Printing and Packaging Glossary: Concepts, Workflows, Examples, and Business Impact.
Explore the essential terms used across flexible packaging, pre-press and artwork, printing, lamination, slitting, pouching, raw material inventory, quality control, and job costing. Organized by category for easy navigation, each term includes a clear definition, real-world business examples in SAR, shop-floor workflows, and practical insights into how each concept impacts your production and margins. Whether you are a packaging plant owner, production planner, sales professional, or ERP consultant, this glossary helps you understand complex manufacturing concepts and make more informed business decisions.
Substrates, Films & Raw Materials
PET Film (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
Definition
PET film is a strong, clear plastic film used as the outer printing layer of flexible packaging. It holds its shape under high press tension and resists melting against hot pouching jaws.
Example
Your sales team in Dammam books a 1,000 kg order for 3-ply Stand-Up Pouches. Your planner selects item code 12-PET-590mm-KG for the outer layer:
12 Microns
Standard Outer Film Thickness.
590 mm
Exact Master Roll Width.
SAR 6,037.50
500 kg + 25 kg (5% Waste) at SAR 11.50/kg.
Factoring in the 5% wastage allowance upfront protects your gross margin before the quote goes out.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Failing to track exact PET widths and thicknesses from day one costs your plant money:
- Wasted edge trim: Running a 590 mm job on a 660 mm roll slices off 70 mm of waste (11.8% extra film).
- Wrong weight math: Guessing film weight instead of using micron and density formulas leaves your press short mid-run.
- Scorched outer seams: Substituting low-heat plastic for outer PET makes bags stick to hot sealing bars.
In Odoo
Give every PET roll width and micron size its own item code in the Inventory app, like 12-PET-590mm-KG. When your salesperson selects PET on the Requirement Form, Odoo automatically calculates total thickness. If 590 mm is out of stock, the calculator prices the next wider roll in stock automatically.
Common mistake: Lumping all PET rolls under one generic “PET Film” item code. That breaks automated weight math and hides which widths are sitting on your racks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you print on the inside of PET film instead of the outside?
Because PET is crystal clear, reverse-printing on the underside traps the ink between laminated layers so it never scratches off.
BOPP-C Film (Clear BOPP)
Definition
BOPP-C is a clear, biaxially oriented polypropylene film stretched in two directions for high transparency, stiffness, and moisture resistance. Packaging plants use it for see-through snack bags, bakery overwraps, and clear bottle labels.
Example
A Jeddah bakery orders 20,000 square meters of single-layer (monolayer) clear bread wraps using 40-BOPP-C-500mm-KG:
1. Thickness & Density
40 microns × 0.91 g/cm³ density = 36.4 grams per m² (GSM).
2. Required Roll Weight
20,000 m² × 36.4 GSM = 728 kg net film (+36.4 kg for 5% waste).
3. Total BOPP-C Cost
764.4 kg × SAR 10.00/kg = SAR 7,644 total film budget.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Misconfiguring BOPP-C jobs in your quoting form or pre-press studio creates two common problems:
- Blocked single-layer orders: Forcing every Requirement Form to have two or three layers stops sales reps from booking monolayer BOPP-C wraps.
- Translucent logos without white ink: Because BOPP-C is crystal clear, forgetting a white backing plate makes printed colors look washed out.
In Odoo
Store each BOPP-C width under its own item code (40-BOPP-C-[Width]-KG) in Odoo Inventory. Configure the Requirement Form so your sales reps can select a single layer for monolayer BOPP-C jobs or up to four layers for laminates.
Common mistake: Designing the Requirement Form only for multi-layer pouches and forgetting to allow monolayer BOPP structures for roll-stock wraps and labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is BOPP-C used for clear product windows instead of PE alone?
BOPP-C has much higher clarity and gloss than hazy polyethylene, giving buyers a crystal-clear view of the snacks or nuts inside.
BOPP-P Film (Pearlized BOPP)
Definition
BOPP-P is a pearlized white polypropylene film infused with microscopic air pockets that reflect light and give a bright, opaque finish. Because those tiny micro-voids lower the film’s density, BOPP-P yields significantly more square meters per kilogram than clear film.
Example
A chocolate bar manufacturer in Riyadh requests 20,000 square meters of flow-wrap film. Compare quoting that order with 38-micron BOPP-P versus 40-micron BOPP-C:
| Film Specification | Density & GSM | KG for 20,000 m² | Total Cost (SAR) |
|---|---|---|---|
40-BOPP-C (Clear) |
0.91 g/cm³ (36.4 GSM) | 728 kg (at SAR 10.00/kg) | 7,280 |
38-BOPP-P (Pearlized) |
0.70 g/cm³ (26.6 GSM) | 532 kg (at SAR 11.50/kg) | 6,118 (Saves SAR 1,162) |
Even though BOPP-P costs SAR 1.50 more per kilogram, its lower density saves 196 kg of film and SAR 1,162 on the job.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Using the wrong density formula when quoting BOPP-P costs you deals:
- Overpriced quotes by 36.8%: Quoting BOPP-P with clear BOPP density (0.91 g/cm³) overestimates film weight by 196 kg on a 20,000 m² run.
- Lower ink consumption: Because BOPP-P is naturally white and opaque, you save the cost of a white backing ink station.
In Odoo
Create 38-BOPP-P-[Width]-KG as a distinct raw material item in Odoo Inventory with its own 0.70 g/cm³ density parameter. When selected on the Requirement Form, the Quoting Engine automatically converts square meters to the lower kilogram weight.
Common mistake: Sharing one density constant across all polypropylene films in the costing backend, which overcharges every BOPP-P quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is BOPP-P so popular for ice cream, soap, and chocolate wrappers?
It provides a pearly white appearance, resists freezer moisture, folds crisply, and gives 30% more wrappers per kilogram.
MPET Film (Metallized PET)
Definition
Metallized PET (MPET) is a polyester film coated with a microscopic layer of aluminum vapor to block light, oxygen, and moisture. It provides a shiny metallic barrier at a lower cost and higher flex resistance than solid aluminum foil.
Example
Your Riyadh plant produces 1,000 kg of 2-ply laminated roll stock (Job Code 00002-000002-00) using 12-micron MPET as the second layer. Look at the Lamination BOM (00002-000002-02):
| BOM Line Item | Batch Qty (1,000 parts) | Cost (SAR) |
|---|---|---|
Line 1: Printed PET Input (00002-000002-01) |
500 kg | 7,800 |
Line 2: 590 mm MPET Film (01-000010) |
500 kg (at SAR 13.00/kg) | 6,500 |
| Lines 3 & 4: Adhesives (35 kg NCO + 20 kg OH) | 55 kg (at SAR 18.00/kg) | 990 |
Total Laminated Roll Value (00002-000002-02) |
SAR 15,290 | |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Careless handling of MPET rolls in the warehouse or on the laminator ruins entire batches:
- Metal layer transfer: Excessive web tension or wrong glue curing pulls the thin aluminum layer off the PET base, scrapping SAR 15,290 of film.
- Aged rolls losing bond strength: Leaving MPET in humid storage for months without stock-aging checks degrades its surface tension.
In Odoo
Add MPET (12-MPET-[Width]-KG) to your Lamination child BOM (-02) on a 1,000-unit batch basis in Manufacturing. Enable mandatory lot tracking and the Stock Aging metric in Inventory so storekeepers always issue the oldest MPET batch first.
Common mistake: Issuing a full master roll of MPET to the laminator without logging the return of the unused balance back into store stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MPET the same thing as Aluminum Foil?
No, MPET is plastic film dusted with a microscopic mist of aluminum so it bends without cracking, whereas Aluminum Foil is a solid sheet of metal.
Aluminum Foil (Alu)
Definition
Aluminum foil is an ultra-thin sheet of solid rolled metal, typically 7 microns thick, laminated between plastic films to block air, moisture, and light completely. Combined with an inner polyethylene (PE) sealing layer, it keeps roasted coffee and spices fresh for over a year.
Example
Your Riyadh store holds two supplier shipments of 7-micron, 500 mm Aluminum Foil under a single item code (7-Alu-500mm-KG-001). Look at how lot tracking rolls both batches into one on-hand quantity:
| Item Code & Lot Number | Supplier Origin | Weight (KG) | Batch Value (SAR) |
|---|---|---|---|
7-Alu-500mm-KG-001 (Batch 1) |
Supplier 1 (May GRN) | 250 kg (SAR 26/kg) | 6,500.00 |
7-Alu-500mm-KG-001 (Batch 2) |
Supplier 2 (June GRN) | 255 kg (SAR 28/kg) | 7,140.00 |
| Total On-Hand Stock (Weighted Average: SAR 27.01/kg) | 505 kg | SAR 13,640.00 | |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Because 7-micron foil tears easily and costs SAR 27+ per kg, weak receiving or lot tracking causes immediate losses:
- Web breaks from dented edges: Unloading foil without a QC gate check lets nicked roll edges snap repeatedly on the laminator.
- Lost supplier claims: Mixing Supplier 1 and Supplier 2 rolls without batch tracking makes it impossible to prove which vendor sent brittle foil.
In Odoo
Keep one unique item code per specification (7-Alu-500mm-KG-001) in Odoo Inventory while tracking each supplier delivery by lot/batch. Enforce FIFO lot picking in the warehouse while valuing stock at Weighted Average cost in SAR.
Common mistake: Creating a new item code for every supplier delivery, which splits your 505 kg of identical 500 mm foil across multiple disconnected stock records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t Aluminum Foil be used as the inner pouch layer touching the food?
Bare metal foil cannot melt together to form a heat seal, so it must always be laminated to an inner Polyethylene (PE) sealing layer.
PE Film (Polyethylene)
Definition
Polyethylene (PE) is a tough, food-grade plastic film laminated to the inside of a flexible pouch to form the heat-sealing layer. Ranging from 80 to 120+ microns thick, the PE layer makes up more than half of a pouch’s total weight and cost.
Example
A coffee roaster in Riyadh upgrades a 30,000-square-meter Flat Bottom Pouch order from a 100-micron PE inner layer to a 120-micron PE layer (density: 0.92 g/cm³):
Standard 100-PE-[Width]-KG
Weight per m²: 92.0 GSM.
Requires 2,760 kg at SAR 9.50/kg.
PE Cost: SAR 26,220.
Heavy-Duty 120-PE-[Width]-KG
Weight per m²: 110.4 GSM (+552 kg film).
Requires 3,312 kg at SAR 9.50/kg.
PE Cost: SAR 31,464 (+SAR 5,244).
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Guessing PE weight or copying old quote prices on repeat orders wipes out your margin:
- Underpriced repeat orders: Because PE is the heaviest layer, a SAR 1.50/kg market rise in PE resin costs you SAR 4,968 on a 3,312 kg reorder if costing is not re-run.
- Split side seams in transit: Using a thin PE layer on heavy 1 kg bags causes bottom seals to burst when cartons drop.
In Odoo
Lock the Weight field on the Opportunity Requirement Summary tab as a system-derived value calculated from the chosen layers. When a sales rep duplicates a previous Requirement Form for a repeat order, force the Quoting Engine to re-run costing against current PE prices.
Common mistake: Allowing sales reps to type bag weight manually on the Requirement Form instead of calculating it from micron layers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is PE always placed on the inside of the pouch while PET is on the outside?
PE melts at a low temperature (120°C to 140°C) to fuse the bag shut, while outer PET stays solid against the hot sealing jaws.
Laminating Adhesive (NCO / OH)
Definition
Laminating adhesive is a two-component polyurethane bonding agent made by mixing an Isocyanate hardener (NCO) with a Polyol resin (OH) to glue packaging films together. Once cured, it bonds the printed outer layer, barrier middle layer, and inner sealing film into one inseparable web.
Example
Your Jeddah plant builds the Lamination BOM (00002-000002-02) for 1,000 parts of laminated roll stock:
Two-Part Adhesive BOM Formula (Per 1,000 Parts / 1 Lamination Pass):
Line 3: 03-000011 Adhesive (NCO Hardener) = 35 kg × SAR 18/kg = SAR 630.
Line 4: 04-000015 Adhesive (OH Resin) = 20 kg × SAR 18/kg = SAR 360.
Total Glue per Pass: 55 kg (SAR 990 for 2-Ply; SAR 1,980 for 3-Ply 2-Pass Job).
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Getting the NCO/OH mix ratio wrong or pricing glue as a single-pass constant hurts quality and margins:
- Uncured, tacky laminates: Mixing the wrong ratio of NCO to OH stops the glue from curing, causing pouches to peel apart.
- Durability vs. eco-alternatives: As B&B Press notes, printers must balance environmental goals with durability because weak adhesives fail quality standards.
In Odoo
Track NCO (03-000011) and OH (04-000015) as separate items under the “Adhesives” category in Inventory. Define Lamination BOMs on a 1,000-unit batch basis so planners enter clean numbers (35 kg and 20 kg) instead of tiny decimals.
Common mistake: Combining NCO and OH into one generic “Adhesive” item code, which prevents warehouse staff from spotting when hardener drums run out before resin drums.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t a laminated roll go straight from the laminator to the slitting machine?
Two-part NCO/OH adhesive requires 24 to 48 hours of curing time to cross-link and harden before slitting blades cut the web.
Process Colours (CMYK Ink)
Definition
Process colours are the four standard transparent printing inks, Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y), and Black (K), used in four-color process printing. By printing tiny overlapping halftone dots of these four inks, your press reproduces full-color photographs on packaging film.
Example
A Riyadh frozen food brand orders a 1,000-part print batch (`00002-000002-01`) with a full-color meal photo on the front panel. Your Planner assigns four CMYK ink codes on the Printing BOM:
Cyan (C)
11-000101: 4 kg (SAR 88).
Magenta (M)
11-000102: 4 kg (SAR 88).
Yellow (Y)
11-000103: 4 kg (SAR 88).
Black (K)
11-000104: 4 kg (SAR 88).
Together, the 16 kg of CMYK process inks cost SAR 352 and require 4 engraved cylinders (SAR 6,000).
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Misusing CMYK process colours where spot inks belong causes quality complaints on the press:
- Shifting brand colors: Printing a solid corporate logo with CMYK halftone dots instead of a premixed Pantone spot ink causes visible shade swings across the reel.
- Blurry fine text: Building small ingredient text out of 4-color CMYK instead of single-channel Black (K) makes the text unreadable if registration drifts by 0.2 mm.
In Odoo
Maintain Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black as distinct item codes under “Inks in Kgs” (Category 2) in Odoo Inventory. Link each CMYK ink code and its matching cylinder code to your Printing BOM (-01) on a 1,000-unit batch basis.
Common mistake: Entering one combined “Printing Ink” line on the BOM instead of tracking each ink station (`11-000101` to `11-000104`) separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Black called “K” in CMYK instead of “B”?
In printing, “K” stands for “Key” because the black key plate holds the fine detail and registration targets that align the other colors.
Metallic Ink
Definition
Metallic ink is a specialty spot ink formulated with finely ground metal flakes (such as bronze, aluminum, or copper) that reflect light to create a shiny gold or silver finish. It lets your press print metallic brand accents inline without needing a separate hot-stamping machine pass.
Example
A Saudi dates brand wants a shiny gold crest on 50,000 pouches. Compare printing that crest inline with Gold Metallic Ink (`11-000107`) versus offline Hot Foil Stamping:
Option 1: Inline Gold Metallic Ink
Uses 6 kg metallic ink at SAR 45/kg (SAR 270) + 1 cylinder (SAR 1,500).
Prints at 200 m/min in the same pass as the CMYK colors.
Total Gold Accent Cost: SAR 1,770.
Option 2: Offline Hot Foil Stamping
Requires brass stamping dies, foil reels, and a slow secondary machine pass.
Triggers a mandatory manual technical review before quoting.
Total Gold Stamping Cost: SAR 5,400+.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Because metallic inks contain solid metal flakes, pricing or running them like standard CMYK ink causes two problems:
- Double the ink price per kg: Gold and silver metallic pigments cost roughly twice as much per kilogram as standard process inks.
- Faster cylinder wear: Abrasive metal particles wear down cylinder chrome faster than standard organic pigments.
In Odoo
Code Metallic Inks separately in Odoo Inventory so the Quoting Engine pulls their higher per-kilogram cost automatically. If a customer requests offline hot stamping instead of metallic ink, route the Requirement Form through the manual Technical Review gate.
Common mistake: Pricing a metallic gold ink station at standard CMYK ink rates, which under-bills ink cost by 50% on heavy gold backgrounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you create a metallic gold look without buying expensive metallic ink?
When laminating with shiny MPET or Aluminum Foil, you can print transparent yellow ink directly over unbacked silver metal (knocking out the white ink layer) so the metal shines through as gold.
Soft Touch Varnish
Definition
Soft Touch varnish is a specialty tactile coating applied to the outer surface of a package to create a velvety, suede-like feel and a low-glare matte appearance. Premium coffee, nut, and cosmetics brands use it to make their pouches feel luxurious in the shopper’s hand.
Example
A specialty coffee roaster in Riyadh upgrades 50,000 Flat Bottom Pouches by adding an outer Soft Touch Varnish finish:
Soft Touch Varnish Consumed: 18 kg at SAR 38.00/kg = SAR 684 (only SAR 0.0137 per pouch).
Perceived Value Upgrade: Allows your sales rep to close the order at the top end of the 35% to 50% margin range.
Commercial Outcome: +SAR 3,500 in extra gross profit for a SAR 684 coating cost.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Applying Soft Touch varnish on the wrong side of the film or with poor curing ruins the tactile effect:
- Must be surface-applied: Unlike reverse-printed CMYK inks trapped inside the laminate, Soft Touch varnish must sit on the outer face of the pouch so buyers can feel it.
- Scuff marks on dark bags: Poorly cured Soft Touch coatings show white scratch lines if cartons rub together in transit.
In Odoo
Track Soft Touch Varnish under the “Varnish” raw material category (Category 3) in Odoo Inventory. On the Requirement Form, include Soft Touch in the multi-select Print & Finish dropdown so it flows onto the Opportunity Summary tab and Quoting Engine.
Common mistake: Pricing Soft Touch Varnish at the same kilogram rate as standard gloss varnish, when Soft Touch resin costs nearly double per kilogram.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Matte Varnish and Soft Touch Varnish?
Matte varnish removes shine visually, while Soft Touch varnish removes shine and adds a velvety, rubberized texture you can feel with your fingers.
Spot Varnish (Spot Gloss)
Definition
Spot varnish (or Spot Gloss) is a high-gloss clear coating applied selectively to targeted areas of a package, such as a brand logo or product photo. Combined with a Matte or Soft Touch background, it creates striking visual and tactile contrast.
