Food Manufacturing Software for Australian SMBs
BSimple’s manufacturing module is built for small food manufacturers who need real traceability and compliance — not a spreadsheet workaround.
- Recipe management with ingredient tracking — define finished products with ingredients, quantities, and wastage allowances
- Production batch tracking — every batch gets a unique code and barcode for full traceability
- HACCP-ready traceability — track from supplier lot through production to customer invoice, forward and backward
- Use-by date management — expiry dates tracked per batch, with visibility across inventory
- Xero COGS sync — material costs per production batch flow to Xero automatically for accurate P&L
- Customer ordering portals — wholesale customers place orders online, reducing manual order entry
Food manufacturing has inventory demands unlike almost any other industry. You’re not just counting widgets — you’re managing ingredient lots with use-by dates, following recipes to ensure consistent product quality, tracking batches in case of a food safety issue, and staying on the right side of Australian food safety regulations. Try doing all of that in a spreadsheet and you’ll understand why it breaks down fast.
Picture a small sauce manufacturer in regional Queensland. Twelve product lines, dozens of ingredients from multiple suppliers, production runs three days a week. One day there’s a question about a supplier’s tomato paste — which batches used it? Which customers received those products? Without proper batch tracking, that question takes hours to answer. BSimple’s manufacturing module is designed to make that kind of traceability automatic — without the complexity or cost of a full ERP system.
Recipe Management and Production Runs
Every food product starts with a recipe. In BSimple, you define your finished products with a full Bill of Materials — ingredients, quantities per batch size, wastage allowances, and packaging materials. Recipes can be versioned so you keep a record of formulation changes over time, and old versions can be archived without losing your history.
When you’re ready to run production, you raise a production run in BSimple. The system automatically calculates the exact ingredient quantities needed for your planned batch size — whether that’s 50 litres or 500 litres. Before you start, BSimple checks stock availability and warns you if any ingredient is running low. That means no mid-run surprises when you discover you’re short on a key ingredient.
Once production is complete, the system deducts raw ingredients from inventory and creates the finished goods in stock — all in a few clicks. You can record the actual quantities used if there are variances from the recipe, and BSimple tracks those against your standard wastage allowances.
Want to see how the manufacturing module works? Learn more on our manufacturing inventory software page.
Batch Traceability and Food Safety
Every production batch in BSimple gets a unique batch code and barcode automatically. This isn’t just for tidy record-keeping — it’s the backbone of your food safety system.
When raw ingredients arrive from a supplier, you record the supplier’s lot number. When you use that ingredient in a production run, BSimple links your internal batch to the supplier lot. When finished goods are dispatched to a customer, the batch is allocated to the sales order and Xero invoice. The result is a complete chain — from supplier delivery note to customer invoice — with every link recorded.
If a food safety issue arises — a supplier notifies you of a problem with a raw material, or a customer reports an issue — BSimple gives you immediate forward and backward traceability. You can identify which batches of finished product used the affected ingredient, and which customers received those batches. That kind of rapid recall response is what HACCP compliance looks like in practice.
Use-by dates are tracked at the batch level too. You get visibility across your inventory showing which batches are approaching expiry, so you can prioritise dispatch or take action before product is wasted.
Xero Integration for Food Manufacturers
For a food manufacturer, understanding your true cost per product is critical. Are your margins holding up as ingredient prices change? Is your wastage eating into profitability on a particular line? BSimple connects with Xero to give you those answers without manual spreadsheet work.
When a production run is completed, BSimple calculates the material cost based on actual ingredients used and their purchase costs. That COGS figure flows to Xero automatically — no manual journal entries. Your P&L in Xero reflects the true cost of goods manufactured.
Purchase orders for raw ingredients are raised in BSimple and match to supplier bills in Xero when stock is received. GST on both raw material purchases and finished goods sales is handled correctly for your BAS. If you’re buying agricultural inputs (some GST-free), BSimple handles the mixed tax treatment correctly.
Financial reporting in BSimple shows profitability by product line — so you can see which products are carrying the business and which ones need a price review. Learn more about how BSimple integrates with Xero on our Xero integration page.
As a food manufacturer, you know that managing your inventory and orders is crucial to keeping your business running smoothly. That’s where BSimple’s inventory management software can make all the difference. Our solutions are designed to seamlessly integrate with Xero, giving you a complete view of your stock levels and order flow. Whether you’re a large food manufacturing operation or a smaller, agile business, BSimple has the tools to help you stay on top of your inventory and delight your customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does BSimple have a manufacturing module for food businesses?
Yes. BSimple includes a full manufacturing module designed for small food manufacturers. You can define recipes with ingredients and wastage allowances, run production batches with automatic ingredient deduction, track batches with unique codes for traceability, manage use-by dates, and have COGS flow automatically to Xero. It’s purpose-built for Australian SMBs — not a retrofitted retail inventory system.
How does batch traceability work for food safety compliance?
Every production batch in BSimple gets a unique code linked to the supplier lots of ingredients used. When finished goods are dispatched, the batch is recorded against the customer invoice. If a food safety issue arises, you can trace forward (which customers received affected product) or backward (which supplier lots contributed to a batch) in seconds. This supports HACCP workflows and rapid product recall response.
Can BSimple track use-by dates on food products?
Yes. Expiry dates are tracked at the batch level in BSimple. You can see across your inventory which batches are approaching their use-by dates, so you can prioritise dispatch or take action before product expires. Use-by dates are also recorded on outbound orders so you have a record of what expiry date the customer received.
Is BSimple suitable for small food manufacturers?
Absolutely. BSimple is designed specifically for Australian SMBs — businesses with 5 to 50 staff who need real manufacturing and traceability capability without the cost or complexity of a full ERP system. Most food manufacturing customers are up and running within a week. Australian support is available on 1300 980 598 from the team in North Arm QLD.
How does COGS work for manufactured products in Xero?
When you complete a production run in BSimple, the system calculates the total material cost based on the ingredients used and their purchase prices. This cost of goods manufactured flows to Xero automatically as a journal entry. When finished goods are later sold, the COGS is posted to your Xero P&L at the point of dispatch. No manual journal entries required — your Xero books reflect true manufacturing costs in real time.