[2] Process manufacturing is common[3] in the food, beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, consumer packaged goods, cannabis, and biotechnology industries.
The plastic used in injection moulding is process manufactured, but the components it is shaped into are generally discrete, and subject to further assembly.
In process manufacturing you can make as much of a finished product as is specified in the formula for the smallest quantity in stock of one of the ingredients.
A packaging recipe is similar to a formula, but rather than describing the proportion of ingredients, it specifies how the finished product gets to its final assembly.
And a restaurateur may have the option of getting a 5- or 50-gallon metal container with the beverage in syrup form, so that carbonated water can be added later.
Separate pack orders are issued to signify how the bulk material is to be containerized and shipped to the customer.
For example, large grocery chains sell products, such as soups, soda, and meats, under their own brand names, hence "private labels".
Thus segregation of the formula and pack recipe makes the world of process manufacturing efficient and effective.
With process manufacturing, the end-product is unable to be broken down to its original ingredients, for example beer or pasta sauce.
Thus, the ERP software must be able to account for these intricacies in its ability to convert and transform raw materials to finished goods.
Management of the processes and the system as a whole can be achieved using the PDCA cycle, with an overall focus on risk-based thinking aimed at taking advantage of opportunities and preventing undesirable results.