If you sell meat, seafood or fresh produce, you already live with catch weight, even if you don't call it that. A customer orders four cartons of skirt steak. Each carton weighs something slightly different. What should the invoice say?
The problem with averages
Many systems handle this with a nominal or average weight per carton. It's simple, but it means the invoice rarely matches what was delivered. Over a year, small differences on every line add up to real money, and disputes with customers take time to resolve.
What catch weight means
Catch weight means the product is ordered in one unit, such as cartons, but priced and invoiced on its actual weight. The real weight is captured when the product is packed, and that weight flows through to the invoice.
What good software does
- Records the actual weight of each carton, ideally straight from a connected scale at the packing bench.
- Keeps both units: what was ordered, and what was weighed.
- Invoices on the real weight, using the customer's contract price.
- Gives each carton an identity from the moment it's received, so you know where it came from and where it went.
Why it matters beyond the invoice
Accurate weights give accurate margins. When the real weight drives the price, the margin you see on an order is the margin you actually made. That changes how you price, which customers you chase, and which lines you push.
FoodFlow handles catch weight from receiving through to the invoice, with packing stations connected to scales. Talk to us about how it would work in your business.