Creating & Performing a Breakdown
The Breakdown feature helps you accurately track and manage products that are split into multiple outputs, improving inventory control, reducing waste, and simplifying production.
The Breakdown feature in Supply’d’s Production module allows you to split a single product into multiple individual items. The original product, the Source Stock, is treated as one unit, and when processed, it is divided into its component products, the Yielded Products. Unlike a Production product (see Creating a Production Product and Creating & Performing a Production Run), you are dividing an existing item rather than creating something new. This one-step process is ideal for businesses such as butchers or oil producers, where a single item is transformed into several usable products.
Here's a few examples where this feature may be useful :
Butcher
Input: whole chicken.
Output: Various cuts (eg. wings, breasts, maryland).
Breakdown allows accurate tracking of source and yield inventory.
Oil Producer
Input: Bulk seeds or raw oil.
Outputs: Refined oil, meal, husk, waste.
Why it’s useful: Splits raw input into sellable products and by-products.
Breakdown products help manage inventory when bulk items are received, allowing you to track the quantities of each yielded product accurately in Supply’d.
Creating & performing a Breakdown in Supply’d allows you to manage the process of converting bulk or grouped stock into smaller, usable inventory units. This ensures stock is correctly counted, correctly labelled, and available in the right unit of measure for fulfilment and sales.
Each breakdown is recorded step-by-step so you can maintain accurate inventory control, traceability, and storage organisation.
Before creating a breakdown make sure the product exists as a Breakdown Product. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to create it first.
👉 See Creating a Breakdown Product for details on how to do this.
This document takes you through the process of performing a Breakdown.
The Production Page
Selecting Production in the main menu will open the Production page.
You'll see two tabs on this page:
Up Next
The Up Next tab shows Production Runs, including Breakdowns, that are either in progress or scheduled. The current stage of each batch is clearly shown using colour coding for easy identification.
Because Breakdown Products only have a single stage, this stage will be called 
, making it easy to identify all breakdown-related products and processes at a glance.
Completed
The Completed tab shows any completed runs or breakdowns.
Breakdown Details
Clicking on a Breakdown will open a page showing all the details of that breakdown.
To open or close the sections on this form, click the little arrows to the right of the titles (as circled in red above).
Source Stock: The item to be, or that is being, broken down.
Scheduled Date: The date the batch is being, or that will be, created.
Location: Breakdown location.
Batch Qty: The quantity to be produced.
Expected/Current Yield: The amount of items to be, or is currently being, produced in this batch.
Current Stage: Current stage this batch is in. A Breakdown product only has a single stage, so this will be
.
Sections:
Recipe: The Source Stock consumed in the batch. You will also be able to auto-assign batches for the Source Stock.
Stage Instructions: Any instructions that have been added for completing the breakdown.
Labour Tracking: This will show who is assigned to the breakdown and the time taken to complete it. A timer is also included for accurate tracking.
Production Yield: This shows both the expected yield and the actual yield.
Production Fields & Notes: You will be able to view and update any custom fields and add any notes related to this breakdown. 👉 These custom fields can be created in the Production Settings.
This page will be discussed in more detail in the Performing a Breakdown section below.
Additional Options
Clicking on the 3 dots in the top right of the Production page will open a menu with additional options.
These options are explained in the Additional Options section of the Creating & Performing a Production Run document.
Creating a Breakdown
Before creating a breakdown, ensure:
The Source Stock product and Yielded Products exist in Supply’d as inventory items.
The Source Stock product has been correctly set up with Breakdown Items (Yielded Products).
The correct unit of measure (kg, g, l, ml, etc.) is set.
You have received or identified the bulk stock to be broken down.
Storage locations are available for the resulting stock.
Click Add +
Click Add + in the top right corner.
The Add Production Batch form will show.
Product* [required field]
Enter or select the breakdown Source Stock. Clicking on or typing in the field will bring up a list of your products to choose form.
For our example below, we will be breaking down 10kg of chicken, so we will select “BC01 - Beefy Betty - Big Chicken 10kg x unit”.
After selecting the product, additional fields will appear.
Complete the sections as per the guidelines below:
Allocation
Production Date* [required field]
Select the date the breakdown will commence. Clicking this field will bring up a calendar where you can select the month, year and day.
Production Location* [required field]
Select the location where the breakdown is being performed and will be subsequently stored in inventory on completion.
👉 See the Locations document for details on adding locations to Supply'd.
Assigned To
Select the user(s) this breakdown associated to.
If no user is selected when creating a breakdown, the system will automatically display the name of the person currently logged in on the device during the breakdown.
👉 See the Users document for details on adding users to your Supply'd account.
Batch Details
Batch Qty
Enter the number of batches to produce in this run. The expected yield will automatically update based on your entry.
Measurement
Enter the expected measurement for the breakdown batch. This represents the total weight, volume, length, or other configured unit that will be processed during the breakdown.