Example
A Jeddah gourmet nut brand orders 50,000 pouches with a dual finish: **Soft Touch + Spot Gloss** selected simultaneously on the Requirement Form:
| Dual-Finish Cost Item | Quantity Required | Cost (SAR) |
|---|---|---|
| Base Coat: Soft Touch Varnish | 18 kg (at SAR 38.00/kg) | 684 |
| Highlight Coat: Spot Gloss Varnish | 5 kg (at SAR 32.00/kg) | 160 |
| Dedicated Spot Gloss Cylinder | 1 Engraved Cylinder | 1,500 |
| Total Dual-Finish & Tooling Cost | SAR 2,344 | |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Unlike an all-over flood coat, Spot Varnish requires exact plate engraving and registration:
- Unbilled SAR 1,500 cylinder: If your form only allows one finish selection, reps cannot log Spot Gloss alongside Soft Touch, leaving SAR 1,660 unbilled.
- Misregistered gloss halo: If the Spot Gloss cylinder shifts out of register by 1 mm, shiny varnish prints half on the logo and half on the matte background.
In Odoo
Configure the Print & Finish field on the Requirement Form as a multi-select dropdown so salespeople can select Soft Touch and Spot Gloss together. This ensures the Quoting Engine automatically adds both coatings and the extra spot cylinder.
Common mistake: Using a single-choice dropdown for Print & Finish, forcing reps to type “plus Spot Gloss” in text notes where the calculator ignores it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you also create a Spot Matte effect without a Spot Varnish cylinder?
Yes, you can apply a patterned matte varnish cylinder over naturally glossy PET or BOPP film, leaving the unvarnished logo shiny.
Solvent
Definition
Printing solvent is a volatile liquid mixed into inks, varnishes, and adhesives to dilute them to the exact viscosity (flow thickness) needed for high-speed application. Operators blend Standard Solvent with Fast Dry accelerators and Slow Dry retarders to match press speed and room temperature.
Example
On a 100,000-meter print run (`00002-000002-01` at 200 m/min), look at the three solvent lines your Planner includes on the Printing BOM:
| Solvent BOM Code | Pressroom Role | Qty & Cost (SAR) |
|---|---|---|
12-000101 Solvent-1 |
Main dilution carrier for ink viscosity. | 60 kg × SAR 7.50 = SAR 450 |
13-000101 Slow Dry-1 |
Stops ink drying inside cylinder cells on hot shifts. | 15 kg × SAR 9.00 = SAR 135 |
14-000101 Fast Dry-1 |
Speeds evaporation at 200 m/min to prevent smudging. | 25 kg × SAR 8.00 = SAR 200 |
| Total Solvent Consumed on Print Run | 100 kg = SAR 785 | |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Leaving solvents off the BOM or mixing the wrong Fast/Slow ratio damages both margins and print quality:
- Unbilled SAR 785 per batch: Treating solvents as general overhead instead of a BOM line item hides SAR 785+ of direct material cost per job.
- Odor taint or blocked cells: Too much Slow Dry leaves chemical odors in food bags, while too much Fast Dry plugs cylinder cells.
In Odoo
Create separate codes for Standard Solvent (12-000101), Slow Dry (13-000101), and Fast Dry (14-000101) under Category 5 (Solvents) in Odoo Inventory. Set their issuance method on the RM Code Creation page and include all three on your Printing BOM (-01).
Common mistake: Omitting solvents from the Printing BOM because 100% of the liquid evaporates in the dryer tunnel.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do press operators measure whether an ink needs more solvent during a run?
Operators dip a calibrated efflux cup (such as a Zahn cup) into the ink pan and time how many seconds it takes the ink stream to drain.
Normal Zipper (Press-to-Close Zipper)
Definition
A Normal Zipper (or press-to-close zipper) is a two-sided interlocking plastic track heat-sealed across the inner top mouth of a Stand-Up or 3-Side Seal Pouch. Buyers tear off the top header strip above the zipper and press the tracks together to reseal the bag.
Example
A Riyadh spice brand orders 100,000 Stand-Up Pouches fitted with a Normal Zipper. Look at how bag width directly drives your zipper requirement in linear meters (m):
1. 150 mm Wide Pouch (100,000 bags + 5% waste): Consumes 15,750 meters at SAR 0.14/m = SAR 2,205.
2. 250 mm Wide Pouch (100,000 bags + 5% waste): Consumes 26,250 meters at SAR 0.14/m = SAR 3,675.
Costing Rule: Calculating zipper meters from the bag Width field captures the extra SAR 1,470 on wider bags.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Tracking zippers in the wrong unit of measure or charging a flat per-bag fee hurts inventory and margins:
- Stock count mismatch: Purchasing zipper spools by the roll while consuming them on the BOM in meters without a fixed conversion ratio breaks warehouse stock counts.
- Under-quoted wide pouches: A 250 mm wide pouch consumes 66% more zipper than a 150 mm pouch.
In Odoo
Store Normal Zippers strictly in linear meters (m) under Category 6 (Accessories) in Odoo Inventory. Link the Quoting Engine to the independent Width (mm) field on the Requirement Form so zipper meters scale automatically with pouch width.
Common mistake: Forgetting to select a Tear Notch alongside a Normal Zipper on the multi-select Finishing Features field, leaving the buyer no easy way to tear open the top header.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the customer fill a pouch that already has a Normal Zipper sealed inside?
Your pouching machine leaves the very top lip of the bag unsealed above the open zipper so the customer can fill the product from the top and heat-seal the top edge shut.
Tear Zipper (Pocket Zipper)
Definition
A Tear Zipper (also called a pocket zipper or pull-tab zipper) is a front-opening resealable track sealed onto the front panel of a Flat Bottom or Quad Seal bag. Consumers pull a laser-scored tear strip across the front face to expose the zipper while leaving the top and side gussets intact.
Example
A specialty coffee brand in Jeddah orders 100,000 Flat Bottom Pouches (200 mm front width, requiring 21,000 meters of zipper with 5% waste). Look at why they choose a Tear Zipper over a Normal Zipper:
Normal Top Zipper on a Gusseted Bag
21,000 m at SAR 0.14/m = SAR 2,940.
Problem: Normal top tracks cannot seal across folded side gussets on a Flat Bottom bag.
Front Tear (Pocket) Zipper
21,000 m at SAR 0.22/m = SAR 4,620 (+SAR 1,680).
Solution: Seals cleanly onto the flat 200 mm front panel without touching the side gussets.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Mixing up Normal Zippers and Tear Zippers during quoting or artwork preparation causes two costly errors:
- Unbilled SAR 1,680 cost difference: Tear Zippers cost roughly 50% more per meter than standard Normal Zippers.
- Logo sliced by pull-tab strip: Because a Tear Zipper sits 35 mm down the front face of the bag, any logo placed too high gets ripped in half when the buyer pulls the tab.
In Odoo
Maintain Normal Zipper (m) and Tear Zipper (m) as two separate item codes under Category 6 (Accessories) in Odoo Inventory. This ensures your Quoting Engine and Pouching BOM pull the exact price and spool type for Flat Bottom bags.
Common mistake: Having a single generic “Zipper” option on the Requirement Form without distinguishing Normal Zipper from Tear Zipper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a Tear Zipper also makes filling easier for coffee roasters?
Because the Tear Zipper is sealed flat against the front wall only, the entire top mouth of the bag stays wide open for fast bean filling before top sealing.
Degassing Valve
Definition
A degassing valve is a small one-way air-release vent heat-sealed inside a coffee pouch to let carbon dioxide gas escape from roasted beans without letting oxygen enter. Packaging plants track valves in pieces (pcs) by structure (C-Valve or S-Valve) and by grade (Swiss vs. Chinese).
Example
A specialty coffee roaster in Riyadh requests a quote for 50,000 Flat Bottom Pouches with a one-way degassing valve (52,500 pieces needed including 5% wastage). Compare the two valve grades:
| Valve Origin Grade | Qty Needed (With 5% Waste) | Unit Cost | Total Valve Cost (SAR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Valve (C-Type / S-Type) | 52,500 pcs | SAR 0.12 / pc | 6,300 |
| Swiss Valve (Premium Grade) | 52,500 pcs | SAR 0.38 / pc | 19,950 |
| Cost Gap on a 50,000-Pouch Order | +SAR 13,650 | ||
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Failing to capture valve grade on day one is one of the fastest ways to lose money on coffee bags:
- A SAR 13,650 margin hit: Quoting a job with Chinese valve pricing when the buyer demands Swiss valves at production wipes out your profit.
- Burst or stale coffee bags: A clogged valve makes bags swell and pop on shelves, while a leaky valve lets oxygen ruin the coffee aroma.
In Odoo
Track C-Valves and S-Valves in pieces (pcs) under Category 6 (Accessories) in Odoo Inventory, and assign Valving to process code -05 in manufacturing. Whenever a valve is selected on the Requirement Form, require the salesperson to specify Swiss or Chinese before pricing can run.
Common mistake: Using a simple “Valve: Yes/No” checkbox on the enquiry form, leaving costing and purchasing guessing which valve grade was promised.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does freshly roasted coffee need a valve when tea and nuts do not?
Roasted coffee beans release carbon dioxide gas for weeks after roasting; without a one-way valve to vent that gas, the sealed pouch inflates like a balloon.
Core
Definition
A core is the rigid cardboard or plastic cylinder at the center of a finished film reel (Roll Stock) that slides onto the unwind shaft of your customer’s form-fill-seal packing machine. It is specified by its Inner Diameter (Core ID, typically 76 mm or 152 mm), wall thickness, and material type.
Example
A high-speed snack factory in Dammam orders 1,000 kg of finished Roll Stock (`00002-000002-00`) slitted into 100 individual reels (10 kg per reel). Selecting “Roll” on the Requirement Form captures four critical core and reel dimensions:
1. Core ID: 76 mm (3 Inch)
Matches the pneumatic spindle shaft on the buyer’s vertical filling machine.
2. Core Thickness & Type
10 mm heavy-duty spiral paper core (08-00001: 100 nos = SAR 350).
3. Final Roll OD: 350 mm
Ensures the outer diameter of the wound reel fits inside the machine’s unwind frame.
4. Winding Direction
Specifies eye-mark and print orientation so bags do not feed upside down.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Guessing core size at the slitter brings your customer’s entire packing plant to a standstill:
- Rejected truckloads on arrival: Winding 100 reels onto 152 mm (6-inch) cores when the buyer’s machine shaft only takes 76 mm (3-inch) cores forces you to haul the shipment back and rewind every roll.
- Unbilled core costs: Leaving cores off the Slitting BOM hides SAR 350 per 1,000 kg of Roll Stock.
In Odoo
Track Cores (08-00001) under Category 7 (Cores) in Odoo Inventory and attach them to Line 2 of your final Slitting BOM (00002-000002-00). Selecting Roll as the FG Type on the Requirement Form dynamically reveals all required core and reel fields (Core ID, Core Thickness, Core Type, Final Roll OD, Roll Weight, Roll Meters, and Winding Direction).
Common mistake: Using a bag-only Requirement Form that lacks Roll and Core fields, forcing salespeople to text core dimensions over WhatsApp where production can miss them.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do customers ask for plastic cores instead of cardboard cores?
Pharmaceutical and cleanroom food plants often request plastic cores so zero cardboard dust enters their sterile filling rooms.
Core Plug
Definition
A core plug is a heavy-duty molded plastic or wood cap inserted into both open ends of a film roll’s core before palletizing. It reinforces the hollow center tube so heavy stacked reels do not flatten or collapse during truck and sea freight.
Example
Your plant ships 100 reels of laminated Roll Stock (SAR 16,600 batch value) on pallets from Riyadh to Jeddah. Compare shipping those reels with and without SAR 150 of Core Plugs:
Without Core Plugs (SAR 0)
Bottom pallet reels carry 600 kg of stacked weight during a 950 km truck ride.
Damage: 12 cardboard cores crush into ovals (SAR 1,992 of reels unmountable).
With 200 Core Plugs (SAR 150)
Two plugs hammered into each of the 100 reels (200 pcs at SAR 0.75 each).
Protected: Zero crushed cores; all 100 reels mount smoothly on arrival.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Treating core plugs as an untracked floor supply leads to sudden stockouts at the slitting line:
- Transit damage claims: Fifteen days after delivery, when your sales rep runs the mandatory quality check-in call, crushed cores are the #1 transit complaint on Roll Stock.
- Always consumed in pairs: Every reel requires exactly 2 core plugs matching the core’s inner diameter (76 mm or 152 mm).
In Odoo
Maintain Coreplug as its own dedicated raw material category (Category 8) in Odoo Inventory, separate from Cores (Category 7). Include core plugs on the Slitting BOM (-00) at a 2:1 ratio against cores whenever required by the shipping method.
Common mistake: Stocking 76 mm cores while running out of 76 mm core plugs because plugs were not linked to the Slitting BOM.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do core plugs also help when hanging heavy reels inside shipping cartons?
Yes, flanged core plugs allow heavy film reels to be suspended inside packing boxes (09-00001) so the outer film surface never touches the cardboard box wall.
Pre-Press, Artwork & Tooling
GDN (Graphic Design Number)
Definition
A Graphic Design Number (GDN) is the unique master ID assigned to a single package artwork design. It links your customer’s approved design files and bag specifications into one permanent record for future reorders.
Example
Suppose a Saudi coffee roaster (01-00001) orders a new Flat Bottom Pouch. Your sales rep generates GDN 01-00001-FB-00001 at the quotation stage. Look at what each segment means:
Prefix 01
Domestic Client Flag (02 for Export).
ID 00001
Five-Digit Customer Serial Number.
Type FB
Format Code (Flat Bottom Pouch).
Serial 00001
Sequential Design Number.
Six months later, the roaster reorders 50,000 bags worth SAR 42,000. Your team reuses GDN 01-00001-FB-00001 so nobody has to hunt for the approved files.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Running an artwork studio without a strict GDN system creates costly mix-ups across departments:
- Outdated files printed on press: Leaving old file versions active lets operators print the wrong barcode and scrap SAR 15,000+ of film.
- Flavour mix-ups on multi-SKU quotes: One enquiry often holds four or five flavours. Every flavour needs its own GDN so plates do not get mixed up.
- Accidental edits by other teams: Open file permissions allow staff outside the Design team to overwrite approved specifications.
In Odoo
Odoo generates a dedicated GDN page from the Quotation screen using product codes like SUP, FB, or RS. Creating a new document version automatically disables the previous version so only one file stays active. Other departments view GDN files in read-only mode, while only the Design team can edit them.
Common mistake: Storing order quantities on the GDN page. In our packaging ERP projects, we keep Quantity and UoM on the Job Code page so the GDN stays reusable across reorders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you generate a new GDN if a customer changes a small dimension?
No, you keep the same GDN number and record the change in the Remarks tab. New GDN numbers are only created when the customer introduces a brand-new artwork design.
Basic Design File
Definition
A Basic Design File (or Raw File) is the initial artwork concept or rough brand file supplied by a buyer during an enquiry. Your team uses it to see the visual concept and estimate ink coverage before preparing production files.
Example
A dates factory in Al-Ahsa sends your sales rep a rough PDF concept on WhatsApp for 30,000 Stand-Up Pouches. Uploading that Basic Design File to the Requirement Form reveals three cost drivers right away:
Visual Coverage Check: Heavy solid green background requires 100% ink coverage plus white backing ink (SAR 1,100 in ink).
Cylinder Count Estimate: Four CMYK colors plus two spot shades require 6 cylinders at SAR 1,500 each (SAR 9,000).
Studio Effort Estimate: File lacks a dieline, so the buyer needs complimentary pre-press formatting after paying the deposit.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Mishandling the customer’s initial concept file creates two problems during quoting and pre-press:
- Lost leads from rigid forms: Making file uploads mandatory at the enquiry stage blocks sales reps when a buyer has no artwork yet.
- Sending raw files to the plate maker: Customer concept files lack bleed, eye-marks, and seal clearances, so they cannot be engraved directly.
In Odoo
Configure the Requirement Form in CRM with a non-mandatory upload field for the Basic Design File. Once the quote moves to a GDN, that file sits in the Raw File document slot for your designer to reference.
Common mistake: Blocking salespeople from submitting a Requirement Form when the customer does not have a Basic Design File ready yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if a new customer has no Basic Design File at all?
Your sales rep submits the Requirement Form without a file. Once Finance confirms the 50% advance payment, your Artwork team designs the package from scratch.
Artwork (AW)
Definition
An Artwork (AW) File is the finalized, print-ready production design prepared by your pre-press studio. It places all graphics onto the exact bag dieline with proper seal margins, barcodes, and color layers.
Example
A Riyadh nut brand approves a quote and pays their deposit. Your designer converts their rough concept into an approved AW File before contacting the plate maker:
Before: Buyer’s Rough File
1. RGB screen colors with unflattened shadows.
2. Nutrition text sits right over the zipper track.
Result: Unprintable on flexible packaging machines.
After: Approved AW File
1. Mapped to 200 × 300 × 90 mm pouch dieline.
2. White backing layer and zipper clearance locked.
Result: Cleared by Production for plate making.
Standard AW File preparation is complimentary, while extensive custom branding carries an optional fixed fee on the quote.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Skipping internal Production sign-off on the AW File leads to costly pre-press delays:
- Melted logos in seal zones: Sending unverified AW Files to the plate maker leaves graphics inside heat-seal seams.
- Delayed open orders: Leaving artwork tasks idle in the studio delays cylinder engraving. Setting an automatic 48-hour alert on open order tasks keeps files moving.
In Odoo
Your designer logs timesheets in the Project module, uploads the AW File, and clicks Next to alert Production. Production reviews the file using the Approve / Review buttons with a mandatory log note before it goes to the plate maker.
Common mistake: Emailing proofs to the buyer without copying Sales. In our projects, we require the Artwork team to copy Sales on all customer messages so reps stay informed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who approves the AW File first: the customer or your Production team?
Production always reviews the AW File first to confirm machine feasibility, then the plate maker prepares the proof, and the customer signs off last.
Advance Payment Lock
Definition
An Advance Payment Lock is a hard system control that blocks artwork and production teams from starting work on an order. It unlocks only after Finance confirms the customer’s 50% advance deposit.
Example
A new beverage buyer in Riyadh approves a SAR 60,000 quotation, then cancels three weeks later. Compare your financial exposure with and without the Advance Payment Lock:
Without Payment Lock
Studio spends 18 hours building custom artwork (SAR 1,800).
