Overview

A bill of materials (BOM) defines the raw materials needed to produce one unit of a finished good. For example, a BOM for a 250 g retail bag of espresso might list one bag, one label, one valve, and one tin tie.

Cropster uses BOMs to deduct raw material stock automatically when you save a packaging execution. This means that you don't need to adjust stock manually after each packaging run, and your material stock levels and usage history stay accurate with no extra effort.

Before you create BOMs, set up your consumables in Raw materials.

BOM list

To access BOMs, navigate to Commerce > Bill of materials in the navigation bar at the top of the page. Each BOM consists of:

• A product variant - the finished good the BOM applies to. The variant is set when the BOM is created and can't be changed afterwards.
• One or more component lines, each with:
  • A raw material
  • A quantity per unit - the amount of the material used to produce one unit of the finished good. The quantity must be greater than zero and defaults to 1.
  • A unit - taken from the raw material's base unit

At least one component line is required to save a BOM, and only one active BOM can exist per product variant at a time.

Note: By default, the BOM list shows only active BOMs. To see archived BOMs, apply the Archived status filter.

You can filter the list by:

• Product name
• SKU
• Material
  • Tip: This filter is useful when a raw material changes; for example, when you switch label suppliers. Filter by the material to find every BOM that uses it.
• Status

Add a BOM

1. On the BOM list, select Add BOM.
2. Select a product variant. Only variants that don't already have an active BOM appear in the list.
3. Add a component line: select a raw material and enter the quantity per unit. Archived raw materials don't appear in the component list.
4. Add more component lines as needed.
5. Select Create BOM.

Edit a BOM

1. Find the BOM on the BOM list and select Edit from the row actions. Alternatively, open the product's detail page and select Edit BOM on the relevant variant row.
2. Update the component lines. You can't change the product variant.
3. Select Update BOM.

When you save your changes, Cropster archives the current version of the BOM and creates a new one in a single action. This keeps a complete history of which BOM version was in effect at any time.

If the BOM is referenced by any open or in-progress packaging plans, a confirmation dialog lists those plans and warns you that they won't update automatically - they keep using the BOM version that was active when each plan was created. Confirm to proceed. No dialog appears if you made no component changes or if no open or in-progress plans reference the BOM. See what happens if a BOM changes after a packaging plan is created.

Copy a BOM

If several of your products use the same or similar materials, you can use Copy to create the next BOM without re-entering every component.

1. On the BOM list, select Copy from the row actions of the BOM that you want to duplicate.
2. The Add BOM form opens with the source BOM's component lines pre-filled.
3. Select the product variant for the new BOM. This field is empty and must be filled in.
4. Adjust the component lines if needed.
5. Select Create BOM.

Archive a BOM

1. On the BOM list, select Archive from the row actions.
2. If open or in-progress packaging plans reference the BOM, a confirmation dialog lists those plans and warns you that they will continue using the archived version. Confirm to proceed.

Once a BOM is archived, you can create a new BOM for the same product variant.

Note: Archiving is a one-way action and there is no unarchive option. To restore an archived BOM's components, use Copy on an active BOM with similar components to pre-fill a new one, or re-enter the components manually.

Automatic stock deduction (coming end of July 2026)

When you save a packaging execution, Cropster deducts raw material stock automatically based on the BOMs of the packaged variants:

1. When you create a packaging plan, Cropster locks in the active BOM for each variant at that moment.
2. When you save the execution, Cropster calculates the deduction for each component:

Units packaged × component quantity per unit = total deducted

One Packaging transaction is created per raw material for each deduction.

1. The transactions appear immediately in each raw material's transaction history.

For example, if you package 100 units of a variant whose BOM lists 1 bag and 1 label per unit, Cropster deducts 100 bags and 100 labels and records one Packaging transaction on each item.

If a variant has no BOM, no deduction happens for that variant and a No BOM warning badge appears on the execution page.

Stock indicators on packaging pages

Both the add packaging plan page and the packaging execution page show a stock badge on each variant row, so you can spot material problems before you start a run.

When more than one condition applies, only the highest-priority badge is shown: Negative stock > Low stock > No BOM.

Note: The badges show the current stock status only, they don't predict whether you have enough stock to complete the planned run. Cropster won't block you from saving an execution because of low or negative stock.

Packaging transactions in stock history

After you save an execution, each deducted raw material shows the deduction in the transaction history on its detail page. Packaging transactions:

• Have the event type Packaging
• Include a linked reference to the packaging plan (PPL), so you can trace every deduction back to the run that caused it
• Are system-generated - they cannot be created manually with adjust stock

Full training video

FAQ

What happens if a BOM changes after a plan is created?

Updating a BOM doesn't affect existing packaging plans. Open and in-progress plans continue using the BOM version that was active when each plan was created. This ensures a plan behaves predictably from creation to execution.

To apply an updated BOM to an existing plan, do one of the following:

• Create a new plan - it picks up the current BOM automatically.
• Remove the product variant from the existing plan and re-add it - the plan locks in the current BOM for that variant.

How can I correct a mistake caused by a packaging deduction?

To correct a mistake caused by a packaging deduction - for example, if fewer bags were used than the BOM calculated - create a manual positive adjustment on the affected raw material and add a note explaining the reason.

Can a product variant have more than one BOM?

Only one active BOM can exist per variant at a time. Editing a BOM archives the previous version automatically, so a variant can have several archived versions that document its history.

Why wasn't any stock deducted when I saved my execution?

The most likely reason is that the variant has no BOM. To verify, check for the No BOM badge on the product details page, or packaging execution page. Note also that a plan uses the BOM that was active when the plan was created; a BOM added after plan creation isn't picked up automatically. Remove the variant from the plan and re-add it, or create a new packaging plan.

Can I undo an automatic packaging deduction?

Packaging transactions can't be deleted or edited. To correct a deduction - for example, if fewer bags were used than the BOM calculated - create a manual positive adjustment on the affected raw material and add a note explaining the reason.

Is the raw material deduction separate from the roasted coffee deduction?

They happen together. When you save a packaging execution, Cropster deducts the roasted coffee and, driven by the BOM, the mapped raw materials at the same time, keeping both your coffee and materials inventory accurate.

Will Cropster stop me from packaging if materials are out of stock?

No. The stock badges warn you about low or negative stock, but Cropster won't block you from saving an execution. Stock can go negative; resolve it afterwards with a stock adjustment on the affected item.

Related articles

• Advanced Planning add-on
• Raw materials