Slotter │ | │ │
│ │ │ TODAY │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Legend: │
│ Priority: ● Urgent (red) ● High (orange) ● Normal ● Low │
│ Status: ● Scheduled ● In Progress ● Completed ● Delayed │
│ Machine: ● Active ● Maintenance ○ Inactive │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Gantt View features:
- 72px row height — enough room for PO number, product name, and progress bar inside each task bar.
- Today marker — a vertical red dashed line showing the current time, so planners can instantly see where they are in the timeline.
- Task bars show 3 lines of information: PO number (bold), product name (truncated), and a progress bar with percentage. Task bars are color-coded by priority (left border) and status (fill color).
- Machine column shows a colored status dot (green for active, orange for maintenance, gray for inactive), machine name, code, and type.
- Empty rows show a dashed pattern with "Available", "Maintenance", or "Inactive" text instead of blank space.
- Date headers adapt: for ranges over 3 days, headers show day names (Mon, Tue...); for shorter ranges, they show hourly intervals.
Calendar View: A month grid showing scheduled events by day. Events are colored by priority. Click an event to see details. Days with more than 3 events show a "+N more" overflow indicator. Today's date has a blue border.
List View: A table showing all schedules with sortable columns: Schedule Code, PO Number, Product, Machine, Start/End Time, Priority, Status, Progress, Actions. Alternating row colors for readability. Delayed rows have a faint red background. Sticky header stays visible when scrolling.
Auto-Schedule: Sorts all pending production orders by priority and due date, then assigns them to available machines while avoiding conflicts. Shows a preview of proposed schedules that the user can confirm or adjust before applying.
Schedule status: proposed → scheduled → active → completed (or cancelled/delayed).
PHASE 4: Production
Production Tracking (Job Cards)
Production tracking is the shop floor module. Each job card represents a specific production run on a specific machine. Operators use this page to start jobs, log output quantities, record downtime, pause and resume work, and mark jobs complete.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PRODUCTION TRACKING │
│ │
│ Metrics: │
│ ┌──────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐ │
│ │ Active │ Today's │ Efficiency │ Operational │ │
│ │ Jobs │ Output │ │ Machines │ │
│ │ 5 │ 2,400 pcs │ 87% │ 4/6 │ │
│ └──────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Job Card: │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ JC-2602-0001 │ Machine: Corrugator-1 │ Op: R. Kumar │ │
│ │ Product: 5-Ply RSC Box │ Customer: ABC Ltd │ │
│ │ Assigned: 1000 │ Produced: 850 │ Rejected: 12 │ │
│ │ Progress: ████████░░ 85% │ │
│ │ Efficiency: 92% │ Downtime: 15 min (setup) │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ [Start] [Pause] [Resume] [Update Qty] [Issue Material] │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Status: pending -> in_progress <-> paused │
│ | | │
│ cancelled completed │
│ │
│ Auto-logged: Every status change creates a production log │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Every status change (start, pause, resume, complete) is automatically logged with a timestamp, creating a complete audit trail of production activity. Material consumption is tracked per job card, and wastage can be logged directly from the tracking interface.
Machine Management
The machines page is the master registry of all manufacturing equipment. Each machine has detailed specifications, operating parameters, and a history of downtime and maintenance events.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MACHINES │
│ │
│ Metrics: │
│ ┌──────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐ │
│ │ Total │ Active │ Maintenance │ Downtime │ │
│ │ Machines │ Machines │ Machines │ This Month │ │
│ │ 6 │ 4 │ 1 │ 12 hrs │ │
│ └──────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Machine Card: │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Corrugator-1 Status: ACTIVE │ │
│ │ Code: CORR-001 │ │
│ │ Type: Corrugator │ Capacity: 500 sheets/hr │ │
│ │ Max Width: 2500mm │ Max Length: 6000mm │ │
│ │ Location: Bay A │ Mfr: BHS │ Model: C-200 │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Sub-features: │
│ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ │
│ │ DOWNTIME │ │ MAINTENANCE │ │ SHIFTS │ │
│ │ breakdown │ │ preventive │ │ Morning (6-14) │ │
│ │ setup │ │ corrective │ │ Afternoon (14-22│ │
│ │ no_work │ │ predictive │ │ Night (22-6) │ │
│ │ power_failure │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ material_shortage│ │ │ │ │ │
│ └─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Status: active | maintenance | inactive | retired │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Fields: Machine Code (unique), Name, Type (corrugator/printer/die_cutter/folder_gluer/slotter/laminator), Capacity (units/hr), Max Width, Max Length, Location, Manufacturer, Model, Year, Status.
