Catch Weight Handling Feature Guide
Overview
Catch weight lets you manage items sold by weight but ordered by count. Meat, poultry, seafood, and produce often need this feature. Dakota tracks both the case count and the actual weight.
Key Benefits:
- Accurate weight-based billing
- Tolerance checking prevents errors
- Average weight calculation for planning
How It Works
What is Catch Weight?
A catch weight item has:
- Nominal weight: The expected weight per case (e.g., 40 lbs)
- Actual weight: The real weight you receive or ship
- Tolerance: How much variance is allowed
Example:
- Order: 10 cases of chicken at 40 lbs nominal = 400 lbs expected
- Receive: 10 cases at 38, 41, 39, 42, 40, 39, 41, 38, 40, 42 lbs
- Total actual: 400 lbs (matches expectation)
Weight Capture Points
Dakota captures weight at these points:
| Point | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Receiving | Weigh pallet or cases, enter total weight |
| Putaway | Weight travels with inventory |
| Allocation | System allocates by weight, not count |
| Picking | Picker confirms weight at pick |
| Shipping | Weight printed on BOL |
Weight Calculation
The system calculates:
- Average weight = Total weight / Case count
- Extended weight = Cases × Average weight
- Variance = Actual - Expected
Configuration Options
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| CW_ENABLED | Enable catch weight globally | OFF |
| CW_TOLERANCE | Variance % allowed | 5% |
| CW_REQUIRE | Require weight entry at receiving | YES |
| CW_ROUND | Decimal places for weight | 2 |
| CW_UOM | Weight unit of measure | LBS |
Item-Level Settings
Each item can be flagged for catch weight:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| CWFLAG | Y = Catch weight item |
| NOMWGT | Nominal weight per case |
| CWUOM | Weight UOM for this item |
| CWTOL | Item-specific tolerance |
Use Cases
Case 1: Receiving Meat Products
Scenario: Receive 50 cases of beef, nominal 45 lbs each.
Steps:
- Enter case count: 50
- Enter total weight: 2,240 lbs
- System calculates average: 44.8 lbs/case
- System checks tolerance: 0.4% variance - OK
Result: Inventory shows 50 cases, 2,240 lbs actual.
Case 2: Shipping by Weight
Scenario: Customer orders 500 lbs of chicken.
Steps:
- System finds cases totaling ~500 lbs
- Picker confirms weight at pick
- Actual shipped: 502 lbs
- Invoice reflects actual weight
Case 3: Tolerance Exceeded
Scenario: Receive cases with weight 20% below nominal.
Steps:
- Enter case count and weight
- System calculates variance: 20%
- Warning: Tolerance exceeded
- Options: Accept with override, reject, recount
Validation and Error Handling
Common Errors
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Weight required | CW item needs weight | Enter weight |
| Tolerance exceeded | Variance too high | Verify weight, override, or reject |
| Invalid weight | Negative or zero | Enter positive weight |
| UOM mismatch | Wrong unit | Check item master |
Tolerance Warnings
| Variance | Status | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 0-5% | OK | Accept |
| 5-10% | Warning | Review and accept |
| >10% | Alert | Requires override |
Related Features
- Receiving (WF-001): Weight captured at receipt
- Lot Tracking: Weight tracked by lot
- Expiration Dates: FEFO allocation considers weight
- Shipping: Weight on bills of lading
Document Information
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.0.0 |
| Module | Receiving |
| Feature | Catch Weight |
| Last Updated | 2026-01-13 |
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