<P> In the production cycle, a work order is issued to make the product in bulk . Separate pack orders are issued to signify how the bulk material is to be containerized and shipped to the customer . This is important in process industries which make "brite" stock or private labels . For example, large grocery chains sell products, such as soups, soda, and meats, under their own brand names, hence "private labels". But these chains do not have their own manufacturing plants; they contract for these products . In the case of soups, process manufacturers create and warehouse nondescript, unlabeled (hence "brite") aluminum cans of soup . (Since the cans are filled, sealed, and then cooked under pressure, their shelf life is long .) </P> <P> By separating the product formula from a packaging recipe, a production order can be issued to make and store the cans of soup and later, when the customer is ready to order soup, a work order can be issued to label the cans according to customer specifications before they are shipped to the store . Thus segregation of the formula and pack recipe makes the world of process manufacturing efficient and effective . </P> <P> Just like the products that they produce, discrete and processing manufacturing software have different focal points and solve different problems . For the same reason that the proverbial square peg does not fit in the round hole, software geared toward discrete, or even hybrid manufacturing will not work smoothly in a process manufacturing setting . Even process manufacturing software alone needs to be tailored to a particular business context . Critical aspects such as formulation, routing, ingredients, unit of measure, lot traceability and product & implementation pricing must be evaluated relative to the business . </P>

What type of production process best describes most cpg manufacturing