Downtime tracking: Every downtime event records the machine, start/end time, reason (breakdown, setup, no_work, power_failure, material_shortage), and resolution notes. Downtime data feeds into efficiency calculations and maintenance planning.
Maintenance: Supports preventive (scheduled), corrective (fix after failure), and predictive (condition-based) maintenance types. Each maintenance record tracks start/end date, technician, cost, parts used, and outcome.
Shifts: Configurable shift patterns per machine. Default: Morning (6AM-2PM), Afternoon (2PM-10PM), Night (10PM-6AM).
Die Management
Dies are the cutting tools used to create box shapes from flat corrugated board. Die management tracks the full lifecycle of each die — from purchase through production use to retirement. This is critical because dies wear out over time and must be replaced before they produce defective cuts.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DIE MANAGEMENT │
│ │
│ Metrics: │
│ ┌──────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐ │
│ │ Total │ Active │ In Repair │ Nearing EOL │ │
│ │ Dies │ Dies │ Dies │ (<20% life) │ │
│ │ 24 │ 18 │ 2 │ 3 │ │
│ └──────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Die Record: │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ DIE-0012 │ Name: RSC 400x300 │ Status: Active │ │
│ │ Type: Rotary │ Design: RSC │ Cavity: 2 │ │
│ │ Material: Steel │ Mfr: XYZ Tools │ │
│ │ Customer: ABC Ltd (customer-specific die) │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ LIFECYCLE: │ │
│ │ Current Cycles: 45,000 │ Expected Life: 100,000 │ │
│ │ Life Remaining: ██████████░░░░ 55% │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Purchase Date: Jan 2025 │ Cost: ₹25,000 │ │
│ │ Storage: Rack B, Shelf 3 │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Status: active → repair → retired │
│ Life color: Green (>40%) → Yellow (20-40%) → Red (<20%) │
│ │
│ Sub-sections: Usage History | Maintenance Log │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Fields: Die Code (unique), Name, Die Type (rotary/flatbed/male/female), Design Type (RSC/CSSC/FOL), Cavity Count, Material (Steel/Wood), Manufacturer, Dimensions (JSON), Storage Location, Customer ID (for customer-specific dies), Current Cycles, Expected Life Cycles, Purchase Date, Cost, Status.
Lifecycle tracking: Every time a die is used in production, the current_cycles counter increments. The system calculates life remaining as a percentage and displays a color-coded progress bar: Green (>40% remaining), Yellow (20-40%), Orange (10-20%), Red (<10%). The "Nearing EOL" metric card counts dies below 20% remaining life.
Usage history: Each usage record logs the die, job card, production order, quantity produced, date, and operator. This creates a full audit trail of die utilization.
Maintenance: Die maintenance records track repairs, sharpening, and refurbishment. When maintenance is in progress, the die status automatically changes to "repair."
Tooling Inventory
Tooling manages consumable manufacturing tools: blades, anvils, printing plates, cliches, and other replaceable parts. Unlike dies (which have long lifecycles), tools wear out faster and need frequent replacement. The key challenge is ensuring tools are always in stock when needed.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ TOOLING INVENTORY │
│ │
│ Metrics: │
│ ┌──────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐ │
│ │ Total │ Tool Types │ Low Stock │ Out of Stock │ │
│ │ Tools │ │ │ │ │
│ │ 42 │ 5 │ 6 │ 1 │ │
│ └──────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Tool types: blade | anvil | printing_plate | cliche | other │
│ │
│ Tool Record: │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ TOOL-0023 │ Rotary Blade 2500mm │ Type: Blade │ │
│ │ Qty: 3 pcs │ Reorder: 5 pcs │ ⚠ LOW STOCK │ │
│ │ Location: Tool Room, Rack A │ Cost: ₹1,200/pc │ │
│ │ Supplier: Sharp Tools Ltd │ Last Replaced: Feb 2026 │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ [Adjust Qty +/-] [Edit] [Delete] │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Low Stock = quantity <= reorder_level │
│ Badge colors: Red (out of stock) | Orange (low stock) │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Fields: Tool Code (unique), Name, Tool Type (blade/anvil/printing_plate/cliche/other), Quantity, Unit (piece, set, kg), Reorder Level, Location (rack, shelf), Supplier ID, Unit Cost, Last Replaced Date, is_low_stock (computed).
