Packaging
The Packaging module in OpenMES handles everything at the end of your production line. It covers scanning finished goods at the packing station, building pallets, setting shipping destinations, and completing shift handovers with a permanent audit trail. Built for touch screens, it lets packers work fast while keeping full traceability of every unit that leaves the floor.
Packaging Overview
The Packaging Overview screen is your main hub for end-of-line work. At the top, a row of KPI tiles shows packers and supervisors how the current shift is going:
| KPI | Description |
|---|---|
| Packed Count | How many units were packed this shift |
| Plan | How many units you need to pack this shift (from work orders) |
| Backlog | Units left over from earlier shifts that still need packing |
| Completion Rate | How much of the shift plan is done, shown as a progress bar |
Below the KPIs, a table lists all work orders waiting to be packed. Each row shows the order number, product name, ordered quantity, packed quantity, remaining quantity, priority, and due date. You can sort by priority or due date to pick what to pack next. Click a row to open the Packing Station for that order.
This screen answers one key question for shift leads: "Will we finish today's packing plan, or do we need more people?" The backlog counter makes leftovers from earlier shifts easy to spot, so nothing falls behind without you knowing.
A cosmetics company packs 4,000 units per 8-hour shift across 3 stations. The shift lead opens Packaging Overview at the start, sees 120 units left over from the night shift, and gives the top-priority orders to the fastest packers. At the halfway point, completion shows 55% – they are ahead of schedule.
Packing Station
The Packing Station is the main screen for shop-floor packers. It works great with touch screens and barcode scanners. Big buttons, high-contrast colors, and a simple flow keep taps to a minimum. Here is how it works:
- Select Order – Pick the work order to pack from the queue, or scan an order barcode to select it automatically.
- Create or Select Pallet – Start a new pallet or keep packing into an open one. Each pallet has a unique number, a max capacity, and a quality grade.
- Scan EAN – Scan the product's EAN barcode with a handheld scanner or device camera. OpenMES checks the barcode against the expected product, adds one to the pallet count, and logs the scan with a timestamp.
- Live Scan Log – A scrolling list at the bottom shows every scan, newest first: timestamp, EAN, product name, and pallet number. Wrong scans (wrong product or duplicate) show up in red with a sound alert.
- Close Pallet – When the pallet is full or the order is done, tap "Close Pallet." OpenMES creates a pallet label (with barcode, pallet number, contents, quality grade, and date) that you can print right away on a connected label printer.
The screen keeps packing accurate. If someone scans a barcode that does not match the selected work order, the scan is rejected with a warning on screen and a sound alert. This stops mix-ups when you pack different products on the same line.
A pet food company uses a conveyor-fed packing station. The operator scans each bag before placing it on a pallet – up to 8 bags per minute. The Packing Station updates the count in real time. When the pallet hits 48 bags (the set maximum), it shows "Close Pallet" and creates the next pallet automatically – no downtime between pallets.
A contract packager works with 15 different SKUs for different clients. Each work order says exactly which product to pack. If a packer scans a unit from the wrong SKU, the Packing Station flashes a red warning and plays an alert sound. The scan does not count, and the error is logged for the supervisor. This one check has cut mispacking complaints by 95%.
EAN Code Management
Before you can scan products at the Packing Station, their EAN (European Article Number) barcodes need to be set up in OpenMES. The EAN Code Management screen lets you:
- Assign barcodes manually – Type in an EAN-13 or EAN-8 code and link it to a product. OpenMES checks the code automatically.
- Bulk CSV import – Upload a CSV file with EAN codes and product IDs (or product names) to add hundreds of barcodes at once. You see a preview with results before saving.
- Search and filter – Find barcodes by EAN, product name, or date added. Edit or turn off barcodes you no longer use.
One product can have many EAN codes (for example, different package sizes or regional versions). Each EAN code links to just one product. So scanning any valid barcode for a product will correctly identify it at the Packing Station.
Moving from another system? Export your existing EAN-to-product list as a CSV and use the bulk import. The importer will flag duplicates, bad codes, and unknown product IDs so you can fix them before they cause problems on the shop floor.
Pallets – Full Lifecycle Management
Every pallet created at a Packing Station is tracked from start to finish in OpenMES. The Pallets screen shows a table with these columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Pallet Number | A unique ID, created automatically or set by hand |
| Work Order | Which production order this pallet was packed for |
| Packed Qty | How many units are on the pallet |
| Quality Grade | A (top quality) or B (lower grade / rework) – set during packing or QC check |
| Location | Where the pallet is right now (warehouse or staging area) |
| Destination | Where the pallet is going – customer, distribution center, or internal warehouse |
| ERP Reference | Linked document number in your ERP system (for example, a delivery note ID) |
| Status | Open, Closed, Staged, In Transit, Delivered |
| Created / Closed | When the pallet was created and when it was closed |
Click a pallet row to see its full details: every unit scanned onto it, a reprint label button, quality grade change history, and movement history (where the pallet has been). You can customize the label template – add your company logo, product details, batch or lot numbers, customer PO reference, and a barcode or QR code for logistics scanning.