Vendor bills SAR 650 for color separation and proofs.
Loss: SAR 2,450 sunk on a canceled order.
With 50% Advance Payment Lock
Sales creates a draft invoice for SAR 30,000 (50% advance).
Pre-press tasks stay locked until Finance posts the bank receipt.
Protected: SAR 30,000 collected before work starts.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Starting artwork on verbal payment promises hurts your studio and cash flow:
- Free designs for competitors: Sharing new design files before deposit confirmation lets prospects take your studio’s artwork to a cheaper printer.
- Unpaid studio backlog: Designers waste time on unconfirmed prospects while paying customers wait.
In Odoo
Confirming a quotation generates a draft invoice in Accounting and an internal-only Sales Order. Odoo locks the linked Project tasks until Finance confirms that the 50% advance payment has been received.
Common mistake: Sending the Odoo Sales Order PDF to the buyer, or letting sales reps bypass Finance to unlock artwork tasks early.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Sales Order kept internal-only in this workflow?
Your buyer already signs the commercial Quotation and pays against the invoice. Keeping the Sales Order internal prevents duplicate customer paperwork.
Production Layout
Definition
A Production Layout (also called imposition) is the technical diagram showing how a package design will run across the width of a printing machine. It defines the unfolded web width, lane count (“ups”), and required raw film roll width.
Example
A Riyadh snack brand orders a Stand-Up Pouch measuring 220 mm Long, 150 mm Wide, with an 80 mm Gusset. Your planner calculates the Production Layout web width against your press’s 1,020 mm maximum width limit:
Unfolded Bag Web Width Formula:
Formula: Length (220 mm) + Gusset (80 mm) + Length (220 mm) + Trim (20 mm) = 540 mm.
One-Lane Layout (1-Up): 540 mm fits a 590 mm stock roll (Feasible).
Two-Lane Layout (2-Up): 1,060 mm exceeds the 1,020 mm press limit (Rejected).
Running 1-Up on a 590 mm roll avoids ordering custom film while staying safely inside the machine width limit.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Poor Production Layout planning hurts both quoting speed and film waste:
- Accepting jobs wider than the press: Any bag where
Length + Gusset + Length + 20 mmexceeds your press web width limit (1,020 mm or 1,050 mm) cannot run on your machines. - Slowing down first artwork sign-off: Waiting for multi-up machine layouts before showing the buyer a single-bag proof delays approval by days.
In Odoo
Odoo checks bag dimensions automatically on the Requirement Form and places out-of-range sizes into a Waiting stage. In our packaging workflow, the Planning team provides the Production Layout and material sizes in a separate step after the first artwork approval.
Common mistake: Immediately deleting enquiries that fail the automated width check instead of holding them in “Waiting” so the Sales Manager can revise the size with the buyer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if the exact film width for a Production Layout is out of stock?
Odoo automatically calculates costing using the next wider film roll in stock, such as pricing a 638 mm layout against a 660 mm roll.
Repeat Length
Definition
Repeat length (or cutoff length) is the exact distance along the film web from the start of one printed impression to the next. Multiplied by the number of repeats around the cylinder, it must match your press sleeve circumference.
Example
Your press accepts cylinder sleeves with circumferences from 315 mm to 625 mm. Using standard repeat formulas (Width + 6 mm for regular bags, or Width + 8 mm for Flat Bottom bags), compare two orders:
Stand-Up Pouch (180 mm Width)
Single Repeat: 180 mm + 6 mm = 186 mm.
Stepped 2-around to clear the 315 mm minimum sleeve size.
Cylinder Circumference: 372 mm (Feasible).
Flat Bottom Bag (160 mm Width)
Single Repeat: 160 mm + 8 mm = 168 mm.
Stepped 3-around the cylinder (168 mm × 3).
Cylinder Circumference: 504 mm (Feasible).
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Miscalculating repeat length causes expensive tooling and pouching failures:
- Cylinders that cannot fit the press: Ordering a cylinder outside the 315 mm to 625 mm circumference range wastes SAR 9,000+ in unusable metal tooling.
- Crushed seals on Flat Bottom bags: Using
+ 6 mminstead of+ 8 mmon Flat Bottom bags leaves too little knife clearance during pouching.
In Odoo
The Requirement Form captures Width, Length, and Gusset in separate fields (or Cutoff Length for Roll Stock) so Odoo can validate the 315 mm to 625 mm sleeve rule automatically.
Common mistake: Typing dimensions into one combined text field, which prevents Odoo from running the repeat length formula.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Repeat Length called when a customer orders Roll Stock instead of bags?
On Roll Stock orders, repeat length is recorded in the Cutoff Length (mm) field on the Requirement Form.
Colour Separation
Definition
Colour separation is the pre-press process of splitting a full-color design into separate single-color files for each press station. It translates RGB screen artwork into printable CMYK process channels and dedicated spot color plates.
Example
A Jeddah date brand sends an RGB artwork file for a clear PET pouch. Your plate maker separates that design into 8 individual color files:
| Separated File | Print Function | Cylinder Cost (SAR) |
|---|---|---|
| Files 1 to 4 (CMYK) | Full-color product photography. | 6,000 (4 × 1,500) |
| Channel 5 (Pantone Green) | Solid brand background color. | 1,500 |
| Layer 6 (Metallic Gold) | Shiny gold logo border. | 1,500 |
| Plate 7 (White Backing) | Opaque base layer behind all colors. | 1,500 |
| Coating 8 (Matte Varnish) | Protective outer matte finish. | 1,500 |
| Total Cylinder Tooling Required | SAR 12,000 (8 Cylinders) | |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Underestimating separated color channels hurts your tooling budget:
- Unbilled white and varnish cylinders: Forgetting to count the white backing and varnish separations leaves SAR 3,000 of cylinder costs out of your quote.
- Transparency printing flaws: B&B Press warns that unflattened transparency layers cause hard-edged boxes when separated into CMYK.
In Odoo
When the third-party plate maker returns the Color Separation File and Cromalin proof, your designer uploads both to the Project task. Both the AW team and Production must click Approve before the files go to the customer.
Common mistake: Quoting a multi-color job without a manual technical review by Production and Planning to confirm the exact cylinder count.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t your press print directly from an RGB computer file?
Computer monitors mix Red, Green, and Blue light, whereas printing presses lay down physical Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, and Spot inks.
Spot Colour (Pantone)
Definition
A Spot Colour is a premixed ink formulated to print one exact shade, usually matched to the universal Pantone Colour system. Unlike CMYK process printing, it lays down a solid, dot-free coat of brand color from its own dedicated cylinder.
Example
A Saudi dairy brand orders 100,000 pouches featuring their trademark royal blue background. Compare printing that blue with CMYK dots versus a dedicated Pantone Spot Colour on a 500 kg run:
Option 1: 4-Colour CMYK Build
Uses overlapping Cyan and Magenta halftone dots.
Risk: Slight press vibration shifts the shade from blue to purple.
Option 2: Premixed Pantone 286 C
Adds 1 dedicated cylinder (SAR 1,500) + 12 kg spot ink (SAR 300).
Result: Identical solid blue across every pouch for SAR 1,800.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Missing the buyer’s exact color reference on day one creates costly pressroom delays:
- Extended shade-matching downtime: Without knowing if the buyer wants a Pantone book match or a physical bag match, operators lose 45+ minutes remixing ink on the press.
- Rejected brand colors: B&B Press emphasizes that Pantone serves as a universal color language to keep branding consistent across every print run.
In Odoo
On the Requirement Form, selecting “Yes” in the Colour Reference field opens a mandatory dropdown to specify either a PANTONE reference or a Physical Sample. Later, the Production Order page tracks exact shade matching timing in minutes.
Common mistake: Recording “match customer blue” in text notes without logging whether the pressroom should match a Pantone code or a physical pouch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a single pouch design use both CMYK Process Colours and Pantone Spot Colours?
Yes, most 7-color and 8-color packaging jobs use 4 CMYK stations for photos alongside 2 or 3 Pantone spot stations for solid brand colors.
Cromalin
Definition
A Cromalin is a high-quality digital or physical color proof, often an Epson print, produced by your plate maker before engraving cylinders. It shows the exact separated colors and copy for final customer approval.
Example
A Dammam spice brand orders a 7-color pouch. Suppose the Arabic weight text has a typo and the red shade is too dark. Compare catching that error on the Cromalin versus on the press:
| Cost Item | Caught on Cromalin | Caught on Press |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Press Proof Revision | SAR 450 | SAR 450 |
| Re-Engraving 2 Cylinders | SAR 0 | SAR 3,000 |
| Wasted Press Setup & Film | SAR 0 | SAR 1,750 |
| Total Rework Cost | SAR 450 | SAR 5,200 |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Engraving cylinders without a signed Cromalin proof exposes your factory to heavy losses:
- Unpaid cylinder remakes: Without signed proof evidence uploaded to the job record, buyers can reject a printed batch over a typo and refuse to pay.
- Vendor lead-time blind spots: Tracking when the Cromalin arrives keeps external plate makers accountable to schedule.
In Odoo
Odoo tracks Cromalin Received as a discrete milestone in the Project module. Your designer uploads the customer’s signed approval evidence (PDF, email, or WhatsApp screenshot) to the task before ordering plates.
Common mistake: Sending the plate maker’s Cromalin straight to the customer before your own AW and Production teams inspect it internally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is an Epson inkjet proof still called a Cromalin in packaging plants?
Cromalin was the original chemical color-proofing brand used for decades. Today, packaging teams use the word for any calibrated contract color proof.
Bleed
Definition
Bleed is the extra 2 mm to 3 mm of background ink or artwork extended past the final cut line of a package. It ensures no unprinted film edges appear if the web shifts slightly during slitting or pouching.
Example
A Riyadh coffee brand orders 50,000 matte-black pouches (200 mm finished width) valued at SAR 45,000. Your designer adds a 3 mm bleed on both sides:
Printed Width with Bleed: 206 mm (3 mm extra black ink on left and right edges).
Final Cut Pouch Width: 200 mm.
Even if the film web wanders by 1.5 mm at high speed, the knife still cuts through solid black ink.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
As B&B Press notes, failing to account for bleed at the design stage ruins the finished edge:
- Silver or white hairline flashes: Without bleed, a 1 mm web shift exposes raw silver MPET or white PE along the edge of dark bags.
- Customer quality rejections: Retail brands reject pouches when unprinted border lines ruin shelf appearance.
In Odoo
Your designer adds bleed in Illustrator before uploading the AW File to the Odoo Project task. During the Production Approval stage, your production supervisor checks that proper bleed exists on all edges.
Common mistake: Accepting a customer’s PDF artwork that stops right at the cut line without extending the background 3 mm outward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should text or barcodes ever be placed inside the bleed area?
Never. Only background colors and background patterns belong in the bleed zone because that area gets cut away.
Trim
Definition
Trim is the exact cut line where slitting blades and pouching knives slice printed film to produce the finished package size. It also refers to the outer 20 mm waste strip of film shaved off the master roll edges.
Example
A Jeddah snack order requires a 638 mm finished web width (including the 20 mm standard trim allowance), but 638 mm film is out of stock. Your costing engine prices the job using the next wider roll in stock (660 mm):
Stock Roll Width Issued: 660 mm (1,000 kg batch at SAR 12.00/kg = SAR 12,000).
Trimmed Web Width: 638 mm (42 mm total edge trim shaved off by slitter knives).
Costing Protection: Pricing against 660 mm recovers SAR 763 of extra edge-trim film.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Ignoring trim width during quoting and design causes two expensive problems:
- Unbilled side-trim waste: Pricing only the net pouch width when running on a wider stock roll gives away 3% to 10% of raw film for free.
- No space for colour bars: Forgetting the 20 mm trim margin leaves nowhere to print registration marks and colour bars along the web edge.
In Odoo
The feasibility check automatically adds + 20 mm of trim allowance to the unfolded bag length formula. When the exact film width is unavailable in Inventory, the Quoting Engine automatically prices the next higher width in stock.
Common mistake: Calculating film consumption from net pouch dimensions without adding the 20 mm edge-trim margin.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Trim and Bleed work together on a pouch?
As B&B Press explains, the trim blade cuts right through the middle of the bleed area to leave a continuous, sharp color edge.
Crop Marks
Definition
Crop marks (along with optical eye-marks) are printed guide lines placed at the corners and edges of a package layout. They show slitting operators and automated pouching sensors the exact points where the film must be cut.
Example
Your pouching line runs 100,000 Stand-Up Pouches valued at SAR 55,000. Look at how two types of printed cut marks guide your finishing machines:
Corner Crop Lines (Slitting)
Guide the slitter operator when positioning rotary razor blades to slice master rolls into 540 mm reels.
Optical Eye-Marks (Pouching)
Solid rectangular marks read by the pouching machine’s photo-sensor to trigger the guillotine knife every 186 mm.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Poorly placed crop marks or low-contrast eye-marks halt your converting department:
- Cut-off logos and text: B&B Press warns that any design element sitting outside the crop marks gets sliced off during finishing.
- Pouching sensor misfires: Placing stray text in the eye-mark track confuses the optical sensor and chops pouches in half.
In Odoo
Crop marks and eye-marks live inside the AW File and Production Layout uploaded to the GDN page. Production must verify mark placement in the Odoo Project approval stage before the file goes to the plate maker.
Common mistake: Skipping the second Production approval pass after the external plate maker adds their own crop marks and targets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Crop Mark and an Eye-Mark?
Crop marks are thin corner lines used to set slitting blades, while an eye-mark is a solid rectangular block read by electric photo-sensors on pouching and filling machines.
Registration
Definition
Registration is the precise alignment of multiple printing plates or cylinders so every ink color prints in the exact right position. Operators align crosshair register marks during press setup so photos and fine text look sharp.
Example
When your planner releases Printing Order 00001-000001-01, your plant’s standard 40-minute print setup budget splits across three tracked setup tasks:
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Out-of-register printing destroys both film stock and shift schedules:
- Blurry Arabic text: Even a 0.5 mm registration drift makes small ingredient text unreadable and scraps the printed roll.
- Excess setup film waste: Every extra 5 minutes spent fighting registration at 200 m/min burns up to 1,000 meters of PET film.
In Odoo
Include a dedicated registration timing in minutes field on each Production Order page (-01). Odoo adds that time to changeover, shade matching, and running time to calculate total job minutes.
Common mistake: Scheduling machines using only run time (meters ÷ speed) and forgetting to include registration and changeover minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does plastic film lose registration faster than paper?
Thin plastic films like PE and BOPP stretch slightly under dryer heat and web tension, requiring constant tension control to keep colors aligned.
Colour Bars
Definition
Colour bars are narrow test strips of solid ink squares and halftone tints printed along the outer waste edge of a film roll. Press operators and QC inspectors measure them to verify ink density, registration, and dot gain during the run.
Example
During a 500 kg print run worth SAR 14,000, your QC inspector scans the Colour Bar printed in the 20 mm waste trim edge to check three values:
100% Solid Patches
Confirms ink viscosity and solid color strength across the web.
50% Halftone Squares
Shows immediately if ink dots are spreading too dark (dot gain).
Overprint Traps
Verifies how cleanly wet colors bond over each other.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Running a multi-color press without colour bars leaves your quality team flying blind:
- Gradual shade drift across reels: As solvent evaporates from the ink pan, colors get darker over a 2-hour run unless operators monitor the colour bar patches.
- Subjective arguments with buyers: Measuring colour bar patches with a densitometer gives objective proof that print density stayed within tolerance.
In Odoo
Colour bars sit inside the 20 mm waste margin on the Plate Layout attached to the GDN record. Your QC team uses Odoo’s Quality (QM) checkpoint to verify print consistency before finished goods transfer to the FG Store.
Common mistake: Placing colour bars inside the finished bag width instead of the outer 20 mm trim waste zone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are colour bars sometimes left visible under the back-seal flap of a pouch?
On center-seal pillow bags, printers often hide the colour bar under the back fin seal so they do not have to shave off extra edge trim.
Dot Gain
Definition
Dot gain is a printing defect where tiny halftone ink dots spread larger on the film than in the original digital file. As a result, printed product photos and gradients look darker, muddier, or fuzzier than intended.
Example
A bakery in Jeddah orders 40,000 flexo-printed croissant bags (SAR 28,000 order value). Look at what happens when excessive plate pressure squashes the halftone dots on the film:
| Measurement Stage | Halftone Dot Size | Visual Effect on Croissant Photo |
|---|---|---|
| Digital AW File | 40% Mid-Tone Dot | Golden-brown, crisp pastry texture. |
| Unchecked Press Run (+25% Gain) | 65% Spread Dot | Croissant looks burnt and dark brown. |
| Pre-Press Compensated Plate | 32% Plate → 40% Printed | Matches the approved Cromalin proof. |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Ignoring dot gain ruins food photography and causes rejected batches:
- Unappetizing food photos: Uncontrolled dot gain turns bright food photos dark and muddy on the pouch.
- Plugged shadow details: Dark gradients fill in completely into solid blotches when ink viscosity is too thin.
In Odoo
Dot gain compensation is handled by your external plate maker during the Color Separation stage. In Odoo, your AW and Production teams inspect the returned separation and Cromalin files to verify halftone quality before plate engraving.
Common mistake: Forgetting to attach the Planner’s Technical Data Sheet when ordering plates, leaving the plate maker without your press’s exact dot-gain profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which printing method has higher dot gain: Flexography or Rotogravure?
Flexography has higher dot gain because flexible rubber photopolymer plates compress slightly when pressed against the film.
Plate Layout
Definition
A Plate Layout is the final technical blueprint used by your vendor to engrave physical printing plates or cylinders. It combines the approved step-and-repeat artwork with exact cylinder face width, repeat circumference, and bearer ring dimensions.
Example
Once a customer signs off on their Cromalin proof for a 6-color Stand-Up Pouch, your pre-press and planning teams combine three documents to order SAR 9,000 of cylinders:
1. Plate Layout (Designer)
Final engraving blueprint showing exact artwork positions, colour bars, and cylinder marks.
2. Technical Data Sheet (Planner)
Specifies 590 mm web width, 372 mm sleeve repeat, and winding direction.
3. Purchase Request (Planner)
Formal PR for 6 cylinders at SAR 1,500 each, converted to a PO by Purchasing.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Ordering plates without a controlled Plate Layout causes expensive tooling mistakes:
- Wrong cylinder shaft sizes: If the Plate Layout does not match the Planner’s Technical Data Sheet, engraved cylinders arrive with the wrong width or repeat.
- Version mix-ups on reorders: Keeping old Plate Layouts active on the GDN causes operators to pull obsolete cylinder blueprints.