Quick quantity adjustment: A dialog box lets operators quickly add or subtract quantities (e.g., +5 when new tools arrive, -1 when a blade is consumed). Supports both absolute and relative adjustments.
Low stock alerts: The system automatically flags any tool where quantity falls to or below the reorder level. The metrics strip shows total low-stock and out-of-stock counts. Inventory value is calculated from quantity × unit cost.
Wastage Tracking
Wastage tracking logs every material loss during production. Each wastage event records what was wasted, where it happened, why, and how much it cost. This data is essential for identifying production inefficiencies and reducing costs.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ WASTAGE TRACKING │
│ │
│ Wastage Log: │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ WST-2602-00018 │ │
│ │ Type: paper │ Stage: cutting │ Qty: 25 kg │ │
│ │ Reason: setup_waste │ Disposition: scrap │ │
│ │ Machine: Corrugator-1 │ Job: JC-2602-0001 │ │
│ │ Cost: ₹450 │ Reported by: R. Kumar │ │
│ │ Status: reported [Verify] │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Types: paper | board | finished_product | consumable │
│ │
│ Stages: cutting -> printing -> lamination -> die_cutting │
│ -> gluing -> packing -> finishing │
│ │
│ Reasons: setup_waste | quality_defect | machine_malfunction │
│ material_defect | operator_error | other │
│ │
│ Disposition: scrap | rework | salvage │
│ │
│ Verification: reported -> verified (supervisor signs off) │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Fields: Wastage Code, Type (paper/board/finished_product/consumable), Stage (cutting/printing/lamination/die_cutting/gluing/packing/finishing), Quantity, Unit, Reason, Disposition (scrap/rework/salvage), Machine ID, Job Card ID, Production Order ID, Cost (auto-calculated from quantity × unit rate), Reported By, Status (reported/verified).
Verification flow: Operators report wastage, and supervisors verify it. This two-step process prevents inaccurate logging and ensures accountability.
Wastage Analysis
The wastage analysis page provides dashboards and reports for understanding waste patterns. It aggregates wastage data from tracking and presents trends, breakdowns, and cost impact analysis.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ WASTAGE ANALYSIS │
│ │
│ Summary: Today | This Week | This Month │
│ ┌──────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐ │
│ │ Total │ Wastage % │ Cost Impact │ vs Target │ │
│ │ 345 kg │ 4.2% │ ₹12,400 │ 0.7% over │ │
│ └──────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Breakdown Charts: │
│ - By Reason: setup_waste (40%), quality_defect (25%), ... │
│ - By Machine: Corrugator-1 (35%), Printer-1 (28%), ... │
│ - By Stage: cutting (45%), printing (20%), ... │
│ - By Operator: R. Kumar (15%), S. Patel (12%), ... │
│ │
│ Trend: Daily/weekly wastage quantity and cost over time │
│ Targets: Configurable wastage % targets per machine/product │
│ Variance: Actual vs target with favorable/unfavorable flag │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The analysis page helps factory managers identify which machines, stages, operators, and materials produce the most waste, enabling targeted process improvements.
PHASE 5: Quality, Dispatch & Finance
Quality Control
Quality control inspections verify that finished products meet specifications before they can be shipped. Each inspection tests multiple quality parameters and assigns a pass/fail/conditional result.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ QUALITY CONTROL │
│ │
│ QC Inspection: │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ QC-2602-00012 │ Type: final │ Job: JC-2602-0001 │ │
│ │ Product: 5-Ply RSC Box │ Sample: 50 of 1000 │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ TESTS: │ │
│ │ ECT (Edge Crush): 12.5 kN/m PASS │ │
│ │ Burst Strength: 8.2 kg/cm² PASS │ │
│ │ Moisture Content: 11.3% PASS │ │
│ │ Visual Inspection: OK PASS │ │
│ │ GSM Check: ±3% PASS │ │
│ │ Cobb Test: 28 g/m² PASS │ │
│ │ Print Quality: Good PASS │ │
│ │ Die-Cut Accuracy: ±1mm PASS │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Result: PASS --> Moves to Finished Goods │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Outcomes: Pass | Fail | Conditional │ │
│ │ Types: in_process | final | random │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Inspection types: In-process (during production), Final (after production), Random (spot checks).
