Field Pack - Before You Begin

This guide outlines the necessary steps the Croptracker account admin must complete prior to using the Field Pack module. For additional support in setting up your fieldpack workflow, please contact support@croptracker.com

Prerequisites

The user must have access to the following modules on the Croptracker website
- Field Pack
- Punch Clock

For more information on adding Field Pack and Punch Clock to your Croptracker account contact support@croptracker.com

The user has access to a desktop printer to print employee badges
The user has access to a desktop printer to print master pack tags

Log in to the Croptracker Website

Navigate to https://app.croptracker.com/ and log in with your username and password

Create Your Growing Areas

Follow the How to Add Your Maps guide to set up blocks and rows for each variety of product to be packed

Product Setup

In order to track the cases packed and loaded onto pallets, the cases and pallets must both share two items: The Pack Style and the Product. The following steps outline how to set these up.

Create Your Pack Styles

Pack Styles (also called Master Styles) are used to describe the packaging for a particular product. A packstyle is usually a type of box or tray that contains consumer-facing items like clamshells or punnets.

A cardboard box containing 12 punnets of 1/2 pints each

When these Pack Styles are combined with a particular crop and/or quality, it is called a Product.

For example, if there is a style called “A Box” then there could be a product called “A Box of Raspberries” or a product called “A Box of High Quality Raspberries”, but in each case they would use the style “A Box”

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RASPBERRIES 12X1/2 PT OPEN CB

Follow the How to Add a Master Style guide to set up pack styles that will connect to each Product from the previous step
The pack style will be used to generate printed tags to be affixed to each case prior to workers entering the field Generally the title of the pack style will match the title of the product as it describes the packaging components of the product Since a pack style describes the container it can be shared among multiple products/commodities It is important to adopt a simple naming convention for the products and pack styles.
Example 12X1/2 PT OPEN CB This describes a pack style consisting of: 12 punnets size 1/2 pints Open top cardboard box The Title is what the master style is called in Croptracker The Label will show on some master tag designs
Tracking the consumption of packing materials is not required. You can track packing materials by following the How to Track Packing Material Inventory guide

Create Your Products

Products contain information about the packed case that allows the case to be tracked, palletized, and counted towards an employee’s piece payout. In Croptracker, a Product is a combination of a crop type, such as Strawberries, and a pack style, stuch as the 12X1/2 PT OPEN CB example above.

Follow the How to Add a Product guide to set up the products that are to be created by employees

Set the Title and Master Style fields
- The Title is what appears at the top of most printed master tags
- We recommend setting the title of the product to match the crop type and master style, but other titles can be used
Set the Master Units per Pallet to the number of units that fill a pallet
- We recommend amounts of around 100-200 per pallet
Other fields such as Crop / Variety, Weight, and Harvest Class are optional

Employee Setup

In order to track employee time and pieces for field packing, each picker must be set up within the Punch Clock module via the Croptracker website. The following steps outline how to set up employees for field packing.

Create Employee Pay Schedules

Before adding employees, create the pay schedules that the system will use to determine the employees' pay.

Follow the How to Add a Pay Schedule guide to create a pay schedule that sets employees' hourly pay as well as product-based piece rates
- A pay schedule can be designed for an individual employee, or shared among many employees
- Multiple piecerates for many different products can be set on a pay schedule
- In the example on the right, an employee packing a 20 pound pail of Raspberries would be paid $20 for each unit, while packing a 6x3 quart box would yield $5.50 per unit

For each pay schedule, click the Add Field Pack Piece Rate button to set a new piece rate on the pay schedule
- The Style and Product set for the piece rate must match the product set on the pallet and master tag
- The product set on the pallet will have a single pack style set via the Croptracker website
- In the example on the right, the associated master tag should be printed for the style 12X1/2 PT OPEN CB and the Product RASPBERRIES in order for the employee to receive a piecerate of $7.23

Create Your Employees

To track which cases are packed by which employees, you must add each employee to Croptracker via the website.