In Odoo
Plate Layout is one of the four version-controlled document slots on the GDN page. In the Odoo Project flow, the designer’s Plate Layout joins the Planner’s Technical Data Sheet and Purchase Request before Purchasing issues the vendor PO.
Common mistake: Emailing a Plate Layout to the plate maker without raising a Purchase Request (PR) in Odoo first.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a Plate Layout different from a Production Layout?
A Production Layout shows how the job runs across your film roll and machines, while a Plate Layout is the engraving blueprint sent to the cylinder manufacturer.
Printing Plate / Cylinder
Definition
A Printing Plate (in flexography) or Cylinder (in rotogravure) is the physical image carrier mounted onto the printing press to transfer ink onto the film. Every color in your design requires its own uniquely coded plate or cylinder.
Example
A 7-color Roll Stock order (00002-000002-01) at your packaging plant requires 7 individual printing plates mounted across 7 press stations:
Unique Plate IDs Assigned: 10-000101 (Plate 1) through 10-000107 (Plate 7) under the Job Plates category.
Tooling Investment: 7 cylinders at SAR 1,500 each = SAR 10,500 total tooling cost.
Repeat Order Advantage: When the buyer reorders 3 months later, your store pulls 10-000101 to 10-000107 off the rack at zero new cylinder cost.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Storing printing plates without unique ID codes causes major delays on repeat orders:
- Lost cylinders on warehouse racks: Without unique plate codes, storekeepers mount the wrong revision cylinder on repeat jobs.
- Duplicate plate purchases: Planners accidentally reorder cylinders that are already sitting in the warehouse.
In Odoo
Authorized planners create a unique ID code for every plate under “Job Plates” in Inventory and link each plate to the Printing BOM (-01). When the designer logs the Plate Received Date in Odoo Project, the task moves automatically to the Manufacturing stage.
Common mistake: Creating one single code for a whole set of 7 cylinders instead of coding each cylinder (Plate-1 to Plate-7) individually.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is allowed to create new Plate codes in Odoo?
In our packaging ERP setups, the Planner creates codes for Plates, Raw Materials, New Jobs, and GDNs from a shared code-creation page.
Plate Mileage
Definition
Plate mileage is the rated lifespan of a printing plate or cylinder, tracked in linear meters or impressions. Each print run deducts the meters produced from the plate’s starting life so your team knows when to replace worn tooling.
Example
At a Riyadh flexible packaging plant, each new cylinder starts with an expected stock life of 1,000,000 meters (10 lakh meters). Look at the mileage ledger after running a 100,000-meter print job:
| Plate ID | Starting Stock | Used (Backflush) | Remaining Life | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
10-000102 (Plate 2) |
1,000,000 m | 100,000 m | 900,000 m | Ready for 9 more runs. |
10-000106 (Plate 6) |
1,000,000 m | 100,000 m (Early wear) | 0 m (Worn Out) | Claim SAR 1,500 vendor warranty. |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Running cylinders without tracking plate mileage creates two expensive surprises:
- Press stops on repeat orders: Mounting a cylinder that already ran 990,000 meters causes the chrome cells to wear out mid-run.
- Lost supplier warranty claims: Without mileage logs, you cannot prove to your supplier that Plate 6 wore out early at 100,000 meters.
In Odoo
Plate line items on the Printing BOM (-01) carry a usage mileage counter in meters that deducts automatically via the backflush method. When a plate nears its limit or wears out early, your planner replaces just that single plate using a Plate Request Sheet.
Common mistake: Deducting 1 whole plate per job instead of stocking the plate in meters (1,000,000 m) and backflushing the exact meters printed.
Frequently Asked Questions
If Plate 6 wears out early, do you have to replace all 7 plates on the BOM?
No, you replace only Plate 6 using the Plate Request Sheet and keep the other 6 plates active for future runs.
Dummy
Definition
A dummy is an unprinted or placeholder mockup pouch made before committing to a full production run. It lets your customer test the physical bag dimensions, gusset expansion, and material stiffness with their actual product.
Example
A Riyadh coffee roaster wants to pack 500 grams of whole beans into a new Stand-Up Pouch. Before engraving SAR 10,500 worth of cylinders, your team tests a physical dummy pouch:
1. Structural Dummy Test
Cut from unprinted 3-ply stock film (12 PET / 7 Alu / 100 PE).
Discovery: 500g of whole beans leaves only 15 mm of top headspace above the zipper.
2. Pre-Press Size Fix
Sales increases bag Length from 240 mm to 260 mm on the Requirement Form.
Saved: Prevents 50,000 unusable pouches (SAR 38,000) before cylinder engraving.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Skipping a physical dummy test on a new product launch creates two major risks:
- Bulk density surprises: Five hundred grams of fluffy roasted coffee takes much more volume than 500 grams of dense dates.
- Wasted cylinders on wrong sizes: Engraving cylinders before testing a physical dummy forces you to remake every cylinder if the bag is too small.
In Odoo
If a dummy test reveals that a pouch needs 20 mm extra length, update the dimensions on the Requirement Form. Odoo keeps the same GDN number and logs the dimension adjustment in the GDN Remarks history tab.
Common mistake: Confusing a structural dummy (which tests physical bag volume) with a Cromalin color proof (which tests printed colors).
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a dummy different from a printed production sample?
As B&B Press explains, a dummy uses unprinted or placeholder material to demonstrate physical structure, whereas a sample uses the customer’s actual artwork.
Barcode
Definition
A barcode is a machine-readable pattern of parallel dark bars and white spaces printed on a package for retail checkout and warehouse scanning. In flexible packaging, designers must place an opaque white ink patch behind the bars so optical scanners can read them cleanly.
Example
A Jeddah snack manufacturer orders 100,000 metallized MPET pouches (SAR 48,000 order value) for supermarket chains across Saudi Arabia. Look at the three pre-press rules your designer checks on the AW File barcode:
| Barcode Pre-Press Rule | Wrong Setup (Rejected at Retail) | Correct Press-Ready Setup |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Channel Separation | 4-color CMYK black (blurry if registration shifts). | 100% single-channel Black (K) plate only. |
| 2. Background Opacity | Printed directly over shiny silver MPET. | Backed by solid White Ink with a 3 mm quiet zone. |
| 3. Bar Orientation | Bars run across the web (perpendicular to press). | Bars run parallel to press direction (ladder style). |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
An unscannable barcode is one of the most expensive pre-press mistakes in retail packaging:
- Supermarket chargebacks and recalls: Major GCC hypermarkets reject entire product deliveries if checkout lasers cannot read the pouch barcode.
- Dot gain bridging the bars: If bars are oriented across the web instead of along the web direction, ink spread (dot gain) merges the narrow white spaces together.
In Odoo
Verify barcode placement, single-color separation, and white backing during the mandatory Production Approval step in the Odoo Project module. Whenever a customer updates their product barcode for a new SKU, generate a new GDN or upload a revised file version so the old barcode is automatically disabled.
Common mistake: Placing the barcode too close to the bottom gusset fold where the pouch curves and distorts the laser scan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t you print a red barcode on a white pouch?
Retail barcode scanners use red laser light, so red bars reflect the red light just like white background spaces and become invisible to the scanner.
QR Code
Definition
A QR Code (Quick Response Code) is a two-dimensional square matrix barcode printed on packaging or invoices that smartphone cameras and scanners read instantly. On pouches, it connects buyers to websites, promotions, or nutritional data; on Saudi tax invoices, it encodes mandatory ZATCA cryptographic tax data.
Example
In a Saudi flexible packaging plant, your team handles two distinct types of QR codes across pre-press and accounting:
1. Artwork QR Code (On the Pouch)
Printed at 15 × 15 mm minimum size with a 100% Black (K) plate over an opaque white square so smartphone cameras scan it in 0.5 seconds.
2. ZATCA QR Code (On the Invoice)
Auto-generated on every SAR tax invoice showing seller name, VAT number, timestamp, invoice total, VAT amount, and cryptographic stamp.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
As B&B Press notes, QR codes bridge print and digital marketing, but tiny pre-press errors can break the scan:
- Crushed modules from dot gain: Printing a complex 100-character URL inside a tiny 8 mm QR code causes ink dots to plug the white squares on press.
- Broken promotional links: Hard-coding a temporary campaign link into 200,000 pouches makes the QR code dead once the promotion ends unless a dynamic URL is used.
In Odoo
For package artwork, your pre-press team verifies QR code scanability on the Cromalin proof before customer sign-off in Odoo Project. For financial billing, Odoo Accounting automatically prints the ZATCA-compliant cryptographic QR code on every tax invoice.
Common mistake: Pasting a low-resolution JPEG screenshot of a QR code onto the AW File instead of crisp vector squares on the 100% Black (K) layer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the safest minimum size for a QR code printed on flexible plastic film?
Keep packaging QR codes at least 15 × 15 mm (including a 2 mm white quiet border) so flexo or gravure dot gain never blocks the scan.
ESCO Web Centre
Definition
ESCO Web Centre (Esko WebCenter) is a specialized third-party pre-press collaboration platform used by packaging converters and external plate makers. Teams use it to exchange high-resolution artwork, inspect colour separations, and manage production layouts before engraving cylinders.
Example
A Dammam food brand orders a new 8-color Stand-Up Pouch (SAR 12,000 in cylinders). Look at how your designer divides technical file inspection in ESCO Web Centre from milestone tracking in Odoo:
1. Handled in ESCO Web Centre / Email
Transfers heavy 500 MB native pre-press files to the plate maker.
Checks pixel-level trapping, dot gain curves, and 8-channel separations.
2. Tracked Inside Odoo ERP
Logs the three external vendor stages: File Sent → Cromalin Received → Plates Ready.
Stores final approved GDN files, customer sign-off proof, and the Plate PO.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Knowing where pre-press software ends and where your ERP begins saves months of unnecessary software customization:
- Zero over-engineered ERP code: Trying to rebuild specialized optical trapping viewers inside an ERP wastes budget when plate makers already use ESCO Web Centre.
- Full visibility for Sales and Planning: Logging the external stages in Odoo means Sales never has to interrupt designers to ask if the plates are ready.
In Odoo
Keep technical file exchanges with the plate maker outside the ERP (via ESCO Web Centre or email) while tracking the discrete status stages (File Sent, Cromalin Received, Plates Ready) inside the Odoo Project app. Once approved, upload the final Production Layout and Plate Layout to the GDN record in Odoo.
Common mistake: Leaving artwork approvals trapped inside an external plate-maker portal without updating the Odoo Project stage and GDN version history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does your sales team need a login to ESCO Web Centre?
No, only your pre-press designers and plate maker use ESCO Web Centre; salespeople track progress directly on the Odoo Project task.
Printing, Lamination & Converting Processes
Flexography
Definition
Flexography is a high-speed rotary relief printing method that uses flexible photopolymer plates to print on plastic films and labels. It transfers fast-drying inks from raised plate surfaces onto non-absorbent packaging webs at speeds around 200 meters per minute.
Example
A Riyadh snack brand orders 50,000 meters of 6-color printed BOPP film on your flexographic press. Your quoting calculator budgets the press run using a 40-minute setup time and a 200 m/min running speed:
| Flexo Cost Component | Calculation Basis | Cost (SAR) |
|---|---|---|
| Photopolymer Plates (6 Colours) | 6 flexible plates at SAR 950 each. | 5,700 |
| Press Setup Time | 40 minutes at SAR 900/hour press rate. | 600 |
| Machine Running Time | 250 minutes (50,000 m ÷ 200 m/min). | 3,750 |
| Total Flexo Conversion & Tooling Cost | SAR 10,050 | |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Poor flexographic setup or costing assumptions quickly erode your plant’s profitability:
- Optimistic speed estimates: Quoting jobs at theoretical peak speeds (350 m/min) instead of a realistic 200 m/min average undercharges machine hours by 40%.
- Crushed halftone dots: Excessive plate impression pressure squashes flexible rubber plates against the film, causing severe dot gain.
In Odoo
Set up Printing as its own cost center and child process code (-01) in Odoo Manufacturing. Configure the Quoting Engine to calculate printing costs using a 40-minute setup time, a 200 m/min speed, and monthly-updated machine hourly rates.
Common mistake: Exposing internal machine hourly rates and raw material costs to sales reps instead of showing only the allowed selling price range.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is flexography so widely used for plastic packaging films?
As B&B Press notes, flexible relief plates adapt smoothly to non-absorbent plastic webs and use fast-drying inks suited for high-speed reels.
Digital Printing
Definition
Digital printing reproduces artwork directly from a computer file onto packaging film or label stock without physical printing plates. It is ideal for low minimum order quantities (Low MOQ), multi-flavour launches, and fast turnarounds.
Example
A specialty coffee roaster in Jeddah wants 5,000 pouches split across 5 seasonal flavours (1,000 pouches per flavour). Compare running that 5-SKU order on a conventional cylinder press versus a digital packaging press:
Conventional Press (With Cylinders)
Requires 35 cylinders (5 SKUs × 7 colors) costing SAR 52,500.
Five separate 40-minute press changeovers waste 200 minutes.
Total Cost: SAR 58,000 (SAR 11.60 per pouch).
Digital Press (Zero Plates)
Zero cylinder engraving cost (SAR 0 tooling).
All 5 flavours print back-to-back in one continuous web pass.
Total Cost: SAR 11,500 (SAR 2.30 per pouch).
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Using the wrong press technology for the order volume hurts both margins and machine capacity:
- Clogged wide-web presses: Running tiny 2,000-pouch orders on a wide flexo or gravure press wastes hours on cylinder changeovers.
- Lost Tier-B and Tier-C accounts: Offering Low MOQ digital runs lets you win emerging brands that later grow into Tier-A accounts.
In Odoo
Use the Duplicate Design button on the Requirement Form to copy technical specs across all 5 flavours in seconds. Odoo generates a separate GDN for each flavour while consolidating all 5 items onto one quotation with individual line pricing.
Common mistake: Forcing digital jobs through external plate-making project stages when no physical cylinders are needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why not print 500,000 pouches on a digital press?
Digital ink costs much more per square meter than flexo or gravure ink, making conventional presses far cheaper on large runs.
Colour Sequence
Definition
Colour sequence (also called colour rotation) is the exact station-by-station order in which inks are printed on the press. In flexible packaging, your colour sequence reverses depending on whether you print on the outside or underside of the film.
Example
Your pressroom runs two SAR 25,000 orders today: a surface-printed BOPP label and a reverse-printed PET pouch for lamination. Look at how the operator flips the ink sequence across the press stations:
1. Surface Printing Sequence (Printed on Outer Face):
Station 1: White Base → Stations 2 to 5: Y → M → C → K → Station 6: Overprint Varnish.
2. Reverse Printing Sequence (Printed on Underside of Clear PET):
Station 1: K → C → M → Y → Station 5: Spot Brand Shade → Station 6: White Flood Coat Last.
In reverse printing, black detail prints first against the clear PET, and white ink prints last to back the image.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Mounting cylinders in the wrong colour sequence ruins the entire print batch:
- Buried artwork under white ink: Printing white ink at Station 1 instead of the last station on a reverse-printed PET job covers up your entire design.
- Contaminated yellow ink pans: In surface printing, laying dark ink before yellow drags dark pigment into the yellow station.
In Odoo
On the Printing BOM (-01), list your plate codes (10-000101 to 10-000107) and ink codes (11-000101 to 11-000107) in station order. Use the planner remarks column on the Production Order page to give press operators clear colour rotation instructions.
Common mistake: Leaving reverse-print vs. surface-print instructions off the printable Production Order sheet sent to the pressroom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does changing from surface print to reverse print require new cylinders?
Often yes, because the engraved image orientation flips (mirror image) and the halftone trapping order changes.
Overprinting
Definition
Overprinting is the process of printing one ink color or protective coating directly on top of another printed color. Designers use it to print fine black text over colored backgrounds without leaving unprinted gaps if registration shifts.
Example
A Dammam spice company orders 80,000 pouches (SAR 36,000 value) with tiny black Arabic ingredient text on a bright yellow background. Compare setting that black text to Knockout versus Overprint:
Knockout Text (No Overprint)
Cuts tiny letter-shaped holes out of the yellow background plate.
Defect: A 0.3 mm press shift exposes white halos around every letter.
Overprinted Black Text
Prints a solid yellow background and stamps black text directly on top.
Result: Crisp, readable text with zero registration halos.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Accidental overprinting on non-black colors ruins logos and wastes cylinder charges:
- Vanishing white text: If a designer accidentally sets white text to overprint on a dark pouch, the white text disappears completely on the separation plate.
- Muddy color mixing: Overprinting yellow ink on top of blue ink turns the artwork green instead of yellow.
In Odoo
Overprint settings live inside the AW File and Color Separation File tracked in the Odoo Project module. Enforce the two-step internal review (AW review followed by Production approval) on every separation file returned by the plate maker.
Common mistake: Approving a PDF proof on screen without turning on “Overprint Preview,” which hides accidental color overlaps until the cylinders hit the press.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Spot Gloss Varnish considered an overprint?
Yes, Spot Gloss and Matte coatings are set as overprint layers so they print directly over the underlying ink without knocking out the artwork below.
Opacity
Definition
Opacity measures how effectively a substrate or ink layer blocks light from passing through a package. High opacity stops dark products or silver barrier films from showing through and dulling your printed brand colors.
Example
A Riyadh pet food brand orders a 1,000 kg batch of clear PET / PE pouches with a clear viewing window on the front. Compare the ink cost of three opacity setups on the Printing BOM:
| Backing Option | White Ink Used | Visual Result | Ink & Plate Cost (SAR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero White Ink | 0 kg | Translucent, washed-out colors. | SAR 0 (Rejected) |
| Single White Hit | 14 kg + 1 Plate | Standard ~65% opacity for dry goods. | SAR 1,850 |
| Double White Hit | 26 kg + 2 Plates | High 82%+ opacity against dark liquids. | SAR 3,650 |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
As B&B Press points out, if a substrate lacks opacity, the design or product shows right through:
- Unreadable barcodes at checkout: Printing a barcode over a clear film without an opaque white backing block prevents supermarket scanners from reading the lines.
- Unbilled double-white ink: Dark sauces inside clear pouches often need two stations of white ink, doubling your white ink and cylinder cost.
In Odoo
Your planner adds white ink and its dedicated plate code to the Printing BOM (-01) on a per-1,000-unit batch basis. During the mandatory Technical Review before quotation release, Production checks whether the chosen film structure needs single or double white ink backing.
Common mistake: Forgetting to knock out the white ink layer over a “clear product window” on the AW File, which prints solid white right over the window.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a customer get 100% light-blocking opacity?