Outcomes: Pass (moves to Finished Goods), Fail (rework or scrap), Conditional (pass with noted deviations).
Status: pending → in_progress → passed / failed / conditional.
Finished Goods → Dispatch → Invoice
Once products pass quality control, they automatically enter the Finished Goods warehouse. From there, dispatch handles shipping, and invoices are generated for billing.
QUALITY PASSED FINISHED GOODS DISPATCH INVOICE
┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐
│ QC-PASS │ │ FG-2602-001 │ │ DC-2602-001 │ │ INV-2602-001 │
│ │ auto │ │ pick │ │ bill │ │
│ 1000 boxes ──┼──create──>│ Grade: A │──pack──> │ Vehicle: TN01│──────>│ GST compliant│
│ Grade: A │ │ Qty: 1000 │ load │ Driver: Raju │ │ HSN: 4819 │
│ │ │ Available:800│ ship │ Shipped: 800 │ │ Amount+GST │
│ │ │ Reserved: 200│ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ Location: B-2│ │ POD captured │ │ Payment track│
└──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘
Finished Goods fields: FG Code, Product, Quantity, Grade (A/B/C/Reject), Available Quantity, Reserved Quantity, Warehouse Location, Production Order, Sales Order, QC Inspection.
Dispatch status: pack → load → dispatch → in_transit → delivered. Each dispatch records vehicle details, driver, challan number, shipped quantity, POD (Proof of Delivery), and delivery timestamp.
Sales Invoices are GST-compliant with HSN code 4819 (corrugated articles). Fields include: Invoice Number, Date, Due Date, Customer, GSTIN, Place of Supply, GST Type (IGST or CGST+SGST), Line Items (product, HSN, quantity, unit price, discount, GST rate, amount), Subtotal, CGST, SGST, IGST, Total, Payment Status.
Invoice status: Draft → Sent → Partial Payment → Paid. Overdue invoices are auto-flagged past due date.
Cost Accounting Dashboard
The cost accounting system provides comprehensive cost tracking with cost centers, overhead rates, labor rates, production costing, and variance analysis. It answers the fundamental manufacturing question: "How much did it actually cost to produce this order, and how does that compare to what we expected?"
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ COST ACCOUNTING │
│ │
│ Sections: │
│ ┌─────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐ │
│ │ Cost Centers│ Overhead │ Labor Rates │ Transactions │ │
│ │ │ Rates │ │ │ │
│ ├─────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┤ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ COST CENTERS (hierarchical) │ │
│ │ Types: production | overhead | administrative │ │
│ │ selling | maintenance │ │
│ │ Parent-child hierarchy for roll-up reporting │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ OVERHEAD RATES │ │
│ │ Rate types: per_hour | per_piece | per_sqm | │ │
│ │ percentage | fixed │ │
│ │ Time-bound: effective_from / effective_to dates │ │
│ │ Linked to: cost center, machine │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ LABOR RATES │ │
│ │ Types: direct | indirect | supervisor | contractor │ │
│ │ Fields: rate_per_hour, overtime_multiplier (default 1.5) │ │
│ │ Time-bound: effective_from / effective_to dates │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ TRANSACTIONS │ │
│ │ Cost types: paper | consumable | direct_labor | │ │
│ │ indirect_labor | machine | overhead | wastage | other │ │
│ │ Each transaction links to a production order + job card │ │
│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Reports: │
│ - Cost Summary (by period, total by cost type) │
│ - Costs by Product (per-product cost breakdown) │
│ - Costs by Period (daily/weekly/monthly trends) │
│ - Profitability (revenue vs cost, gross margin %) │
│ - Variance Analysis (actual vs standard cost) │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Production Costing
Production costing calculates the actual cost of each production order by aggregating all cost transactions (material, labor, machine time, overhead, wastage). It then compares actual costs against standard costs to identify variances.