A glass bottle maker packs Grade A bottles (no defects) and Grade B bottles (small marks, still usable) onto separate pallets. The inspector at the end of the line sets the grade when each pallet is created. Logistics then sends Grade A pallets to premium customers and Grade B pallets to the discount channel – all tracked automatically in OpenMES.
Pallet Logistics
Once pallets are closed and staged, the Pallet Logistics screen tracks them from the factory floor to their final stop. Key features include:
- Destinations – Set up shipping destinations (customers, warehouses, distribution centers) with address, contact, and delivery window details.
- Transport Status Tracking – Each pallet moves through a clear status flow: Staged (ready for pickup) → Loading (going onto a truck) → In Transit (on the way) → Delivered (received). Every status change is timestamped and tied to the user who made it.
- Dock Assignments – Assign pallets to specific loading docks. Your logistics team can see which dock goes to which truck and destination. This prevents jams and loading mistakes.
You can filter by destination, status, date range, and transport reference. That makes it easy to answer questions like "Which pallets for Customer X are still staged?" or "What left Dock 3 today?"
A building materials company ships pallets to 12 distributors from one loading bay. The logistics coordinator groups pallets by destination, assigns them to the right dock (Dock 1 = Distributor A, Dock 2 = Distributor B), and marks each group as "Loading" when the truck arrives. The driver confirms receipt, the coordinator marks "In Transit," and the full chain of custody is saved.
Shift Handover
At the end of every shift, the Shift Handover makes sure the next team has everything they need. The handover screen shows:
- Shift Figures Review – Total units packed, pallets created and closed, completion rate vs. plan, and any backlog passed forward.
- Open Pallets – Any pallets that were not closed before the shift ended. The outgoing packer can close them now or hand them over to the next shift with a note saying why they are still open.
- Handover Notes – A text field where the outgoing packer or shift lead can write anything the next team needs to know: equipment issues, material shortages, quality concerns, or special instructions for certain orders.
- Confirm Shift – Pressing "Confirm" locks the shift record. Once confirmed, the handover cannot be changed or deleted. This prevents arguments about what was said between shifts. It also meets traceability rules for ISO and customer audits.
The locked shift handover record is important for compliance. During customer or ISO audits, you can pull up any past handover to show that proper communication happened, quantities were checked, and any issues were written down and passed on.
A pharmaceutical packaging site runs 3 shifts. At 14:00, the morning shift lead opens the Shift Handover screen and checks the numbers: 2,850 units packed, 95% of plan. Pallet #P-4412 is still open because the label printer jammed. They write "Printer fixed at 13:45 – pallet has 38 of 40 units, needs 2 more scans and a close" in the handover notes, then confirm. The afternoon lead reads the note, finishes the pallet, and starts their shift with full context.
Move Pallet
The Move Pallet screen lets operators record a physical pallet relocation in real time. It is designed for quick, one-at-a-time moves – scan or select a pallet, enter its new location, and confirm. Key fields:
- Operator – auto-filled with the logged-in user; can be changed for supervised moves.
- Pallet – select the pallet to move from a dropdown of active pallets.
- New location – the physical spot the pallet is being moved to (e.g.
B-07-02). - New destination – optional; update the pallet’s planned shipping destination (e.g.
DOCK-01). Leave blank to keep the current destination. - Notes – free-text field for move context (reason, instructions).
Every confirmed move creates a timestamped record in the Pallet Movements log.
Pallet Movements
The Pallet Movements screen is a read-only audit trail of every pallet relocation recorded via the Move Pallet form. Columns include:
- When – timestamp of the move.
- Pallet – pallet identifier.
- From / To – origin and destination locations within the facility.
- Destination – the pallet’s shipping or logistics destination.
- Operator – who performed the move.
- Notes – any context added during the move.
Use the column filters to narrow results by pallet, date range, operator, or location. This log is essential for traceability audits and investigating where a pallet has been.
Label Templates
Label Templates let you design and manage the printed labels that go on pallets, cartons, and individual products. The template list shows all configured labels with their key properties:
- Name – a descriptive label name (e.g. “Shipping Label A4”).
- Type – the label category (pallet, product, carton).
- Size – physical dimensions of the label stock.
- Barcode – the barcode format used (EAN-13, Code 128, QR, etc.).
- Default – whether this template is the default for its type.
- Status – active or draft.
Click New Template to create a label from scratch. The template editor lets you position text fields (product name, lot number, expiry date), barcodes, QR codes, and your company logo on the label canvas. Templates are used automatically when printing labels from the Packing Station or Pallets screens.