Laminating a middle layer of 7-micron Aluminum Foil or 12-micron MPET blocks light completely across the package.
Solvent Evaporation
Definition
Solvent evaporation is the thermal drying process inside a printing press that vaporizes liquid solvents from wet ink. Heated air nozzles remove the liquid carrier and leave solid ink pigments bonded cleanly to the film.
Example
Your press runs 100,000 meters of PET film at 200 m/min using 42 kg of ink and 100 kg of mixed solvents (Standard, Fast Dry, and Slow Dry):
Press Dryer Tunnel Mass Balance (1,000 kg Batch):
Wet Mix Applied to Film: 42 kg Ink + 100 kg Solvents (SAR 785) = 142 kg Wet Weight.
Evaporated in 65°C Dryer Tunnel: 122 kg Liquid Vaporized via exhaust hoods.
Dry Solid Ink Remaining on Printed Roll (-01): 20 kg Dry Pigment (Retained solvent < 15 mg/m²).
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Incomplete solvent evaporation ruins food safety and lamination bond strength:
- Odor taint in food pouches: Trapped solvent inside a wound roll transfers a strong chemical smell into coffee, tea, or snack products.
- High dryer utility costs: Electric dryer blowers and exhaust fans are major cost drivers in your Printing cost center.
In Odoo
Track Standard Solvent, Slow Dry, and Fast Dry as separate items on your Printing BOM (-01). Include fixed and variable dryer electricity consumption inside the Printing cost center backend rates updated monthly by your Administrator.
Common mistake: Measuring printed roll output weight by adding 100% of issued solvent weight, forgetting that the solvent evaporates completely in the dryer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you avoid solvent evaporation when sustainability is a priority?
As B&B Press explains, printers can use LED UV curing for inks and solventless adhesives for lamination to eliminate solvent vapors.
UV Curing (LED UV)
Definition
UV curing (including LED UV) is a photochemical drying method that uses high-intensity ultraviolet light instead of heat to harden inks and varnishes instantly. It prevents heat-sensitive films from shrinking while producing a sharp, scuff-resistant finish.
Example
A Jeddah beverage bottler orders 200,000 wrap-around BOPP bottle labels finished with a protective high-gloss UV varnish. Compare thermal drying against LED UV curing on a 50-hour monthly production schedule:
| Operating Metric | Thermal Hot-Air Dryer | LED UV Curing Lamp |
|---|---|---|
| Drying Speed | Requires long heated tunnel. | Instant cure in 0.2 seconds. |
| Film Shrinkage Risk | High heat stretches thin PE/BOPP. | Cool LED light prevents shrinking. |
| Monthly Power Cost (50 Hrs) | SAR 2,400 | SAR 950 (Saves SAR 1,450/mo) |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
As B&B Press highlights, LED UV curing eliminates ink smudging and speeds up finishing:
- Zero ink set-off on the reel: Because UV coatings cure solid the instant they pass the lamp, wound rolls never stick together.
- Uncured monomer migration: If UV lamp bulbs age without preventive maintenance, under-cured UV varnish stays tacky on the surface.
In Odoo
Select UV Gloss or Spot Gloss in the multi-select Print & Finish dropdown on the Requirement Form. Link your UV lamp inspection schedule in Odoo Maintenance so scheduled preventive maintenance automatically blocks Manufacturing Orders during lamp replacement.
Common mistake: Failing to update monthly electricity rates in the cost-center backend after upgrading from hot-air dryers to energy-saving LED UV lamps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can standard solvent-based inks be dried with a UV lamp?
No, UV curing requires specialized photo-initiator inks and UV varnishes formulated to cross-link under ultraviolet light.
Ghosting
Definition
Ghosting is a printing defect where a faint, unintentional shadow of a logo or text appears repeated on another part of the package. It occurs when heavy ink elements starve the roller of ink or when incorrect pressure transfers a phantom image.
Example
While printing 300 kg of matte-blue coffee film (SAR 8,400 value), your operator spots a faint ghost outline of the brand’s large top logo repeating across the bottom of every pouch:
Root Cause on Press
Heavy logo bar drains ink from the anilox roll before it can re-ink for the solid background.
Immediate Press Fix
Adjust doctor blade pressure and ink viscosity; split solid background and text onto separate cylinders if needed.
Financial Save
Catching ghosting after 25 kg of film saves the remaining 275 kg (SAR 7,700) from rejection.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
As B&B Press notes, ghosting stems from ink supply, pressure, or drying imbalances:
- Spoiled solid backgrounds: Faint phantom letters across a smooth pastel or matte pouch make the entire batch unsellable.
- Unplanned cylinder remakes: Combining a heavy solid block and fine reverse-out text on one flexo plate often forces you to engrave a second plate.
In Odoo
During the mandatory Production Approval gate in the Odoo Project app, your press supervisor reviews the AW File to spot ghosting risks before ordering plates. Any rolls rejected for ghosting are logged in the Inventory Rejection Report for full lot traceability.
Common mistake:Trying to save one plate on the quotation by squeezing a heavy solid flood coat and delicate halftones onto the same flexo plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ghosting the same thing as ink set-off?
No, ghosting happens on the printing cylinder during ink transfer, while ink set-off happens after printing when wet ink rubs onto the next wound layer.
Hickey
Definition
A hickey is a recurring bullseye spot or unprinted ring blemish that appears on printed packaging film. It happens when a speck of dust, cardboard fiber, or dried ink skin sticks to the printing plate or cylinder.
Example
During a summer afternoon shift in Dammam, a speck of dried ink sticks to a 500 mm circumference cylinder running at 200 m/min:
How Fast a Single Hickey Ruins a Roll:
1. Repeat Frequency: Stamped once every 0.5 meters (400 defective pouches per minute).
2. 10-Minute Unchecked Run: 2,000 meters (4,000 pouches) spoiled with a white bullseye ring.
3. Scrap Cost: SAR 1,150 of printed PET film lost in just 10 minutes.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
As B&B Press explains, hickeys come from dust particles or dried ink skin in the pressroom:
- Excessive slitting splice waste: Slitting operators must stop the rewinder, cut out the 2,000 meters of hickey-marred film, and splice the web back together.
- Wastage exceeding the 5% budget: Frequent press stops to wipe dried ink off plates push actual job waste well above the 5% quoting allowance.
In Odoo
Include Slow Dry retarder solvent (13-000101) on your Printing BOM (-01) so ink does not dry into crusts on the cylinder. Production staff log actual shift output and scrap against the master Production Order so planners can track hickey waste by machine.
Common mistake: Allowing production operators to log scrap as unlinked entries instead of tying every waste log to its specific Production Order and process code.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you tell if a print spot is a hickey on the plate or a defect in the raw film?
A hickey repeats at the exact same cylinder circumference distance on every revolution, while a raw film flaw appears randomly.
Ink Set-Off
Definition
Ink set-off (or blocking) is the unwanted transfer of wet or tacky ink from the printed face of a film onto the back of the next layer wound above it on the reel. It happens when ink is not completely dry or cured before rewinding under high tension.
Example
A Riyadh converter prints a 500 kg master roll of PET film (`00002-000002-01`) with heavy red ink coverage, but the dryer temperature drops by 15°C during the run:
At the Rewinder: 500 kg of film winds tightly onto the core, pressing tacky red ink against the backside of the next wrap.
Next Morning at Lamination: As the roll unwinds, red ink peels off onto the outer surface of the PET film.
Total Batch Loss: SAR 7,800 printed roll scrapped before lamination can even start.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Ink set-off is one of the most destructive defects in roll-to-roll printing because it ruins the entire reel overnight:
- Fused “bricked” rolls: Severe ink set-off glues all layers of a 500 kg roll into a solid plastic brick that cannot unwind.
- Dirty sealing jaws: Ink transferred to the outer face of a PET roll melts onto the hot sealing bars during pouching.
In Odoo
Track semi-finished printed rolls under child code -01 in the Printing warehouse and move any blocked or suspect reels to the Inventory on Hold warehouse location. Use the WIP Semi-Finished Material Inventory Report to monitor printed rolls awaiting lamination.
Common mistake: Leaving defective semi-finished rolls mixed inside active Printing stock instead of moving them to an “On Hold” warehouse location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do printing presses have cold “chill rollers” right after the hot dryer oven?
Hot ink resins stay soft even when dry; chill rollers cool the film back to room temperature so the ink hardens before winding onto the reel.
Lamination
Definition
Lamination is the converting process of bonding two or more separate webs of plastic film, paper, or aluminum foil together using adhesive, heat, and pressure. It combines the printability of outer PET with the barrier of foil and the heat-seal strength of inner PE.
Example
A coffee roaster in Riyadh orders 3-ply Stand-Up Pouches (`12 mic PET / 7 mic Alu / 100 mic PE`). Look at how your lamination department builds that 119-micron web across two child process stages:
| Process Stage Code | Webs Bonded Together | Stage Value per 1,000 kg (SAR) |
|---|---|---|
Printing (-01) |
12-micron reverse-printed PET film. | 7,800 |
Lamination 1 (-02) |
Bonds Printed PET (-01) to 7-micron Alu Foil + NCO/OH glue. |
15,540 |
Lamination 2 (-03 / -04) |
Bonds 1st Laminate (-02) to 100-micron PE sealing layer. |
26,030 |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Because lamination combines your most expensive materials, errors at this stage carry the highest scrap cost:
- Tunnelling and wrinkling: Mismatched web tension between stretchy PE film and rigid Aluminum Foil creates raised air tunnels across the laminated roll.
- Delamination in filling lines: Poor adhesive coat weight lets the layers peel apart when the customer heat-seals the pouch.
In Odoo
Set up separate warehouse locations and child process codes for Lamination 1 (-02) and Lamination 2 (-03 / -04). Each lamination stage gets its own BOM and Production Order page showing stock visibility, planned meters/kg, and planned wastage.
Common mistake: Allowing accounting staff to invoice semi-finished lamination child codes (-02); only the parent Finished Goods code (-00) and raw materials should be invoiceable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many material layers can your sales team select on the Requirement Form?
The Requirement Form supports up to four independent material layers, automatically summing their micron thicknesses.
Lamination Pass
Definition
A lamination pass is a single run through the laminating machine that glues two film webs together. A 2-layer package requires one lamination pass, while a 3-layer pouch requires two separate lamination passes.
Example
A customer in Jeddah asks for quotes on both a 2-ply snack bag (PET + PE) and a 3-ply coffee bag (PET + MPET + PE) for a 50,000-meter run:
2-Layer Structure = 1 Lamination Pass
Bonds Layer 1 (PET) + Layer 2 (PE) in a single machine pass.
Consumes 55 kg glue (SAR 990) + 4 machine hours (SAR 1,600).
Total Lamination Cost: SAR 2,590.
3-Layer Structure = 2 Lamination Passes
Pass 1 bonds PET + MPET; Pass 2 bonds PE to the laminate.
Consumes 110 kg glue (SAR 1,980) + 8 machine hours (SAR 3,200).
Total Lamination Cost: SAR 5,180.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Failing to price lamination on a passes basis wipes out profit on 3-ply and 4-ply bags:
- Unbilled second pass: Charging a flat lamination fee per kilogram regardless of layer count loses SAR 2,590 on every 50,000-meter 3-ply job.
- Bottlenecked laminator schedule: A 3-ply order occupies your laminator for two separate shifts plus curing time between passes.
In Odoo
Configure the Quoting Engine to calculate lamination cost strictly on a passes basis: Number of Passes = Selected Layers - 1. When a salesperson selects 3 layers on the Requirement Form, Odoo automatically prices two lamination passes.
Common mistake: Forgetting to set passes to zero when a customer orders a single-layer (monolayer) BOPP label or wrap.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many lamination passes does a 4-layer retort pouch require?
A 4-layer structure requires three separate lamination passes (Pass 1 bonds Layers 1 and 2; Pass 2 adds Layer 3; Pass 3 adds Layer 4).
Slitting
Definition
Slitting is the precision cutting process that slices a wide printed or laminated master roll (parent roll) lengthwise into narrower finished reels. Rotary blades shave off the outer 20 mm waste trim edges and wind each lane onto cardboard cores.
Example
A water bottling plant in Riyadh orders 1,000 kg of printed 3-lane Roll Stock (`00002-000002-00`) with a 300 mm Coil Width per reel. Look at how the slitter slices a 920 mm master roll into three customer reels:
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Slitting is your final quality filter before Roll Stock ships to the customer or enters the pouching department:
- Telescoping reels: Uneven rewind tension causes the wound film layers to slide sideways off the core like a telescope.
- Wrong process code mapping: On Roll Stock orders, slitting is the final process (
-00), whereas on bag orders, slitted rolls are semi-finished stock (-07) heading to Pouching.
In Odoo
When Slitting is the final step on a Roll Stock order, map the Slitting BOM directly to the parent Finished Goods code (-00) and include cores (08-00001) and packing boxes (09-00001). When Slitting feeds a Pouching job, assign Slitting to child code -07 so Pouching takes the parent -00 code.
Common mistake: Hard-coding Slitting as a semi-finished code on every job, which blocks accounting from invoicing Roll Stock customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do converters print 2-up or 3-up on a wide roll and slit it later?
Printing three lanes at once triples your press output per hour, and slitting slices them into single reels for the customer’s filling machine.
Pouching
Definition
Pouching (or bag making) is the final converting stage that folds, heat-seals, and cuts slitted laminated film reels into individual preformed bags. It also attaches resealable zippers, punches tear notches, and stamps degassing valves.
Example
Your pouching department converts slitted rolls (`-07`) into four primary Finished Goods (`-00`) bag styles, each tracked by its own product alphabet code:
| Code | Pouch Format | Sealing & Gusset Structure | Typical Conversion Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
SUP |
Stand-Up Pouch (Doypack) | Folded W-bottom gusset + 2 side seals. | SAR 45 / 1,000 bags |
FB |
Flat Bottom Pouch (Box Pouch) | 5-panel sealed flat base + 2 side gussets. | SAR 85 / 1,000 bags |
QS |
Quad Seal Pouch | 4 corner fin seals + 2 side gussets. | SAR 65 / 1,000 bags |
SS |
3-Side / 2-Side Seal Pouch | Flat pillow pouch with no gusset. | SAR 30 / 1,000 bags |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Weak seal control or missing Production Receipt Notes (PRN) in pouching disrupts customer deliveries:
- Leaking corner seals: Incorrect sealing bar temperature or dwell time leaves microscopic leaks where the zipper meets the side seal.
- Blocked dispatch invoicing: Finished pouches sitting on the pouching floor cannot be invoiced until a PRN moves them into the FG Store.
In Odoo
Set up Pouching as a dedicated cost center and warehouse location in Odoo. When a job finishes (or partially finishes for urgent dispatch), production raises a Production Receipt Note (PRN) with an optional QC checkpoint to transfer completed bags into the FG Store for invoicing.
Common mistake: Waiting for a 500,000-pouch run to finish 100% before raising a PRN, instead of allowing partial PRNs for partial customer dispatches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a Flat Bottom Pouch cost more to pouch than a Stand-Up Pouch?
A Flat Bottom Pouch combines five separate film panels (front, back, two side gussets, and a flat base) on a slower, specialized machine.
Gusset
Definition
A gusset is an indented, foldable panel built into the bottom or sides of a flexible pouch that expands when filled. Bottom gussets let Stand-Up Pouches stand upright on shelves, while side gussets maximize volume in coffee and bulk bags.
Example
A Dammam detergent brand requests a large Stand-Up Pouch measuring 300 mm Long, 220 mm Wide, with a 140 mm Bottom Gusset. Look at how your automated feasibility check validates the gusset against your pouching machine limits:
Automated Pouching Feasibility Check:
1. Press Web Width Check: 300 + 140 + 300 + 20 mm = 760 mm (Passes < 1,020 mm press limit).
2. Pouching Gusset Limit Check: 140 mm requested exceeds the 120 mm Max Gusset plow on the SUP machine.
3. Action: Enquiry placed in “Waiting” status; Sales Manager revises gusset to 120 mm and saves the SAR 48,000 order.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Checking press width without checking pouching gusset limits leads to unmakeable orders:
- Printed rolls that cannot be pouched: A 140 mm gusset prints easily on a 1,020 mm press, but jams inside a pouching machine whose folding plow maxes out at 120 mm.
- Tipping pouches on retail shelves: Making a bottom gusset narrower than the minimum limit causes tall Stand-Up Pouches to fall over when filled.
In Odoo
When your sales rep selects Stand-Up Pouch, Flat Bottom, or Quad Seal on the Requirement Form, Odoo dynamically displays the Gusset (mm) field. The automated feasibility check validates both minimum and maximum gusset limits on your pouching machines before allowing a quote.
Common mistake: Showing the Gusset field when a salesperson selects a flat 3-Side Seal Pouch or Roll Stock that has no gusset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a 60 mm bottom gusset add 60 mm or 120 mm to the unfolded film width?
A 60 mm bottom gusset is stated as its total unfolded width (30 mm folded in half), so it adds 60 mm to the web width formula.
Die-Cutting
Definition
Die-cutting uses a sharp, custom-shaped steel blade (a die) or punch unit to cut identical shapes, holes, or notches into packaging material. In flexible packaging, inline die-cutters punch tear notches, rounded corners, carry handles, and shaped pouches.
Example
A Riyadh dates brand orders 100,000 Stand-Up Pouches (SAR 52,000 value) and selects three inline die-cut finishing features on the Requirement Form:
1. Tear Notch
V-shaped side-seal nick punched inline so buyers tear the top strip cleanly above the zipper.
2. Round Corners
Trims off the four sharp 90-degree bag corners so pouches never puncture adjacent bags in the carton.
3. Euro Slot / Handle
Punches a hanging slot or 3-finger carry handle into the reinforced top header seal.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Poor die-punch positioning or custom shape requests that skip technical review ruin finished bags:
- Leaking tear notches: Punching a tear notch 2 mm too deep slices past the side seal into the product cavity.
- Unquoted custom steel dies: Bottle-shaped pouches require an expensive custom steel rule die and slower pouching speeds.
In Odoo
Configure Finishing Features on the Requirement Form as a multi-select field so sales reps can combine Tear Notch, Zipper, and Round Corners on the same bag. If a buyer requests a custom die-cut shape outside standard dropdown options (“Other”), Odoo routes the form to the technical department before pricing.
Common mistake: Letting sales reps quote custom die-cut pouch shapes using standard rectangular pouch speeds and costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are round corners so important on heavy aluminum foil pouches?