Cost breakdown per order: Paper cost + Consumable cost + Direct labor + Indirect labor + Machine cost + Overhead + Wastage cost = Total cost. Divided by quantity produced = Cost per unit.
Status flow: draft → verified (manager review) → finalized (locked, no more changes).
Variance analysis: For each production order, the system calculates: Material Variance (price + usage), Labor Variance (rate + efficiency), Overhead Variance (spending + efficiency). Each variance is flagged as favorable or unfavorable.
Cost Settings
Cost settings is the configuration page for the cost accounting system. Here administrators set up the baseline rates and cost structures that feed into production costing calculations.
Configurable items:
- Cost Centers: Create hierarchical cost centers (production → corrugation, printing, finishing; overhead → admin, maintenance, utilities).
- Overhead Rates: Set rates per hour, per piece, per sqm, percentage, or fixed amounts. Each rate has an effective date range.
- Labor Rates: Set hourly rates by labor type (direct, indirect, supervisor, contractor) with overtime multipliers.
- Standard Costs: Set baseline per-unit costs for products (from quotation, historical data, or manual entry) that serve as benchmarks for variance analysis.
Help & Engagement
Team Dashboard
The team dashboard provides managers with visibility into team performance. It includes KRA (Key Result Area) tracking, performance scorecards, and AI-powered insights about team productivity.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ TEAM DASHBOARD [Enhanced] [Classic] toggle │
│ │
│ ┌──────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────┐ │
│ │ SYSTEM STATUS │ │ KRA TEMPLATES │ │
│ │ ● Database: OK │ │ Pre-built templates │ │
│ │ ● API: Connected │ │ for Sales, Production │ │
│ │ ● Services: Running │ │ Operations teams │ │
│ └──────────────────────┘ └──────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ PERFORMANCE SCORECARD │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Member │ Quotations │ Conversions │ Score │ │
│ │ ──────────────┼────────────┼─────────────┼──────────── │ │
│ │ R. Sharma │ 12 │ 8 (67%) │ ★★★★☆ │ │
│ │ P. Patel │ 9 │ 5 (56%) │ ★★★☆☆ │ │
│ │ A. Kumar │ 15 │ 11 (73%) │ ★★★★★ │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ AI INSIGHTS: "A. Kumar has highest conversion rate this │
│ month. Consider having them mentor P. Patel." │
│ │
│ PERFORMANCE TREND: [Line chart over last 6 months] │
│ TOP PERFORMERS: Leaderboard with sorting options │
│ ALERT MEMBERS: Team members needing attention │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Views: Enhanced (real-time KRA tracking, charts, AI insights) and Classic (tabbed: Overview, Team Members, AI Insights).
Key features: System health check, KRA template gallery, performance scorecard with sorting (by performance/quotations/conversions), performance trend charts, top performer leaderboard, AI-generated improvement suggestions, team member alerts.
Achievements
The achievements system gamifies the ERP experience with badges, challenges, leaderboards, and rewards to encourage consistent usage and high performance.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ACHIEVEMENTS │
│ │
│ User Stats: │
│ Level: 12 │ XP: 2,450/3,000 │ Streak: 8 days │ Rank: #3 │
│ │
│ Tabs: [My Progress] [Badges] [Challenges] [Leaderboard] │
│ [Rewards] [Industry Benchmarks] │
│ │
│ BADGES (by category): │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Sales Mastery: │ │
│ │ ★ Lead Magnet │ ★ Top Closer │ ☆ Quote Master │ │
│ │ ★ Deal Hunter │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Operational Excellence: │ │
│ │ ★ Inventory Ninja │ ☆ Production Pro │ ☆ Quality Champ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Engagement: │ │
│ │ ★ Daily Hustler │ ★ Team Player │ ☆ Data Explorer │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ ★ = Earned ☆ = Locked │
│ │
│ ACTIVE CHALLENGES: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ "Close 5 deals this week" │ │
│ │ Progress: ███░░░░░ 3/5 │ XP: 500 │ Deadline: Fri │ │
│ │ Difficulty: Medium │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ LEADERBOARD: Team rankings with points, badges, rank changes │
│ REWARDS: Redeemable items (Smart Tools, Advanced Analytics) │
│ INDUSTRY: Anonymous cross-company benchmarks by tier │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Badge categories: Sales Mastery (Lead Magnet, Top Closer, Quote Master, Deal Hunter), Operational Excellence (Inventory Ninja, Production Pro, Quality Champion), Engagement (Daily Hustler, Team Player, Data Explorer).