Follow the How to Add Employees guide to set up the employees who will be packing in the field
Each employee at minimum must have a name and employee number, as well as an associated Pay Schedule as described in the Create Employee Pay Schedules section above

Print Employee Badges

Follow the How to Print Employee Badges guide to print employee badges using a desktop printer
It is recommended that the badges are laminated for use in the field
The barcode must be visible on the badge so it can be scanned by a scanning device
Employee photos can be added to badges, but is not required

Tag Scanning Setup

Connect a handheld scanner or barcode reader (optional)

Master tags and employee badges can be scanned using the camera on the mobile device within the Croptracker Field Pack module
For high volume scanning it is instead recommended to connect a handheld scanner or barcode reader to your mobile device via bluetooth
Follow the How to use a Bluetooth barcode scanner with the mobile app guide for connecting a handheld scanner or barcode reader to the Croptracker mobile app

Pre-print Master Tags

When Field Packing there are two ways to scan tags to track cases loaded onto pallets. The first method is to print hundreds of tags, affix them to cases, and then scan them when each case is loaded. The second method is to print a single tag for each product and scan that one tag as each case is loaded. While the former has tags affixed to each case, the latter does not require the cases to be tagged. The table below outlines how to pre-print the tags for each method. Use the method that applies to your workflow.

Pre-Printing Master Tags	Pre-Printing Reusable Master Tags

Pre-Printing Master Tags

Pre-Printing Reusable Master Tags

In the Piecerate Workflow documented here Field Pack - Piecerate Workflow a unique master tag is printed for each empty case before employees enter the field.

In the Streamlined Field Pack Workflow documented here Field Pack - Reusable Tag Workflow only one master tag is printed per product to be used as a product reference when scanning masters and employee badges.
Additional copies of the Reusable tags can be printed if necessary.

Follow the How to Print Master Tags guide to print the master tags prior to employees entering the field
Set the Pack Date, Lot Code, Number of Tags, Master Tag Format, and Product
Print the tags using a desktop label printer
Each tag should be affixed to a case prior to entering the field to save time
Print multiple master tags at once

Follow the How to Print Master Tags guide to print the reusable master tags prior to employees entering the field
Set the Pack Date, Lot Code, Number of Tags, Master Tag Format, and Product
Print the tags using a desktop label printer
Do not affix reusable tags to cases

Print one reusable tag for each product

What is “Use Product from Pallet” when pre-printing Master Tags?

Some master tags contain text indicating the specific product it represents This limits which product the tag can be used for In some circumstances it is not desirable to limit the printed tag to an individual product when multiple products are being packed
By checking the Use Product from Pallet box, the printed master tags are no longer limited to a specific product and the product is set when it is scanned onto a pallet When unchecked, the user must specify the master’s product on each tag and then ensure it is scanned onto the correct pallet	A tag with no pack style indicated
A benefit of “Use Product from Pallet” is you can print hundreds of product-less tags and then use them throughout the season for different products that share the same style This saves time and reduces waste printing tags for different products	An example of two products using the same style
Another benefit is you can set a unique piece rate for each product so the payout will be determined by the pallet the case is loaded onto

When Should I Check the “Use Product from Pallet” Box?
- When you are packing different products that are using the same style of tag
- When you want to pre-print hundreds of the same tag that will be shared among different products
- When the employee’s piece rate for the packed master depends on which pallet the master is palletized onto
When Should I Not Check the “Use Product from Pallet” Box?
- If you want the name of the product to display on the pre-printed master tag
- When the employee’s piece rate for the packed master depends on which tag is affixed to the physical case

Connect Barcode Scanner to Mobile Device

It is recommended for high-volume throughput that a handheld bluetooth-capable barcode scanner is used to scan employee badges and master tags. The blue-tooth scanner must be connected to the mobile device via bluetooth prior to use in the field.

When on the Scan Masters screen the user can scan either a badge or master tag to populate the fields using the handheld scanner without needing to tap the “Scan” button on the mobile screen. After scanning an employee badge, the master tags can be scanned in quick succession, or a reusable master tag can be scanned multiple times. It is recommended that the employee badge is scanned first, then multiple master tags are scanned afterward for that employee. To switch to another employee, scan a different employee badge.

For more information on setting up a barcode scanner, please refer to the following guide: How to use a Bluetooth barcode scanner with the mobile app