Square 90-degree corners on stiff foil laminates act like razor blades inside shipping cartons, puncturing neighboring pouches during transit.
Wastage Allowance
Definition
Wastage allowance is the extra percentage of raw film, ink, and accessories budgeted above net order quantity to cover machine setup, registration, and splicing scrap. Packaging plants separate the default quoting wastage (5%) from the job-specific execution wastage set by the Planner.
Example
Compare how your plant handles wastage on a standard quotation versus how your Planner sets execution wastage on two different Production Orders:
Stage 1: Quoting Default (5% Constant)
Used by the Costing Calculator to price quotes fast.
On a 1,000 kg net job (SAR 16,000), it budgets 50 kg (SAR 800) of waste automatically.
Stage 2: Execution Wastage (Planner Set)
Simple 2-ply Roll Stock: Planner sets 3.5% (35 kg issued).
Complex 4-ply Valve Pouch: Planner sets 7.5% across 5 processes.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Forcing one fixed wastage percentage across both quoting and shop-floor execution causes two headaches:
- Short deliveries on complex bags: A 3-substrate Flat Bottom bag with a zipper and valve goes through 5 machines. Issuing only 5% extra film leaves the final pouching run short of the customer’s order quantity.
- Over-issuing film on long roll runs: Issuing 5% waste on a 10-ton monolayer run sends 500 kg of unnecessary film to the press floor.
In Odoo
Set a 5% default job wastage in the Quoting Engine for fast commercial pricing. On the Production Order process pages (Printing -01, Lamination -02, Slitting, Pouching), make the planned wastage % configurable per job and editable only by the Planner.
Common mistake: Treating the 5% quoting estimate and the Planner’s per-process execution wastage as conflicting numbers instead of planning-vs-execution controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if actual production finishes 3% above or below the Sales Order quantity?
Flexible packaging contracts include a standard 5% quantity tolerance; your admin updates the Sales Order after manufacturing to invoice the exact delivered quantity.
Changeover Time
Definition
Changeover time (or setup time) is the non-productive machine time spent switching from a completed job to the next scheduled order. It includes unloading old cylinders, washing ink pans, mounting new plates, webbing film, and matching colors.
Example
Your planner schedules a 60,000-meter print run (`00001-000001-01`) on Press 1 running at 200 m/min (SAR 1,200/hour machine rate). Look at how Odoo calculates the total shift time and machine cost:
| Production Order Time Field | Planned Minutes | Machine Cost at SAR 20/Min |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Job Changeover Timing | 15 mins | SAR 300 |
| 2. Shade Matching Timing | 15 mins | SAR 300 |
| 3. Registration Timing | 10 mins | SAR 200 |
| 4. Auto-Calculated Run Time (60,000 m ÷ 200 m/min) | 300 mins | SAR 6,000 |
| Total Machine Time Consumption | 340 mins (5.67 Hours) | SAR 6,800 |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Untracked changeover time is the #1 reason packaging plants miss delivery dates and OEE targets:
- Four changeovers eat 2.6 hours per shift: Running four short jobs in one shift consumes 160 minutes in setup alone, cutting actual press running time by a third.
- Under-costed small orders: A 40-minute setup costs the exact same SAR 800 whether the customer orders 5,000 meters or 100,000 meters.
In Odoo
Every process page on your Production Order (Printing, Lamination, Slitting, Pouching) captures changeover timing, shade matching timing, and registration timing, and auto-calculates running time (planned meters ÷ speed). When printed, all linked process pages combine into one master document for the factory floor.
Common mistake: Letting operators edit planned quantities or setup times on the Production Order; only the Planner should have access to adjust planned values.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can your planner reduce changeover time across a shift?
Group jobs that share the same film width (such as 590 mm PET) and similar CMYK ink setups back-to-back on the press schedule.
Stand-Up Pouch (SUP)
Definition
A Stand-Up Pouch (coded as SUP, also called a Doypack) is a flexible bag with a W-shaped folded bottom gusset and two heat-sealed side seams. When filled with product, the bottom gusset flattens out so the pouch stands upright on retail shelves.
Example
A Riyadh nut brand orders 100,000 3-ply Stand-Up Pouches (GDN 01-00001-SUP-00001) measuring 220 mm Long, 160 mm Wide, with an 80 mm Bottom Gusset:
SUP Feasibility & Repeat Math:
Unfolded Web Width: Length (220) + Gusset (80) + Length (220) + Trim (20) = 540 mm (< 1,020 mm press limit).
Single-Bag Repeat: Width (160 mm) + 6 mm standard margin = 166 mm (498 mm 3-around sleeve).
Total Quoted Price (With Normal Zipper & Tear Notch): SAR 0.48 / pouch (SAR 48,000 total).
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Stand-Up Pouches are the highest-volume bag style in flexible packaging, so small setup mistakes multiply fast:
- Gusset plow jams: Accepting an SUP enquiry whose bottom gusset exceeds your pouching machine’s maximum folding plow halts production after slitting.
- Sharp corners puncturing cartons: Skipping die-cut round corners on stiff 3-ply SUP bags lets sharp 90-degree corners pierce neighboring pouches in transit.
In Odoo
Selecting Stand-Up Pouch on the Requirement Form opens independent Length, Width, and Gusset fields and assigns product alphabet SUP to the GDN. When the order releases to production, your Planner generates child codes for Printing (-01), Lamination (-02/-03), and Slitting (-07), rolling up to parent code -00 at Pouching.
Common mistake: Mapping Slitting to parent code -00 on an SUP order when Pouching is actually the final finished-goods step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which zipper type is most commonly used on a Stand-Up Pouch?
Most Stand-Up Pouches use a top-opening Normal Zipper paired with die-cut tear notches and rounded corners.
Flat Bottom Pouh (FB)
Definition
A Flat Bottom Pouch (coded as FB, also called a box pouch) is a premium 5-panel bag featuring a completely flat rectangular base, front and back panels, and two side gussets. Specialty coffee and pet food brands use it because it stands rock-steady like a box and offers five printable panels.
Example
A Jeddah coffee roaster orders 50,000 1kg Flat Bottom Pouches (GDN 01-00001-FB-00001) with a Tear Zipper and a Swiss Degassing Valve. Compare its technical parameters against a standard Stand-Up Pouch:
| Technical Parameter | Stand-Up Pouch (SUP) |
Flat Bottom Pouch (FB) |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat Size Formula | Width + 6 mm |
Width + 8 mm (Extra seal clearance) |
| Preferred Zipper Style | Normal Top Zipper | Front Tear (Pocket) Zipper |
| 50,000-Bag Order Value | SAR 32,000 (SAR 0.64/bag) | SAR 54,500 (SAR 1.09/bag) |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Because Flat Bottom Pouches join separate webs on a complex 5-panel machine, quoting or designing them like simple bags causes heavy losses:
- Wrong repeat margin ruins cylinders: Forgetting to add
+ 8 mm(instead of+ 6 mm) to the bag width on a Flat Bottom layout leaves too little sealing margin on the pouching machine. - Higher multi-web setup waste: Aligning the main front/back/bottom web with the two side-gusset webs requires a higher execution wastage allowance from your Planner.
In Odoo
When your salesperson picks Flat Bottom Pouch on the Requirement Form, Odoo assigns the FB code segment to the GDN (01-00001-FB-00001) and switches the sleeve repeat check to Width + 8 mm. On the Production Order, the Planner can set a job-specific wastage percentage higher than the 5% quoting default to cover 5-panel pouching setup.
Common mistake: Quoting a Flat Bottom coffee bag without specifying Tear Zipper and Swiss vs. Chinese Valve on the Requirement Form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the side gussets of a Flat Bottom Pouch have a different color or finish from the front panel?
Yes, because the side gussets feed from separate slitted reels, brands often pair matte-black front panels with contrasting gold or clear side gussets.
Quad Seal Pouch (QS)
Definition
A Quad Seal Pouch (coded as QS) is a heavy-duty bag sealed along all four vertical corner edges with two indented side gussets. Its reinforced four-corner frame holds heavy 2 kg to 10 kg loads of pet food, rice, and roasted coffee without bulging out of shape.
Example
A Dammam pet food producer orders 30,000 Quad Seal Pouches (GDN 01-00008-QS-00001) to hold 3 kg of dry kibble per bag:
1. Heavy 3-Ply Laminate
12 PET / 12 MPET / 120 PE (144 microns total thickness for drop strength).
2. Four Corner Fin Seals
Distributes the 3 kg load across four vertical ribs so the bag stands tall on pallets.
3. Order Value (30,000 Bags)
Priced at SAR 1.35 per pouch = SAR 40,500 total Sales Order value.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Because Quad Seal Pouches wrap all four panels and two side gussets from a wide web, dimensional checks are critical:
- Wide unfolded web layouts: A large 3 kg Quad Seal bag can easily exceed your 1,020 mm press width limit if formed from a single web.
- No back center-seal obstruction: Unlike pillow bags with a center fin seal down the back, a Quad Seal bag leaves the entire back panel uninterrupted for branding.
In Odoo
Selecting Quad Seal Pouch on the Requirement Form triggers independent Width, Length, and Gusset fields and tags the GDN with product code QS. Odoo automatically sums the selected layer thicknesses (such as 144 microns) and derives the exact bag weight on the Opportunity Summary tab.
Common mistake: Specifying a Normal Top Zipper instead of a front Tear Zipper on a Quad Seal bag, where the folded side gussets block a top-track seal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a Quad Seal Pouch different from a Flat Bottom Pouch?
A Quad Seal Pouch has four vertical corner seals and a folded bottom seal, whereas a Flat Bottom Pouch has a separate 5th flat base panel sealed around all four bottom edges.
3-Side Seal Pouch (SS)
Definition
A 3-Side Seal Pouch (coded as SS, including 2-Side Seal folded pouches) is a flat, gusset-free packet sealed along two sides and one end. One end stays open so your customer can fill spices, single-serve coffee, wet wipes, or pharmaceuticals and heat-seal the final edge shut.
Example
A Riyadh seasoning company orders 500,000 flat 3-Side Seal spice sachets (GDN 01-00012-SS-00001) measuring 120 mm Wide by 160 mm Long with zero gusset:
Unfolded Web Width (2-Up Layout): Because Gusset = 0 mm, two bags run side-by-side across a 660 mm master roll.
Pouching Conversion Cost: Lowest bag-making cost at SAR 30 per 1,000 bags (no gusset plow required).
Total Order Value (500,000 Sachets): SAR 65,000 (SAR 0.13 per sachet).
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Even though 3-Side Seal Pouches are simple in shape, wide seal borders eat into the printable area:
- Reduced internal fill volume: Because the bag has no expandable gusset, the front and back panels curve inward when filled with thick products.
- 8 mm side-seal safe zones: Designers must keep all text at least 8 mm to 10 mm inside the three outer edges so the flat sealing bars do not crush the copy.
In Odoo
When your salesperson selects 3-Side/2-Side Seal Pouch on the Requirement Form, Odoo dynamically displays only the Length and Width fields (hiding the Gusset field) and assigns code SS to the GDN. Multi-flavour spice sachet enquiries use the Duplicate Design button to copy film layers across 6 or 8 flavours instantly.
Common mistake: Leaving the Gusset field mandatory on the Requirement Form when a salesperson selects a flat 3-Side Seal Pouch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a 2-Side Seal Pouch related to a 3-Side Seal Pouch?
A 2-Side Seal Pouch folds one continuous web in half at the bottom so the fold forms the bottom edge, requiring only two side heat seals.
Roll Stock (RS)
Definition
Roll Stock (coded as RS) is printed and laminated packaging film delivered to your customer as continuous slitted reels wound on cores rather than preformed pouches. The customer mounts these reels onto their own high-speed vertical or horizontal Form-Fill-Seal (FFS) machines to form, fill, and seal bags inline.
Example
A Jeddah potato chip factory orders 2,000 kg of 2-ply printed Roll Stock (`00002-000002-00`, GDN `01-00002-RS-00001`) at SAR 22.00/kg (SAR 44,000 total). Look at how Roll Stock routing differs from a Pouch order:
Pouch Order Routing (Sold in Pieces)
Print (-01) → Lam (-02) → Slit (-07) → Pouching (-00).
Slitting is a semi-finished step; Pouching is the final FG code.
Roll Stock Routing (Sold in Kilograms)
Print (-01) → Lam (-02) → Slitting (-00 Final FG).
Skips Pouching completely; Slitting maps directly to parent code -00.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Because Roll Stock feeds directly into your customer’s automated filling line at 80+ bags per minute, mechanical precision is everything:
- Oversized Outer Diameter (OD): Winding a reel to 450 mm OD when the customer’s machine unwind frame only holds 350 mm OD makes the reel too heavy and wide to mount.
- Reversed winding direction: Slitting the roll with the eye-mark on the wrong side feeds the branding upside down on the buyer’s packaging machine.
In Odoo
Selecting Roll as the FG Type on the Requirement Form opens all 9 roll-specific fields (Coil Width, Cutoff Length, Final Roll Direction, Final Roll Weight, Final Roll OD, Final Roll Meters, Core ID, Core Thickness, and Core Type) and uses code RS on the GDN. In Odoo Manufacturing, the final Slitting BOM maps directly to the invoiceable parent code -00 in kilograms.
Common mistake: Forgetting to add cardboard cores (`08-00001`), core plugs, and outer packing boxes (`09-00001`) to the final Slitting BOM on Roll Stock jobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Roll Stock invoiced in kilograms (KG) while preformed pouches are invoiced in pieces?
Finished reels are weighed on calibrated floor scales after slitting, making kilograms the fastest and most accurate commercial unit for continuous film rolls.
Inventory, Costing & Quality Workflows
Requirement Form
Definition
A Requirement Form is the structured technical specification sheet your salesperson fills out inside the ERP for every enquiry. It captures whether the order is a New Job or Repeat Job, along with exact dimensions, film layers, and finishes.
Example
A Riyadh food manufacturer calls your sales rep to price two packaging items worth SAR 85,000. Selecting “Bag” or “Roll” at the top of the Requirement Form dynamically opens the exact fields needed:
Mode 1: FG Type = “Bag”
Opens Bag Type dropdown (SUP, FB, QS, SS).
Displays separate Width, Length, and Gusset (mm) fields.
Auto-calculates bag weight from up to 4 selected film layers.
Mode 2: FG Type = “Roll”
Hides bag fields and opens Coil Width and Cutoff Length.
Captures Final Roll OD, Roll Weight, Meters, and Winding Direction.
Records Core ID (76 mm), Core Thickness, and Core Type.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Collecting packaging specs over casual WhatsApp messages instead of a structured Requirement Form causes immediate errors:
- Wasted time on 5-flavour quotes: Retyping identical film structures five times slows down quoting. Using a “Duplicate Design” button copies technical specs across flavours in one click.
- Manual weight miscalculations: Letting sales reps type bag weight by hand instead of deriving it from micron layers causes under-quoted material costs.
In Odoo
Embed the Requirement Form directly inside the CRM Opportunity record with a dedicated Summary Tab and Smart Button. When your salesperson ticks Repeat Job and enters a previous form number, Odoo auto-fetches every layer and dimension while keeping only the Quantity field editable.
Common mistake: Hosting the Requirement Form as an external web link that requires page refreshes, or letting customers fill it out directly with wrong technical terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a buyer requests a special feature not listed in the form’s dropdowns?
Selecting “Other” automatically routes the Requirement Form to the technical department for manual review before any price is generated.
Feasibility Check
Definition
A Feasibility Check is a two-stage technical gate that verifies whether a requested package can actually run on your factory’s machines. It combines an automated dimensional formula check with a mandatory human sign-off by Production and Planning.
Example
A Jeddah snack brand asks for a 9-color Stand-Up Pouch with gold hot stamping (SAR 95,000 deal value). Look at how your two-stage Feasibility Check catches machine limits before a quote ever goes out:
| Verification Gate | What Gets Checked | Outcome on This Enquiry |
|---|---|---|
| Gate 1: Automated System Check | Web width (< 1,020 mm), sleeve repeat (315 to 625 mm), and min/max pouching gusset. | Accepted (540 mm web & 372 mm sleeve pass). |
| Gate 2: Manual Technical Review | Production & Planning inspect color station count (8 max) and hot-stamping tooling. | Flagged: Revise from 9 colors to 8 colors to fit press. |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Quoting custom packaging without both automated and human feasibility checks creates two costly traps:
- Winning orders you cannot manufacture: Sales reps can accidentally promise bag sizes or color counts that exceed your press and pouching limits.
- Lost deals from hard rejections: Immediately killing an enquiry when a bag is 15 mm too wide loses a buyer who would gladly adjust the size.
In Odoo
When the automated check fails, Odoo places the Requirement Form into a Waiting status so the Sales Manager can negotiate a size revision with the customer. Once both the automated check and the manual Technical Review pass, the Quotation Smart Button appears on the screen.
Common mistake: Relying solely on dimension formulas and skipping the human Technical Review for complex variables like color stations and special finishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a salesperson generate a quotation while the Requirement Form is in “Waiting” status?
No, the Quotation Smart Button stays hidden until the Requirement Form is marked as feasible and approved.
Customer Tier & Complexity Score
Definition
Customer Tier (A, B, or C) and Complexity Score (1 to 5) are account ranking metrics used to qualify repeat buyers before investing pre-press and quoting resources. They evaluate commercial volume alongside client behavior such as payment punctuality and artwork readiness.
Example
Your Sales Manager reviews two repeat enquiries in Dammam using five behavior criteria (responsiveness, behavior, on-time payment, meeting adherence, and artwork readiness):
Buyer 1: Tier A · Complexity Score 1
Long-term SAR 600,000/year coffee account.
Pays deposits on time and supplies clean artwork files.
Fast-Tracked: Immediate Opportunity & Quote release.
Buyer 2: Tier C · Complexity Score 5
Occasional SAR 18,000/year buyer.
History of late payments, missed meetings, and 10+ proof revisions.
Locked: Score of 4 or 5 requires CEO approval to proceed.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Treating every repeat enquiry equally without ranking client behavior drains studio and management time:
- High-friction buyers clog pre-press: A Tier-C buyer who demands 12 artwork revisions and delays payment costs more in studio overhead than the margin on their order.
- Lost audit history on rejected leads: Deleting rejected enquiries erases the warning history when that same problem buyer calls another sales rep six months later.
In Odoo
Add a Customer Ranking Smart Button across customer and CRM pages so managers can rank Tier (A/B/C) and Complexity Score (1 to 5) at any time. Any opportunity with a Complexity Score of 4 or 5 automatically triggers mandatory Senior Management (CEO) approval before moving forward.