Challenges: Time-bound tasks with progress tracking, XP rewards, and difficulty levels (Easy/Medium/Hard). New challenges appear regularly to keep users engaged.
Leaderboard: Team rankings showing total points, badges earned, and rank changes. Includes industry benchmarks with anonymous comparison across companies.
Rewards: Points can be redeemed for premium features like Smart Tools, Advanced Analytics, and Priority Support.
All Status Workflows
Every entity in the system follows a defined status progression. These workflows ensure data integrity and prevent invalid state transitions.
DEAL
NEW_LEAD ──> CONTACTED ──> MEETING_SCHEDULED ──> REQUIREMENTS_GATHERED
──> COSTING_DONE ──> PROPOSAL_SENT ──> NEGOTIATION ──> WON
(LOST or STALE can happen from any stage)
QUOTATION
draft ──> sent ──> accepted ──> converted_to_SO / expired / rejected
SALES ORDER
draft ──> confirmed ──> in_production ──> ready_to_ship ──> delivered ──> completed
PRODUCTION ORDER
pending ──> scheduled ──> in_progress ──> completed
|
cancelled
PRODUCTION SCHEDULE
proposed ──> scheduled ──> active ──> completed
|
cancelled / delayed
JOB CARD
pending ──> in_progress <──> paused
| |
cancelled completed
PURCHASE REQUISITION
generated ──> approved ──> converted_to_PO
|
rejected
PURCHASE ORDER
draft ──> sent ──> partial_received ──> received ──> completed
QC INSPECTION
pending ──> in_progress ──> passed / failed / conditional
FINISHED GOODS
available | reserved | dispatched
DISPATCH
pack ──> load ──> dispatch ──> in_transit ──> delivered
SALES INVOICE
draft ──> sent ──> partial_payment ──> paid / overdue
WASTAGE LOG
reported ──> verified
MACHINE
active | maintenance | inactive | retired
DIE
active ──> repair ──> retired
PRODUCTION COST
draft ──> verified ──> finalized
ID Format Reference
Every entity in the system has a unique, human-readable ID. IDs follow a consistent format with a prefix, optional year-month, and sequential number. Organizations can customize these formats in Settings > Naming Conventions.
| Entity | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Customer | CU-XXXX | CU-0001 |
| Deal | DL-YYMM-XXXX | DL-2602-0001 |
| Quotation | QT-YYMM-XXXX | QT-2602-0001 |
| Sales Order | SO-XXXX | SO-0001 |
| BOM | BOM-YYMM-XXXX | BOM-2602-0001 |
| Production Order | PO-YYMM-XXXX | PO-2602-0001 |
| Schedule | SCH-YYMM-XXXX | SCH-2602-0012 |
| Job Card | JC-YYMM-XXXX | JC-2602-0045 |
| Purchase Req | PR-YYMM-XXXX | PR-2602-0007 |
| Purchase Order | PO-YYMM-XXXX | PO-2602-0001 |
| Goods Receipt | GRN-YYMM-XXXX | GRN-2602-0003 |
| Paper Inventory | IP-YYMM-XXX | IP-2602-001 |
| Consumable | IC-YYMM-XXX | IC-2602-001 |
| Wastage | WST-YYMM-XXXXX | WST-2602-00018 |
| QC Inspection | QC-YYMM-XXXXX | QC-2602-00012 |
| Finished Goods | FG-YYMM-XXXXX | FG-2602-00001 |
| Dispatch | DC-YYMM-XXXXX | DC-2602-00001 |
| Sales Invoice | INV-YYMM-XXXXX | INV-2602-00001 |
| Supplier | SP-XXXX | SP-0001 |
| Die | DIE-XXXX | DIE-0012 |
| Tool | TOOL-XXXX | TOOL-0023 |
Integrations & Special Features
Packwares integrates with external services for communication, automation, payments, and AI-powered features.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ INTEGRATIONS │
│ │
│ Communication: │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ WhatsApp │ │ Telegram │ │ Email │ │ Daily │ │
│ │ Notif. │ │ Bot │ │ Tracking │ │ Digest │ │
│ │ (ready) │ │ (ready) │ │ (ready) │ │ Emails │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
│ │
│ Automation & Payments: │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ n8n │ │ Razorpay │ │ Bulk │ │
│ │ Workflows│ │ Payments │ │ Upload │ │
│ │ (active) │ │ (active) │ │ (CSV) │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
│ │
│ AI Features: │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │Dashboard │ │ Paper │ │ Claude │ │Contextual│ │
│ │Insights │ │Optimizer │ │ Chat │ │ Videos │ │
│ │(trends) │ │(grades) │ │(business)│ │ (help) │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
AI Features:
- Dashboard AI Insights: Analyzes business data to detect trends, anomalies, and opportunities. Generates natural language recommendations like "Deal conversions dropped 15% — review follow-up timing."