For example: Breaking down one 10 kg of chicken would have a Measurement of 10 kg.
This is used as the expected quantity to be processed during the breakdown and helps compare the expected amount with the actual measurement recorded when the breakdown is completed.
Total Size
The combined total size of all ingredients required for this batch. This field is automatically populated and cannot be edited.
Performing a Breakdown
Select the Production Batch
Select the Breakdown from the Production Runs list.
The Breakdown details will open, ready to begin the breakdown.
If you are using integrated Wedderburn scales for the breakdown, see the Scale-Based Breakdown (with Wedderburn) document for detailed instructions.
Recipe
The Recipe section shows you the Source Stock required for the stage.
Assigning a Batch
You can manually assign a batch number for the Source Stock you are using for the breakdown or choose to auto assign a batch.
Manually Assigning a Batch
Click 
. The Assign Batch form will appear.
Batch* [required field]: Click on the field to view a list of available batches for this item. Select the batch you would like to use.
Batch Quantity* [required field]: Add the quantity of this batch you would like to use. If there is sufficient stock in the selected batch, the Quantity Required will be automatically filled.
Click 
to assign the batch number.
Auto Assigning Batches
To automatically assign batches to the order on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis, click 
.
You can also configure batches to always be automatically assigned to a batch in the Production Defaults section of your Production Settings.
Stage Instructions
Any instructions that have been added for the Breakdown will show here.
If you are tracking the time to complete this stage, open the Labour Tracking section. Select the user and start the timer at the beginning of this stage. (See step 5 - Labour Tracking).
Stop the timer once the stage has been completed.
Labour Tracking
Tracks the time spent on the breakdown.
User
Select the user. Click 
if you wish to add an additional user.
Time
Click the stopwatch on the right to start the timer. Click it again to stop.
You can also manually enter the time if you prefer not to use the timer or are on a shared device. Enter the time in the format "H:MM:SS".
Labour Tracking in Supply’d helps you measure the time spent on the breakdown. This makes it easier to monitor efficiency, understand true costs, and identify opportunities to improve processes.
Complete the Breakdown Yield
This is the actual yield achieved compared to the expected yield for this breakdown.
Actual Yield
Weigh and/or count the items produced during the breakdown and enter them into the Actual Yield fields. This is the quantity that was physically created after the breakdown has been completed. Until you enter an Actual Yield, the system will use the Expected Yield as the default value.
For example: You break down 10kg of chicken into the various cuts. You expected to produce 30 × 100g chicken breasts, but after breaking it down you only produce 28 breasts, so enter an Actual Yield of 28.
Recording the Actual Yield ensures inventory accurately reflects what was produced and helps identify any losses due to trimming, damage, or waste.
Measurement
Enter the actual measurement recorded during the breakdown. This is typically the weight, volume, or length of the product after it has been broken down and is used to calculate the final yield where applicable.
For example: 3kg of chicken breasts is weighed after trimming and records an actual weight of 2.8kg. Enter 2.8kg (or 2,800g) as the measurement.
Recording the actual measurement helps ensure yields are accurate, inventory reflects the quantity available after breakdown, and any losses due to trimming, evaporation, damage, or waste are correctly accounted for.
The unit of measurement displayed (eg. kg, g, L, m) is determined by the product's unit of measure.
Expected Yield
This field displays the quantity the system expects to be produced based on the breakdown configuration. It is automatically calculated and cannot be edited during the breakdown.
Production Fields & Notes
Complete any custom fields and add any relevant notes for this breakdown.
👉 See the Production Settings document for details on how to create custom fields.
Finalise the Stage
When the breakdown is complete, click 
.
You will be asked to confirm.
Click 
.
If you have missed tracking labour, you will receive a warning about these after clicking .
Note: If Enforce Batch Tracking is enabled in the Batch Coding section of your Production Settings, you will not be able to finalise this stage unless a batch has been assigned.
You can finalise the breakdown without including labour costs. However, the total cost of the breakdown will not be accurate if labour is omitted.
Any inventory batches used will be consumed after finalising. The breakdown will be marked as completed 
and moved to the Completed list. Completed batches will be added to inventory ready to sell or consume.
If you need to save any changes to a stage without finalising it, click Save Changes. You can return to this stage later to continue or finalise it.
Completed Breakdown Details
Once a Breakdown has been finalised, the details will open.
Source Stock
The Source Stock used for the Breakdown. This helps track the batch through inventory, sales, and any recalls.
Location
The storage location or warehouse where the breakdown was performed. This helps track inventory and ensures correct stock management.
Assigned To
The staff member this Breakdown was assigned to.
Production Notes
The Production Notes section shows any additional details associated with this breakdown, such as information from any custom fields and any notes that have been added. This may include special instructions, quality observations, or internal comments recorded throughout the process.
