A batch is a named group of stock records you want to review together. It can help you organize a shared handling session or record one observation for several affected items without repeating the same text for each one.
Each member keeps its own Stock number, quantity and history. The batch lets you review their records together; it does not combine their physical contents or put them all in one location or stage.
Create a useful group
Begin with stock that already has its own records. Click Next batch → to reach the next unused Batches row, leaving earlier groups in place. Enter a permanent Batch number, a name people will recognize and a short Purpose explaining why the group is useful. Set Show in dropdowns to Yes, then read Entry check. When it says Ready, the group can be used; there is no Post entries step for creating it.
Click Manage batch members → to open the next unused row on Batch membership. Choose the Batch number you just created and the Stock number joining it, then complete the membership change. Return to Batches and read Current members to confirm the group contains the stock you intended.
For an observation shared by the group, click Record a batch note →. It opens the next unused Batch notes row, where you choose the intended Batch number and describe the incident. To finish a group or note you already started, return to its original row instead of making another one.
The batch itself is not another receipt or production output. It does not add stock, consume its members or combine quantities with different units. This practice page has room for 200 groups.
Batch number
Choose a Batch number or short label you have not used for another group, then keep it unchanged. It tells membership changes and shared notes which group they concern, even if you improve the batch’s name later. Each member still uses its own Stock number for its individual work and history.
Batch name
Choose a short name that helps someone recognize the group during everyday work. It should say more than the number alone, such as identifying a shared handling or review session. A clear name makes it easier to choose the intended group before recording an incident.
Purpose
Explain why these records are grouped. They might share a sowing session, an inspection or exposure to one incident. The purpose should help another reader decide which stock belongs and what a shared note would mean.
Grouping records is different from physically combining stock. If material is actually used to make new output, that belongs in a production record with its real sources and quantities. A batch should not be used to imply that transformation has happened.
Show in dropdowns
Set Show in dropdowns to Yes while you want this batch offered for new membership changes and notes. Set it to No when the group is no longer used, keeping the original batch row for its earlier history.
If you later need a different group, add a new batch with a different number. Do not change the old group’s number or make its name represent an unrelated group, because earlier membership entries and notes still refer to it.
An older cell may show a dropdown warning after its choice has been hidden. If that value correctly describes the earlier record, leave it in place. The warning means it is no longer a current dropdown choice; it does not mean the record has disappeared.
Entry check
Read Entry check after completing the row. It can point out missing details or a Batch number already used. Ready means the row passes these checks. Resolve other messages before adding members or saving notes for the group.
Current members
Current members shows the stock belonging to this batch after the completed Add and Remove entries on Batch membership. Check that you see the items or lots you expect before using the group for a shared observation.
Removing a member changes this group list without consuming or deleting that stock. A shared note already saved for an earlier incident keeps its captured member list, so later group changes do not rewrite who the earlier observation concerned.