- Paper Optimizer: AI recommends optimal paper grade combinations based on strength requirements and budget constraints.
- AI Chat (Claude): A contextual business assistant that understands your ERP data and can answer questions like "Which customer has the most pending orders?" or "What's our average production efficiency this month?"
- Contextual Videos: Context-aware help videos that show relevant tutorials based on which page the user is currently viewing.
Automation (n8n):
- Customer follow-up reminders (7 days without contact)
- Quotation expiry alerts (3 days after sent)
- Daily digest emails summarizing key metrics
- Webhook triggers on status changes (deal won, order shipped, etc.)
Other integrations:
- Onboarding: Guided setup wizard for new users
- Bulk Upload: Import customers, suppliers, and inventory via CSV
- Email Tracking: Track email opens and clicks for quotations
- Admin Feedback: In-app feedback collection system
Security & Access Control
Packwares implements enterprise-grade security with role-based access control, multi-tenant isolation, and JWT authentication.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) │
│ │
│ 107 Permissions across 26 Modules x 4 Actions (CRUD) │
│ │
│ Pre-defined Roles: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ ADMIN (97 perms) │ Full access to everything │ │
│ │ SALES (25 perms) │ CRM, quotations, sales orders │ │
│ │ OPERATIONS (31) │ Box costing, production ops │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Custom roles can be created with any permission combination │
│ │
│ Authentication: │
│ - JWT tokens (7-day expiry) │
│ - bcrypt password hashing (10 rounds) │
│ - Organization isolation (RLS via organization_id) │
│ - Self-delete protection (admin can't delete themselves) │
│ │
│ Multi-Tenancy: │
│ - Single database, organization_id on every table │
│ - Every query filtered by organization_id from JWT │
│ - Complete data isolation between organizations │
│ - No organization can see another's data │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Permission structure: Each permission follows the pattern module:action (e.g., customers:create, deals:read, machines:delete). The 4 actions are Create, Read, Update, Delete. Administrators can create custom roles with any combination of these 107 permissions.
Settings
The settings page has 12 tabs organized into Personal, Company, System, and Billing categories.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SETTINGS │
│ │
│ PERSONAL (All Users) COMPANY (Admin Only) │
│ ┌───────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────┐ │
│ │ Profile │ │ Organization │ │
│ │ Name, email, │ │ Company name, │ │
│ │ avatar, password │ │ GSTIN, PAN, logo,│ │
│ │ │ │ address, industry│ │
│ │ Appearance │ │ │ │
│ │ Theme: light/ │ │ Team Management │ │
│ │ dark/system │ │ Invite users, │ │
│ │ Layout prefs │ │ assign roles, │ │
│ │ │ │ deactivate │ │
│ │ Alert Preferences │ │ │ │
│ │ Email/in-app │ │ User Roles (RBAC) │ │
│ │ notification on/ │ │ 107 permissions, │ │
│ │ off per category │ │ create custom │ │
│ │ │ │ roles │ │
│ │ Referrals │ │ │ │
│ │ Share code, │ │ │ │
│ │ track referrals, │ │ │ │
│ │ unlock modules │ │ │ │
│ └───────────────────┘ └───────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ SYSTEM (Admin Only) BILLING │
│ ┌───────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────┐ │
│ │ Unit Preferences │ │ Subscription │ │
│ │ Currency (INR/ │ │ Current plan, │ │
│ │ USD/EUR/GBP/AED) │ │ module pricing, │ │
│ │ Weight (KG/LB) │ │ team size slider │ │
│ │ Dimension (CM/IN)│ │ (3-500 users), │ │
│ │ Area (m²/ft²) │ │ Razorpay checkout│ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ Naming Conventions│ │ │ │
│ │ Custom ID formats│ │ │ │
│ │ per entity type │ │ │ │
│ │ (prefix+date+seq)│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ Paper Master │ │ │ │
│ │ Grade catalog: │ │ │ │
│ │ GSM, BF, RCT, │ │ │ │
│ │ Cobb values │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ Formula Master │ │ │ │
│ │ Org-specific │ │ │ │
│ │ costing formulas │ │ │ │
│ │ (blank_length, │ │ │ │
│ │ area, weight) │ │ │ │
│ └───────────────────┘ └───────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Quick Reference: "I want to..."