Cost & Margin Summary
The Cost & Margin Summary breaks down the costs associated with this breakdown and shows how it compares to your selling price, helping you understand the profitability of the product.
Stages Summary
The Stages Summary provides a detailed breakdown of the products produced, the costs and the time spent on the breakdown.
Additional Options Before Completion
Before finalising all stages, selecting a Breakdown product from the Production Runs list and clicking the 3 dots on the top right will open an additional menu.
Save Stage
This will save the Breakdown without finalising it, and is an alternative to clicking Save Stage at the bottom of the page.
Finalise Stage
An alternative to the button, clicking this will finalise the breakdown. The breakdown will be marked as and moved to the Completed list.
Edit Production
Allows you to edit the breakdown.
👉 See Editing a Breakdown below for full details.
Remove Production
Will remove the breakdown. You will be asked to confirm.
If the production is already mid-stage, any inventory consumed will not be automatically restored, so removing the breakdown could result in discrepancies in your stock.
Additional Options After Completion
After finalising the Breakdown, selecting a Breakdown product from the Production Runs list and clicking the 3 dots in the top right will open an additional menu with fewer options than above.
Print Label
Enables you to print the label for this product if you have a template set up for it.
👉 See Printing Labels below for full details.
Remove Production
Will remove the Breakdown. You will be asked to confirm.
If you delete a breakdown after it’s been completed, the batch will have already been added to inventory. In that case, you will need to manually adjust your inventory.
Bulk Actions
Selecting one or more items by checking the boxes next to those products, then clicking on the 
button will give you the extra options.
Sub-Recipe Runs
Production Runs
The 
button will stay grey until at least one item is selected. Once at least one item is selected, the button will turn green, and become clickable.
Use the Filter function 
to display only Breakdown products, making it easier to view and perform actions on breakdowns only.
Download > Pick List
This downloads the Production Pick List, which contains a detailed list of all items required for the selected production runs or breakdowns. The pick list can be printed or saved as a PDF, allowing staff to gather the correct inventory before a run or breakdown begins.
This action is also useful for planning production-related purchases.
Export
Export Sub-Recipe Runs
This is mainly used for production runs and is not applicable to breakdowns.
Export Production Runs
This option allows you to download a spreadsheet of your production runs/breakdowns. The exported file includes key details such as Product names, Locations and Batch Quantities etc. It’s useful for record-keeping, reviewing production plans, or sharing information with your team outside of Supply’d.
Editing a Breakdown
Prior to completion, select the breakdown product from the Production Runs list, click on the 3 dots on the top right, and select Edit Production.
The Edit Production Batch page will show.
Edit any fields required in the same way as Creating a Breakdown above.
Click to apply changes.
Printing Labels
To print labels for the product:
Complete the Form
Complete the Print Label form as follows:
Template* [required field]
Select the template to use to generate the label for this product.
Supply’d offers a variety of system templates for you to choose from.
👉 For instructions on creating your own templates, please refer to the Templating document.
Batch
Select the batch number to be included on the label. Select None to not include the batch number.
If you opened this from within a breakdown, the batch code for that breakdown will appear first by default.
Action* [required field]
Select whether to download as a PDF or print directly from a Supply'd scanner.
Printer* [required field]
Select the printer you would like to use to print.
Copies* [required field]
Enter the number of labels you would like to use.
Sales Channel
Select the sales channel to retrieve the carton quantity and pricing information.
Customisation
Complete this section to optionally change the font or include extra information on the label.
If left blank, only the product name and barcode will be printed.
For price labels, the product name, price, and barcode are included by default.
Font* [required field]
Select the font you would like to use in this customisation.
Barcode
Select the barcode type you want to use on the label. Choose None to not include a barcode.
Logo
Select the logo to use on the label. Only applies to templates with utilise the logo_image.
Custom Text
Add any custom text you would like to include on the label (maximum 20 characters). This option only applies to templates that utilise custom text.
Filtering the Production Runs List
On the Production page, the 3 lines next to the 3 dots in the top-right corner let you filter the product list, while the magnifying glass allows you to search for specific items.
Clicking on the magnifying glass, you can search the Production Runs list by product name or brand.
Clicking the 3 lines opens the Filter Production form, giving you access to all available filtering options.
Product
Select a product, or products, to show only production runs for the selected product(s).
Department
Choose the department(s) you want to filter by to display only production runs assigned to the selected department(s).
Status
Select the status(es) that you would like to filter the list by.
Stage
Display runs at a particular production stage or stages. For example, if you only want to see Breakdown Products, you would select "Breakdown".
Scheduled Date
View runs scheduled for a specific date or timeframe. Clicking on the field opens a calendar to choose a date or date range.
Click 
to set the date(s).
Assigned To
Select the user(s) to view runs assigned to them.
Batch
Enter a batch number to locate those specific batch.
Click 
to apply your selections and filter the Products list.
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