Common mistake: Deleting leads that fail manager or document review instead of routing them to a “Reject and notify customer” stage that retains the record for audit history.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you verify a brand-new customer who has no history yet?
New customers must pass a mandatory document-verification step capturing their Commercial Registration (CR), VAT Certificate, Proof of Address, and certified Bank Certificate.
Quoting Engine (Price Range & Margin Gate)
Definition
A Quoting Engine is an automated pricing calculator that computes manufacturing costs from current raw material prices and monthly work-center rates. It hides internal cost figures from sales reps and displays only the allowed selling price range (targeting a 35% to 50% margin).
Example
Suppose a pouch job has a hidden internal factory cost of SAR 0.65 per bag. Your Quoting Engine hides that SAR 0.65 figure and shows your salesperson three pricing zones:
Tying higher commission rates to the top end of the price range motivates reps to defend your margins without needing manager approval on every quote.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Showing raw factory costs to sales reps or quoting from outdated spreadsheets creates two serious risks:
- Leaked cost breakdowns to competitors: If a salesperson sees your exact film, ink, and machine hourly costs, that sensitive data can leak if they join a competitor.
- Margin erosion from discounting: Without a hard 35% floor and commission incentives, reps default to the lowest price to close easy deals.
In Odoo
Use Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) so only Administrators can update backend cost-center inputs (electricity, depreciation, manpower) each month. Odoo auto-generates a consolidated draft quotation (formatted as [Customer Short Name]-[Unique ID], such as ARR-Q00025) and triggers CEO approval only if a rep prices below the 35% minimum margin.
Common mistake: Applying the same sales commission to Inbound leads (customer approaches you) and Outbound leads (field/exhibition sales) instead of tagging them separately in CRM.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a quotation sits pending with no response from the salesperson?
Odoo sends an automated follow-up alert after 72 hours of inactivity on a new lead and after one week on a pending quotation.
UoM Conversion
Definition
Unit of Measure (UoM) conversion in flexible packaging translates plastic film and foil purchased by weight (kilograms) into the surface area (square meters) needed for printing and pouching. It uses each film layer’s micron thickness and material density to calculate exact roll yield.
Example
Your purchasing team buys 500 kg of 12-micron PET film (density: 1.40 g/cm³) at SAR 12.00/kg (SAR 6,000 total). Look at how your costing engine converts that 500 kg roll into square meters and pouch cost:
Automated KG-to-Area Conversion Formula:
Step 1 (GSM): 12 microns × 1.40 g/cm³ density = 16.8 grams per m² (GSM).
Step 2 (Total Area): 500,000 grams ÷ 16.8 GSM = 29,762 m² of usable film.
Step 3 (Cost per m²): SAR 6,000 ÷ 29,762 m² = SAR 0.2016 per m² (SAR 21.17 per 1,000 pouches at 0.10 m²/pouch + 5% waste).
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Without automated KG-to-square-meter conversion, sales quoting and production planning never reconcile:
- Severe under-quoting on thick films: Using a 12-micron yield estimate on a 100-micron PE layer understates film weight by more than 600%.
- Mid-run film shortages: Issuing film in kilograms without knowing the exact linear meters leaves the press 5,000 meters short of completing the order.
In Odoo
Odoo stores each raw film roll with its exact micron thickness and density so the Quoting Engine converts KG to square meters automatically. On Production Order pages, Odoo displays both planned meters and planned kilograms side by side for the Planner and operator.
Common mistake: Creating raw material items without a micron thickness segment in the code, which breaks automated density-to-area math.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a customer enter their bag dimensions in inches or centimeters instead of millimeters?
Yes, the Requirement Form supports any dimension UoM (mm, cm, inch, or meters) requested by the buyer and converts it for costing.
Job Code
Definition
A Job Code is the master manufacturing and billing identifier created for an approved Sales Order line item. Its parent code always ends in 00 to represent the invoiceable Finished Goods item, linking all purchasing, inventory, planning, and production records.
Example
Once Customer 00001 approves a quotation for 1,000 kg of 3-ply Stand-Up Pouches (SAR 28,000 value), your sales team generates parent Job Code 00001-000001-00 before releasing the Sales Order:
00001
5-Digit Customer Code (Created at Registration).
000001
6-Digit Sequential Job Serial Number.
00 (Parent)
Final Finished Goods Code (Used on Invoice & SO).
Whether the final physical step is Pouching (for bags) or Slitting (for Roll Stock), the parent Finished Goods code always ends in 00.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Without a strict parent Job Code structure, sales orders and accounting invoices quickly fall out of sync:
- Accidental invoicing of WIP rolls: If accounting is not restricted to the parent
00code (and raw material codes), clerks can accidentally invoice a semi-finished printed roll. - Scattered job documents: Keeping purchase, sales, inventory, and planning data on separate screens makes it hard to audit job profitability.
In Odoo
A single Sales Order can hold multiple Job Codes, and each Job Code gets its own dedicated page in Odoo consolidating all supporting Purchase, Sales, Inventory, and Planning documents. Each Job Code also spawns its own project in the Project module for granular task tracking.
Common mistake: Allowing sales reps to generate child process codes (`-01`, `-02`); sales must only create the parent (`-00`) code while the Planner creates the child codes.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what stage is the GDN created versus the Job Code?
You maintain the GDN at the Quotation stage to track the artwork design, and add the Job Code at the Sales Order stage to track manufacturing.
Process Code (Child Code)
Definition
A Process Code (or Child Code) is the two-digit suffix added by your Planner to a parent Job Code to track Semi-Finished Goods (SFG) at each machine stage. It gives your warehouse and accounting teams exact visibility into Work-in-Progress (WIP) rolls moving from printing to pouching.
Example
Your Planner receives parent Job Code 00001-000001-00 for a 3-ply Stand-Up Pouch order. Look at the child process codes the Planner generates to track semi-finished inventory across the factory:
| Child / Parent Code | Process Stage | Stock Tracked & Billing Rule |
|---|---|---|
00001-000001-01 |
Printing (Child) | Printed PET roll stock (WIP – Not Invoiceable). |
00001-000001-02 |
Lamination 1 (Child) | 1st Laminated roll stock (WIP – Not Invoiceable). |
00001-000001-03 / -04 |
PE & Lamination 2 (Child) | PE stock & 2nd Laminated web (WIP – Not Invoiceable). |
00001-000001-07 |
Slitting (Child) | Slitted reels awaiting Pouching (WIP – Not Invoiceable). |
00001-000001-00 |
Pouching (Parent FG) | Finished Pouches (Transferred via PRN for Invoicing). |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Running a multi-step packaging plant without child process codes leaves huge blind spots in your inventory and financials:
- Invisible WIP on the shop floor: When 500 kg of film is printed and sitting in the curing room for 48 hours, child code
-01shows that exact SAR 7,800 semi-finished roll on the WIP report. - Inaccurate stage-by-stage costing: Capturing costs at each child process (Printing → Lamination → Slitting → Pouching) reveals which department is losing money.
In Odoo
Your Planner generates child process codes from a shared code-creation area while building the job’s BOM and routing. Provide a single administration page where managers can review all code schemes (RM, Job, GDN, Plate) together to prevent duplicate formats.
Common mistake: Leaving child process codes open for customer invoicing in Odoo Accounting; only the 00 parent code and raw materials may be invoiced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Slitting coded as -07 on a pouch job but -00 on a Roll Stock job?
On a pouch job, slitted reels still have one more step (Pouching), so Slitting is semi-finished code -07; on Roll Stock, Slitting is the final process so it maps directly to parent code -00.
Process BOM
Definition
A Multi-Stage Bill of Materials (Process BOM) is a linked set of recipes where the semi-finished output of one machine stage becomes the primary input for the next stage. Packaging plants define these BOMs on a 1,000-unit batch basis so ink and glue quantities stay easy to read.
Example
Look at why your Planner builds the Lamination BOM (`00002-000002-02`) on a 1,000-unit batch basis instead of a single 1-unit basis:
Per 1-Unit BOM (Hard to Read)
Adhesive NCO: 0.035 kg per unit.
Adhesive OH: 0.020 kg per unit.
Problem: Tiny decimals cause rounding errors in store requisitions.
Per 1,000-Unit Batch BOM (Clear & Practical)
Adhesive NCO (03-000011): 35 kg (SAR 630).
Adhesive OH (04-000015): 20 kg (SAR 360).
Result: Storekeeper clearly sees 55 kg of glue per 1,000 parts.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Flattening all materials into one single BOM instead of separate process BOMs creates two operational blind spots:
- All raw materials deducted at once: A single flat BOM tries to issue cores, packing boxes, and zippers on day one when the job is only starting on the printing press.
- Undervalued downstream scrap: Scrapping 50 kg of film at the slitter wastes film that already carries the cost of ink, MPET, and glue, not just bare PET.
In Odoo
Create a separate BOM for every child process code under a parent Job Code in Odoo Manufacturing (MRP). Set the BOM reference quantity to a configurable batch base (such as 1,000 parts) and include printing plates (10-000101) alongside inks and solvents on the Printing BOM.
Common mistake: Forgetting to connect the output code of Stage 1 (00002-000002-01) as Line 1 of the Stage 2 Lamination BOM (00002-000002-02).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can edit material quantities once the BOM flows into a Production Order?
Planned quantities default automatically from the BOM, and only the Planner has permission to increase, decrease, or adjust them.
Order Releasing Page
Definition
An Order Releasing Page is a planning control screen that lists all approved Sales Order line items alongside current Finished Goods (FG) stock on hand. It lets your Planner select and release only the items that actually need manufacturing.
Example
A national coffee chain in Riyadh places an approved Sales Order for two pouch SKUs. Before launching Production Orders, your Planner checks the Order Releasing Page:
| Sales Order Line Item | Ordered Qty | FG Store Stock | Planner Action |
|---|---|---|---|
250g Espresso Pouch (-00) |
30,000 pcs | 32,000 pcs available | Do Not Release (Fulfill from FG Stock). |
1kg Gold Bean Pouch (-00) |
50,000 pcs | 0 pcs available | Select & Release Production Order (SAR 42,500). |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Auto-generating Manufacturing Orders for every confirmed Sales Order without a planner release gate causes costly overproduction:
- Duplicate production runs: Your factory prints and pouches 30,000 bags that are already sitting on a pallet in the Finished Goods warehouse.
- Tied-up working capital: Producing unneeded repeat stock locks up SAR 20,000+ of film, ink, and warehouse space for months.
In Odoo
Configure a dedicated Order Releasing Page between Odoo Sales and Manufacturing. It displays every released Sales Order line item alongside real-time FG Store stock so the Planner manually triggers Production Orders only when stock is insufficient.
Common mistake: Using default Make-to-Order (MTO) rules that blindly spawn a Manufacturing Order the second a salesperson confirms a Sales Order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the FG Store has 10,000 pouches in stock against a 50,000-pouch order?
Your Planner sees the 10,000-piece balance on the Order Releasing Page and releases a Production Order for only the remaining 40,000 pouches.
Production Order (MO)
Definition
A Production Order (or Manufacturing Order) is the formal instruction document issued by your Planner to the factory floor to execute a job. In a packaging plant, each process stage has its own page linked to one master Production Order number.
Example
Your Planner releases a 2-ply Roll Stock job (`00001-000001-00`). Odoo generates three process pages that combine into one master printable traveler sheet for the work centers:
Page 1: Printing (-01)
Shows PET & ink BOM stock visibility, 500 kg planned qty, 4% waste, 40 min setup + 250 min run time, and Planner remarks.
Page 2: Lamination (-02)
Shows MPET & NCO/OH glue stock, 1,000 kg planned output, setup/run minutes, and curing instructions.
Page 3: Slitting (-00)
Shows 100 cores & boxes, 300 mm coil width, winding direction, run minutes, and link to the Sales Order.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Poorly structured Production Orders or unlinked shift logs create chaos on the factory floor:
- Scheduling collisions with maintenance: Releasing a Production Order onto a press during a scheduled preventive maintenance (PM) window halts the shift.
- Orphaned production logs: Letting operators enter free-standing shift logs that are not tied to a master Production Order makes job costing impossible.
In Odoo
Link all process pages (-01, -02, -00) to one master Production Order and combine them into a single printable PDF with planner remarks. Integrate your Maintenance calendar so scheduled preventive maintenance automatically blocks or reschedules affected Manufacturing Orders.
Common mistake: Allowing floor staff to alter planned BOM quantities on the Production Order instead of restricting planned edits strictly to the Planner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who enters the actual shift output into Odoo during production?
Section-specific data entry clerks log actual output per shift directly against the master Production Order and process code.
Backflush Issuance
Definition
Backflush issuance is an automated inventory method that deducts consumed raw materials or tooling life from stock after production output is recorded, based on the BOM formula. Packaging plants use it for continuous consumables like solvents, inks, and printing plate mileage.
Example
On the RM Code Creation page, your Planner sets the issuance method for each of the 10 raw material categories. Compare how the system handles a 100,000-meter print run:
Method A: Backflush Issuance
Used for Job Plates (10-000101) and continuous liquids.
When 100,000 meters finish printing, Odoo automatically deducts 100,000 m from the plate’s 1,000,000 m stock life.
Method B: Manual / Requisition Issuance
Used for Film Rolls (PET, Alu, PE) via Material Requirement Form.
Store weighs and issues the physical 300 kg roll upfront and logs the 50 kg unused return after the run.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Using the wrong issuance method for a raw material category creates immediate inventory distortion:
- Manual bottlenecks on plate mileage: Asking storekeepers to manually type meter deductions on 7 cylinders after every shift guarantees human error.
- Hidden roll waste on film: Backflushing plastic film rolls instead of weighing actual issued and returned reels hides pressroom film scrap.
In Odoo
The dedicated RM Code Creation Page captures five core fields: Unique RM Code, Description, Category, RM Issuance Method (backflush vs. manual requisition), and Inventory Transaction Linkage. This lets your Planner set backflush for plates and consumables while keeping manual requisition for film rolls.
Common mistake: Applying one rigid issuance rule across all 10 raw material categories instead of making the issuance method configurable per category.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you add an 11th raw material category later if your factory adds new packaging lines?
Yes, raw material categories in Odoo are configured to be extensible so you can add future categories without custom code rewrites.
Material Requirement Form
Definition
A Material Requirement Form is an internal stock transfer document raised by Production to request raw materials from the RM Store for a specific job. It deducts the full issued roll weight from store stock and logs the return of any unused balance after the run.
Example
Your lamination crew needs 250 kg of 7-micron Aluminum Foil (`7-Alu-500mm-KG-001` at SAR 27.01/kg). Because the smallest master roll on the rack weighs 300 kg, look at how the Material Requirement Form tracks the full roll and its return:
1. Store Issuance to Lamination Warehouse: 300 kg deducted from RM Store on-hand stock (SAR 8,103.00).
2. Consumed on Lamination Machine: 250 kg bonded into pouches (SAR 6,752.50).
3. Balance Returned to RM Store: 50 kg unused reel weighed, returned, and re-added to store stock (SAR 1,350.50).
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Failing to track issued-versus-returned roll weights per Material Requirement Form causes two major inventory problems:
- Ghost shortages in the RM Store: If you deduct only the 250 kg BOM weight while the 300 kg roll is sitting on the press floor, your system thinks 50 kg is still on the store rack.
- Untracked partial rolls on the floor: Without a mandatory return entry, leftover 50 kg reels pile up around machines and get damaged.
In Odoo
Configure inter-warehouse transfers in Odoo Inventory between the RM Store and each work-center warehouse (Printing, Lamination 1, Lamination 2, Slitting, Pouching). Odoo maintains complete issued-vs-returned records on each Material Requirement Form and feeds the Material Issuance Report and Inventory Issued Warehouse-Wise Report.
Common mistake: Leaving partial rolls inside the production warehouse location after a job closes instead of returning them to the RM Store rack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does inventory issued to a production warehouse still appear in your total Inventory On-Hand report?
Yes, the complete Inventory On-Hand report includes stock across all warehouses (RM, SFG, and FG) until it is consumed or shipped.
Purchase Request (PR)
Definition
A Purchase Request (PR) is an internal requisition raised by your Planner based on the finalized demand forecast to order raw materials, printing plates, or consumables. Your Purchase Department reviews the PR and converts it into a commercial Purchase Order (PO) with supplier pricing and line-item ETAs.
Example
Based on next month’s demand forecast, your Planner submits a Purchase Request for 24,000 kg (24 tons) of film and adhesives. Purchasing converts the PR into a PO with independent Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) dates per line item:
| PO Line Item | Quantity | Line-Specific ETA | Line Value (SAR) |
|---|---|---|---|
Line 1: 12-PET-590mm-KG |
10,000 kg | 10 Days (In-Country Stock) | 115,000 |
Line 2: 100-PE-590mm-KG |
12,000 kg | 18 Days (Extrusion Run) | 114,000 |
Line 3: 12-MPET-590mm-KG |
2,000 kg | 32 Days (Sea Shipment) | 26,000 |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Letting planners place vendor orders directly or using a single header ETA date for a multi-item PO causes scheduling blind spots:
- Press scheduled before barrier film arrives: If Line 1 (PET) arrives in 10 days but Line 3 (MPET) takes 32 days, a single header ETA misleads Planning into scheduling lamination two weeks too early.
- Weak price negotiation control: Separating technical PR quantities (Planner) from commercial PO vendor selection (Purchasing) keeps procurement costs competitive.
In Odoo
Provide a dedicated Purchase Request (PR) module distinct from the Purchase Order (PO) app. When Purchasing converts the approved PR into a PO (supporting USD, AED, or SAR), each PO line item carries its own independent ETA date field.
Common mistake: Relying on a single PO-header delivery date when a supplier ships 5 different film widths across 3 separate weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the supplier send their commercial invoice once the material ships?
The supplier sends the commercial invoice directly to your Finance or Purchase department via email or courier, while the truck driver brings the Delivery Challan (DC) to the warehouse gate.
Delivery Challan (DC)
Definition
A Delivery Challan (DC) is the physical shipping document that accompanies a supplier’s delivery truck to your warehouse gate, listing the item descriptions, roll counts, and batch weights on board. In a controlled packaging plant, your store triggers a Quality Control (QC) inspection against the DC before generating a Goods Receipt Note (GRN).
Example
A supplier truck arrives at your Riyadh warehouse with 20 rolls (5,000 kg) of 12-micron PET film worth SAR 57,500. Look at how the DC and QC gate protect your stock before receiving:
Step 1: QC Inspection Against DC
Store logs truck arrival with DC #DC-8841 and requests QC check in Odoo.