| I want to... | Go to | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Add a new customer | Customers | "New Customer" button |
| Create a box costing | Deals | New deal → design specs → costing auto-calculates |
| Send a quotation | Quotations | Create from deal → PDF → send via email/WhatsApp |
| Convert quote to order | Sales Orders | "Quick Create from Quotation" button |
| Check material stock | Paper Inventory / Consumables | View stock levels, reorder alerts |
| See what material I need | MRP Dashboard | Click "Run MRP" to calculate requirements |
| Check reorder alerts | MRP Dashboard > Alerts tab | Items below reorder point with quantities |
| Buy missing material | Purchase Requisitions | Approve PR → Convert to Purchase Order |
| Create production order | Production Planning | "New" button or from Sales Order detail |
| Schedule jobs on machines | Scheduling | Auto-Schedule or drag-assign in Gantt |
| Track live production | Production Tracking | View active job cards, update quantities |
| Log material waste | Wastage Tracking | "New Wastage Log" with type, reason, quantity |
| Analyze waste patterns | Wastage Analysis | View trends by machine, stage, reason |
| Check machine status | Machines | View status, downtime history, maintenance |
| Track die lifecycle | Die Management | View cycles, life remaining %, maintenance |
| Check tool stock | Tooling | View inventory, low stock alerts |
| Inspect finished product | Quality Control | New QC inspection with test parameters |
| Store passed goods | Finished Goods | Auto-created from QC pass |
| Ship to customer | Dispatch | Create dispatch order, assign vehicle |
| Generate invoice | Sales Invoices | Create from dispatch, add GST |
| Track production costs | Cost Dashboard | View cost breakdown by order |
| Compare actual vs budget | Production Costing | Variance analysis (actual vs standard) |
| Set overhead rates | Cost Settings | Configure rates by type and time period |
| View team performance | Team Dashboard | Scorecard, KRAs, AI insights |
| Earn badges | Achievements | Complete challenges, track progress |
| Manage team access | Settings > Team | Add users, invite, assign roles |
| Change permissions | Settings > User Roles | Edit role permissions (107 available) |
| Customize ID formats | Settings > Naming | Configure prefix/date/digit per entity |
| Set paper grades | Settings > Paper Master | Add/edit paper catalog with properties |
| Calculate box strength | Tools > CS Calculator | Enter ECT/dimensions → compression result |
| Get paper recommendations | Tools > Paper Optimizer | Enter specs → AI suggests paper combos |
| Estimate box cost | Tools > Box Costing | Enter dimensions + papers → cost breakdown |
| Manage subscription | Settings > Billing | View plan, upgrade, Razorpay payment |
Application Stats
| Metric | Count |
|---|---|
| Total Frontend Pages | 120+ |
| Backend Route Files | 84 |
| Database Tables | 85 |
| API Endpoints | ~734 |
| Custom React Hooks | 135 |
| RBAC Permissions | 107 |
| Settings Tabs | 12 |
| Subscription Tiers | 5 (1 free + 4 paid) |
| Organization Types | 2 (Manufacturing + Sourcing) |
| Supported Currencies | 5 (INR, USD, EUR, GBP, AED) |
| E2E Test Coverage | 100% (63/63 modules) |
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