Manufacturing and inventory software with batch records, QC and QA release built in
Most inventory tools count stock and stop. MACH-HRM follows a batch from the day a raw material arrives to the day the finished product is released: quarantine, sampling, testing and QA release for every incoming lot, then dispensing, bulk release, packing and final release for every batch. Each step is signed by the right person and kept on the record, on the same item records as your stores, your payroll and your accounts.
Inventory and manufacturing are part of the Inventory & Assets add-on. The staged quality flows are switched on per company, so a group can run them in one factory and keep the standard flow in another.
Incoming materials stay in quarantine until QA says otherwise
A delivery is recorded as a goods received note, checked by a second person and booked into quarantine lot by lot. Nothing is available to production until the lot has passed.
- A receiving checklist answered by the store and checked by a second person, with any discrepancy noted on the receipt
- An approved supplier list per material, so a delivery from an unlisted supplier is flagged and cannot be sampled until QA authorises it
- Sampling with an analytical reference number for each lot, the containers sampled and a retention sample, with the number of containers to sample worked out and offered for you
- Specifications with ranges, limits and required descriptions, versioned so a lot keeps the version it was tested against
- Results checked against their limit as they are entered, with chemistry and microbiology signed by their own analysts and a second person checking the whole record
- QA releases or rejects each lot with a signature, and cannot be one of the analysts or the checker of that lot. Released stock becomes available, and rejected stock moves to a separate position to wait for disposal
Stock that is issued in the right order
Issuing follows the lot, not only the item, so what expires first is used first.
- First-expiry-first-out issuing across released lots, with the quantity held for a production order until its return note is verified
- Lots past their expiry or retest date cannot be issued
- Retest dates counted from release and warned a month ahead, with a retest workflow of its own: sampling, testing and a QA decision that keeps the earlier test on record
- Dispensing from a different lot than the system proposes needs a reason and a QA approval
- Opening stock can be loaded as released lots, so the flow can be switched on without starting from zero
Out-of-specification results are investigated, not overwritten
When a result falls outside its limit, an investigation is opened in the same step, and the result can only be replaced through it.
- Numbered investigations for lots, retests, bulk and finished product
- A laboratory investigation first, recorded by the section head with or without a laboratory error found, then reviewed and signed by QA
- Repeat analyses recorded with their mean, and a cross-functional investigation when the laboratory finds no cause
- Corrective and preventive actions recorded, and QA closes the investigation with a signature: the result stands and the lot or batch stays out of specification, or it is invalidated for a proven laboratory or sampling error
- Corrections to a test result keep the first entry, so the history is never written over
From bill of materials to released batch
A production order carries the formula, the people and the sign-offs from the first weighing to the last carton.
- Versioned bills of materials with issue sheets for the store, and colour variants that bring in a change-over form
- QC clearance of raw materials, material requisitions, and the store recording what was actually dispensed, with a dual-signature verification of the dispensing
- Bulk sampled and tested against the product's bulk specification, then released by the QC Manager, never one of the analysts who signed the results
- Bulk transfer recorded and yield worked out against the batch size
- QA release for filling and packing through line clearance, by someone other than the person who released the bulk
- Packing materials dispensed and signed for, coding recorded, and a packaging material reconciliation where what was issued equals what was used, damaged and returned
- Finished goods go into quarantine, are sampled and tested against the finished-product specification, passed by the QC Manager and released by QA before they can be transferred or dispatched
Records you can hand to an inspector
Every stage produces a document generated from the data, rather than typed up afterwards.
- Goods received notes, sampling records, test records and investigation reports as PDFs
- Bill of materials sheets, line clearance records, packaging reconciliation, completion summaries, QC inspection reports and transfer forms
- Every change to a batch quality test recorded with who, when, from, to and why, and amendments to a production order logged with a reason
- Configurable digital checklists and reference numbering for each company or subsidiary
- Role-based access across store, production, QC, QA, auditor and warehouse
Inventory and distribution on the same records
The quality flow sits on top of an inventory that already tracks what you hold and who has it.
- Bulk stock and individually serialised units, each with a QR code you can scan
- Stock in, stock out and returns with a reason and a movement history, plus assignment history showing who each item was issued to
- Low-stock and out-of-stock alerts, plus batch and expiry-date alerts
- Stock takes, special material requests and custom categories, units, locations and tags
- Finished goods handed to a branch or department through distribution against the batch, so the batch's remaining quantity stays right
- Subsidiary-aware visibility for group companies, with items that can be shared across subsidiaries
How inventory & manufacturing connects to the rest of MACH-HRM
- Finance Manager
Stock movements from production, sales and stock takes can be valued and posted to the ledger when stock costing is switched on.
- Assets & fleet
Equipment and vehicles are managed in the same Inventory & Assets add-on, with assignment history and maintenance.
- Invoicing
Sales and billing records sit alongside stock in the same platform.
Frequently asked questions
Does it support batch records, QC testing and QA release?
Yes. When the staged flows are switched on, incoming materials are quarantined, sampled, tested and released by QA lot by lot, and each batch moves through dispensing, bulk release, packing and final release with a signature at every gate. MACH-HRM gives you the controls and the records. Whether your site meets GMP still depends on your procedures, validation and inspection.
Can the same person test and release a lot or batch?
No. QA cannot be one of the analysts or the checker of a lot's results, the QC Manager who releases the bulk cannot be one of the analysts who signed it, QA's release for packing cannot come from the person who released the bulk, and the final release cannot come from the person who gave QC's decision.
What happens when a test result is out of specification?
An investigation is opened at once and the result can only be replaced through it. It runs through a laboratory investigation, repeat analyses, a cross-functional investigation where needed and corrective actions, and QA closes it with a signature.
Which manufacturers is it built for?
Regulated and quality-sensitive producers such as pharmaceutical, cosmetics and personal-care manufacturers. The staged batch flow is built for semi-solid products such as creams and ointments. Other products use the standard production order flow with bills of materials, dispensing sign-off and QC clearance.
Do we have to use the staged quality flows?
No. They are switched on per company. A company that has not switched them on keeps the standard inventory and production flow, so a group can use them in one factory and not in another.
Can we track individual serial numbers?
Yes. Items can be tracked in bulk or as serialised units, each with its own status, assignment history and QR code.
Does it work for group companies?
Yes. Inventory and manufacturing settings can be scoped by subsidiary, and individual items can be marked as shared across all subsidiaries.