Finding: 2 rolls (500 kg = SAR 5,750) have crushed core edges from transit.
Step 2: Partial GRN Unlocked
QC approves 18 good rolls (4,500 kg) and rejects the 2 damaged rolls.
Result: Store raises a Partial GRN for 4,500 kg (SAR 51,750) only.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Posting incoming rolls into stock from a Delivery Challan before QC inspection creates two costly problems:
- Damaged rolls racked as usable stock: Once a dented roll is racked in the warehouse without a gate check, your planner assumes it is good stock and schedules a press run against it.
- Slow supplier return claims: Rejecting telescoped or wet rolls against the DC at the loading dock is far easier than reversing a posted GRN weeks later.
In Odoo
When a delivery vehicle arrives, your store clerk triggers a QC inspection request in Odoo Quality (QM) referencing the supplier’s Delivery Challan (DC). Odoo blocks the store from generating a Goods Receipt Note (GRN) until QC marks the inspection as approved.
Common mistake: Generating and validating the GRN first just to get the truck unloaded quickly, and leaving the QC check for later.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if a rejected roll is discovered after it was already added into stock?
Items rejected after stock entry are moved to a separate “On Hold” warehouse and tracked on the Inventory Rejection Report.
Goods Receipt Note (GRN)
Definition
A Goods Receipt Note (GRN) is the official warehouse document that confirms QC-approved raw materials have been received against a Purchase Order. Once approved by the Store Manager, the GRN posts the batch quantity into on-hand stock and starts the stock-aging clock.
Example
Your store receives 505 kg of 7-micron Aluminum Foil (`7-Alu-500mm-KG-001`, valued at SAR 13,640) across two supplier batches. Look at how three separate roles control the GRN entry:
Role 1: QC Inspector
Approves the incoming Delivery Challan quality check so the GRN screen unlocks.
Role 2: Store Clerk (Creator)
Raises the draft GRN, assigns Rack numbers, and logs Batch 1 (250 kg) and Batch 2 (255 kg). Blocked from approving.
Role 3: Store Manager (Approver)
Verifies weights and clicks Approve GRN, posting 505 kg into active on-hand stock.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Allowing a single warehouse clerk to both create and approve a GRN violates segregation of duties and risks inventory fraud:
- Unverified quantity typos: Typing 2,500 kg instead of 250 kg on an unreviewed GRN inflates your inventory asset value by SAR 58,500.
- Broken traceability chain: Every raw material lot must trace back to its specific GRN, DC, and supplier batch if a defect appears on the press.
In Odoo
Enforce strict segregation of duties in Odoo Inventory: the user who raises a GRN cannot approve it, and only approved GRNs post quantities into on-hand stock. Support Partial GRNs so your warehouse can receive split shipments against a single Purchase Order.
Common mistake: Creating a brand-new item code for every supplier shipment instead of logging Batch 1 and Batch 2 under the same item code (7-Alu-500mm-KG-001).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do warehouse staff record the physical shelf location of incoming film rolls?
During GRN putaway, the warehouse assigns the specific Rack number inside the RM Store so operators can locate the roll instantly.
Production Receipt Note (PRN)
Definition
A Production Receipt Note (PRN) is the internal confirmation document that transfers completed (or partially completed) finished goods from the final production floor into the Finished Goods (FG) Store. Only after a PRN is completed can those goods be dispatched and invoiced against a Sales Order.
Example
A Jeddah biscuit factory orders 200,000 pouches (`00001-000001-00`, SAR 70,000 total) and urgently needs the first 80,000 bags delivered by Thursday. Look at how Partial PRNs unlock split deliveries:
| PRN Reference | Qty Transferred to FG Store | Commercial Action Unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Partial PRN #1 (Wednesday) | 80,000 pouches (Passed QC) | Dispatched Thursday & Invoiced (SAR 28,000). |
| Final PRN #2 (Sunday) | 124,000 pouches (+2% tolerance) | Balance Dispatched & Invoiced (SAR 43,400). |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Without a formal PRN step between the factory floor and the FG Store, dispatch and billing break down:
- Premature invoicing of unproduced bags: Blocking invoicing until a PRN posts into the FG Store stops accounting from billing goods that are still on the slitting or pouching machine.
- Delayed partial shipments: Supporting partial PRNs lets you ship urgent pallets to a customer while the rest of their batch is still running.
In Odoo
Configure a 1-step, 2-step, or 3-step transfer route in Odoo Inventory with an optional QC checkpoint to move finished output via a PRN into the FG Store. Fifteen days after final delivery, Odoo automatically creates a follow-up task for the salesperson to check in with the buyer on quality.
Common mistake: Leaving completed pouches inside the Pouching work-center location where the Sales Order delivery screen cannot see them for dispatch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a PRN different from a GRN?
A GRN receives raw materials from an external supplier into the RM Store, whereas a PRN receives finished pouches or reels from your own factory floor into the FG Store.
Stock Aging
Definition
Stock aging is the inventory metric that counts how many days a specific batch of Raw Material (RM), Semi-Finished Goods (SFG), or Finished Goods (FG) has sat in your warehouse since its GRN or inward receipt date. It is a critical planning tool for preventing chemical shelf-life expiry and dead stock.
Example
Your Planner reviews the weekly Batch Aging Report across RM, SFG, and FG warehouses in Riyadh:
| Inventory Category & Batch | Days in Stock | Value (SAR) | Required Planning Action |
|---|---|---|---|
RM: 12-BOPP-C-590mm (Batch #14) |
145 Days | 14,500 | Prioritize on next 590 mm job before corona treatment fades. |
SFG: Printed PET Roll (-01) |
21 Days | 7,800 | Expedite stalled Lamination pass immediately. |
FG: Client Pouches (00001-000001-00) |
95 Days | 38,000 | Alert Sales to collect balance payment & dispatch. |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Unlike metal hardware, plastic films and two-part adhesives degrade chemically if left on warehouse racks too long:
- Loss of film surface tension (dyne level): After 6 months in storage, corona surface treatment on BOPP and PET films fades so ink and glue peel right off.
- Expired NCO adhesive drums: Isocyanate hardener crystallizes in the drum if not used within its shelf life.
In Odoo
Generate the Aging Report based on product batch across all three inventory tiers (RM, SFG, and FG), counting days from the GRN or inward date. On the Finished Goods Inventory Report, display Location, Customer, Aging, Quantity, Sales Order, and Unique Job Code side by side.
Common mistake: Calculating aging from the last warehouse transfer date instead of the original GRN inward date, which resets a 150-day-old roll to “0 days old” when moved between racks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many standard inventory reports should your packaging ERP provide?
Eight core reports: Inventory On-Hand, Inventory On-Hold, Issued Warehouse-Wise, Overall Consumption, Material Issuance, Inventory Rejection, WIP Semi-Finished, and FG Inventory (all filterable by date, warehouse, category, and customer).
Weighted Average Costing
Definition
Weighted Average Costing is the IFRS accounting valuation method that recalculates a material’s unit book value by dividing total inventory value in SAR by total units on hand. In packaging plants, it operates alongside physical FIFO (First-In, First-Out) batch picking in the warehouse.
Example
Your Riyadh store holds two batches of `7-Alu-500mm-KG-001`: Batch 1 (250 kg bought in May at SAR 26.00/kg = SAR 6,500) and Batch 2 (255 kg bought in June at SAR 28.00/kg = SAR 7,140). When Production requests 250 kg, look at how warehouse picking and accounting valuation work together:
1. Physical Warehouse Rule: FIFO
Storekeeper picks the oldest lot first: Batch 1 (250 kg from May).
Benefit: Prevents May foil from aging on the rack while June foil gets used.
2. Accounting Ledger Rule: Weighted Average
SAR 13,640 ÷ 505 kg = SAR 27.01/kg average cost.
Benefit: Job costing charges 250 kg × SAR 27.01 = SAR 6,752.50 per IFRS.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Separating physical FIFO picking from financial Weighted Average costing gives your plant the best of both worlds:
- Smooth quoting prices: Weighted Average costing prevents sudden single-shipment price spikes from distorting your Quoting Engine.
- Fresh warehouse stock: Mandatory FIFO lot picking ensures older rolls are always consumed first on the shop floor.
In Odoo
Set the Product Category Costing Method to Average Cost (AVCO) in SAR base currency for IFRS compliance, while setting the Warehouse Removal Strategy to First-In, First-Out (FIFO) with mandatory lot tracking. Even if international supplier POs are calculated in USD or AED, Odoo posts all inventory valuations in Saudi Riyal (SAR).
Common mistake: Thinking that enabling Weighted Average costing in Accounting prevents the warehouse from enforcing FIFO batch picking on the racks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Weighted Average Costing erase supplier batch traceability?
No, Odoo keeps full lot-level and supplier-level detail on every roll while valuing the combined stock at one weighted average price.
Quantity Tolerance
Definition
Quantity tolerance is the agreed commercial variance (typically ±5%) between the quantity ordered on a Sales Order and the actual quantity delivered from a custom print run. Because high-speed presses and pouching lines cannot stop on the exact single bag, billing adjusts to match the actual manufactured output within tolerance.
Example
A Riyadh snack brand orders 100,000 custom Stand-Up Pouches at SAR 0.50 per pouch (SAR 50,000 initial Sales Order value) with a standard ±5% tolerance clause. Look at how the final run settles:
Contracted 5% Tolerance Window: 95,000 pouches (Min) to 105,000 pouches (Max).
Actual PRN Output from Pouching: 103,800 pouches (+3.8% overrun due to low press waste).
Updated Sales Order & Final Invoice: 103,800 pouches × SAR 0.50 = SAR 51,900 (+SAR 1,900 captured).
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Failing to manage the 5% quantity tolerance properly in your ERP hurts revenue and warehouse space:
- Unbilled overrun stock: If your production crew has a clean run that yields 3.8% extra bags and you only bill the original 100,000 order, those 3,800 custom-printed bags sit as dead stock or get given away free.
- Unauthorized Sales Order edits: Leaving post-production Sales Order edits open to all users risks unauthorized price or quantity tampering.
In Odoo
Include the 5% product tolerance clause on customer quotations and allow the internal Sales Order quantity to be updated after manufacturing finishes so the final invoice matches the exact PRN quantity. Restrict permission to edit confirmed Sales Order quantities after manufacturing strictly to the Administrator role.
Common mistake: Leaving open backorders in Odoo when a job finishes at 97,000 pouches (within the -5% tolerance) instead of closing the order cleanly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t a flexible packaging plant produce the exact single pouch count ordered?
Master film rolls come in fixed weights, and actual setup and splicing scrap varies slightly from shift to shift across printing, laminating, slitting, and pouching.
ZATCA E-Invoicing
Definition
ZATCA E-Invoicing (FATOORA) is the mandatory electronic invoicing system enforced by Saudi Arabia’s Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority. It requires every VAT-registered manufacturer to issue structured XML invoices with cryptographic stamps, QR codes, and real-time clearance integration.
Example
Your Riyadh packaging plant issues a final tax invoice for 1,000 kg of finished pouches (`00001-000001-00`) at SAR 28,000 plus 15% VAT (SAR 4,200 = SAR 32,200 total). Look at what your ERP validates before transmitting the invoice:
Phase 1: Generation Rules
Verifies the Saudi buyer’s mandatory 15-digit VAT number, Commercial Registration (CR), national billing address, and tamper-proof QR code.
Phase 2: Integration & Clearance
Generates the UUID and cryptographic hash, clears the B2B XML invoice with the ZATCA portal in real time, and returns the stamped PDF/A-3 invoice.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Missing customer VAT numbers or issuing non-compliant invoices in Saudi Arabia triggers immediate financial penalties:
- Rejected B2B invoices at clearance: If a salesperson skips entering the customer’s mandatory VAT number and billing address on the Requirement Form, ZATCA’s portal rejects the invoice at dispatch.
- Fines for deleting or editing posted invoices: Under ZATCA rules, posted invoices can never be deleted or altered; adjustments require a formal electronic Credit or Debit Note.
In Odoo
Enable Saudi Arabian ZATCA Phase 1 and Phase 2 localization in Odoo Accounting with SAR as your base currency. Enforce mandatory VAT registration and Commercial Registration (CR) verification for every domestic customer (01 prefix) at the CRM and Requirement Form stage so billing data is 100% complete before production starts.
Common mistake: Waiting until the delivery truck is at the loading dock to ask a new Saudi customer for their VAT certificate and national address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ZATCA e-invoicing apply to the 50% advance payment invoice too?
Yes, advance payment tax invoices must also be cleared through ZATCA and later reconciled on the final delivery invoice.
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)
Definition
Low MOQ (Lowest Minimum Order Quantity) is the smallest production batch a packaging converter will accept for a custom-printed pouch or roll order. Because every print run carries fixed setup time (40 minutes) and setup waste, unit costs rise sharply on smaller quantities.
Example
An emerging specialty coffee brand in Riyadh (classified as Tier B: one-time order with upgrade potential) requests a quote for custom pouches. Look at how fixed press setup costs (SAR 800 for 40 minutes setup + SAR 600 setup film = SAR 1,400 fixed setup) affect the price per pouch across three order volumes:
| Order Quantity | Fixed Setup Cost per Pouch | Running Material & Conversion | Quoted Selling Price (40% Margin) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low MOQ: 5,000 Bags | SAR 0.28 / bag | SAR 0.44 / bag | SAR 1.20 / bag (SAR 6,000) |
| Standard: 25,000 Bags | SAR 0.056 / bag | SAR 0.44 / bag | SAR 0.83 / bag (SAR 20,750) |
| Bulk Run: 100,000 Bags | SAR 0.014 / bag | SAR 0.44 / bag | SAR 0.76 / bag (SAR 76,000) |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Pricing Low MOQ orders with bulk per-kilogram rates instead of factoring in setup time destroys shop-floor margins:
- Setup time exceeds running time: A 5,000-pouch run takes only 5 minutes to print at 200 m/min, but still consumes a full 40 minutes of press setup.
- Multi-flavour consolidation wins deals: Letting a buyer combine five 5,000-pouch flavours on one Requirement Form (using the Duplicate Design button) shares one film width across 25,000 total pouches.
In Odoo
Because the Quoting Engine automatically includes the 40-minute print setup time and machine hourly rates on every calculation, Low MOQ enquiries automatically generate a higher per-unit price range to protect your 35% minimum margin. If a salesperson wants to offer a strategic discount below 35% to win a promising Tier-B brand, Odoo triggers mandatory CEO approval.
Common mistake: Quoting a 5,000-bag order using a flat per-pouch price list that ignores the 40-minute press changeover and registration cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you classify occasional small-order buyers in your CRM?
Small, occasional buyers are ranked as Tier C, while one-time small buyers with strong growth potential are ranked as Tier B.
OEE (Overall Equipement Effectiveness)
Definition
Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is the master manufacturing KPI that measures how productively a printing press, laminator, slitter, or pouching machine runs during a shift. It multiplies three percentages together: Availability (uptime vs. changeover/breakdown), Performance (actual speed vs. 200 m/min standard), and Quality (good output vs. scrap).
Example
Your Plant Manager reviews an 8-hour (480-minute) shift on Printing Press 1 (costed at SAR 1,200/hour = SAR 9,600 shift cost):
1. Availability: 83.3%
400 mins running ÷ 480 mins shift (two 40-min job changeovers).
2. Performance: 95.0%
Ran at 190 m/min average vs. 200 m/min target speed (76,000 m printed).
3. Quality: 96.0%
72,960 m passed QC ÷ 76,000 m total printed (4% setup & splice waste).
Total Shift OEE: 83.3% × 95.0% × 96.0% = 76.0% Overall Equipment Effectiveness.
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Without tracking all three pillars of OEE per work center, managers misdiagnose factory bottlenecks:
- Hidden shade-matching downtime: A press that runs fast at 220 m/min still delivers a poor 55% OEE if operators lose 90 minutes per shift remixing spot inks.
- Preventive maintenance collisions: Uncoordinated maintenance stops ruin Availability unless PM windows are blocked on the production schedule upfront.
In Odoo
Odoo Manufacturing and Maintenance track OEE across every work center (Printing, Lamination, Slitting, Pouching) by comparing the Planner’s planned changeover, registration, shade-matching, and run minutes against the actual shift output logged by section clerks. Scheduled preventive maintenance (PM) windows automatically block Manufacturing Orders so planned maintenance never distorts active shift scheduling.
Common mistake: Allowing production staff to enter unlinked shift logs that are not tied to a specific master Production Order and process code.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a realistic OEE benchmark for a multi-color flexible packaging press?
Because custom packaging involves frequent 7-color cylinder changeovers, an OEE between 70% and 80% is considered strong world-class performance.
ECO (Engineering Change Order)
Definition
An Engineering Change Order (ECO) is a controlled Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) workflow used to modify an approved Bill of Materials (BOM), film layer structure, or production routing. It ensures that technical changes are reviewed, versioned, and re-costed before taking effect on the factory floor.
Example
A Riyadh snack client requests a barrier upgrade on their existing 2-ply pouch (switching Layer 2 from 12-micron MPET to 7-micron Aluminum Foil for a 1,000 kg batch). Look at how an ECO manages the transition cleanly:
| BOM Revision Stage | Lamination Layer 2 Spec | Batch Cost per 1,000 kg | ERP Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOM v1 (Before ECO) | 500 kg 12-MPET-590mm (SAR 13/kg) |
SAR 15,290 | Archived after current MO closes. |
| BOM v2 (Approved ECO) | 500 kg 7-Alu-590mm (SAR 27/kg) |
SAR 22,290 (+SAR 7,000) | Active for new reorders & quotes. |
Business Workflow
Business Impact
Overwriting live BOMs directly without an Engineering Change Order creates two expensive problems:
- Corrupted WIP jobs on the floor: Editing a live BOM while an active Manufacturing Order is mid-run confuses store requisitions and WIP accounting.
- Lost change audit trail: Without an ECO log, nobody remembers why adhesive weight was increased from 55 kg to 62 kg three months ago.
In Odoo
Use the Odoo PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) app to manage Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) whenever a multi-stage BOM or plate set changes. For artwork and dimension updates on a GDN, Odoo automatically disables the previous document version when a new version is uploaded and logs small changes in the GDN Remarks tab.
Common mistake:Manually editing a live BOM without triggering a costing re-run on the next repeat-order quotation.
Frequently Asked Questions
If a single cylinder wears out and is replaced with an identical cylinder, do you need a full ECO?
No, replacing a worn plate with an identical new plate code is handled through the Planner’s Plate Request Sheet, whereas an ECO is used for structural material or design changes.
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