How to Plan a Production Run: A Step-by-Step Guide for Makers

If your batching system lives in your head (or your kitchen wall), here’s a better way to do it.Let’s be real: most makers don’t start with fa

On Hand Solution helps makers and small manufacturers manage inventory, production, and COGS from raw materials through final sale — across Shopify, Etsy, Square, Faire and WooCommerce.

How to Plan a Production Run: A Step-by-Step Guide for Makers

By Brant ·

If your batching system lives in your head (or your kitchen wall), here’s a better way to do it.


Let’s be real: most makers don’t start with fancy systems. They start with a scribbled recipe on a sticky note, jars lined up on a folding table, and a vague idea of what needs to be made “this week.”


But as your product line grows, your batching gets complicated—fast.


  • You’ve got 14 scents in 4 sizes
  • You’re prepping for wholesale + markets
  • And half your labels are backordered


Suddenly, your whiteboard starts feeling more like a bottleneck than a plan.


😵 Why Most Production Systems Fall Apart

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone:

  • You’re batching the same products multiple times a week
  • You forget to check what’s already in stock before you start pouring
  • You’re wasting ingredients on partial runs
  • You don’t know if you have enough packaging until you’re halfway through



That’s not your fault — it’s your system (or lack of one).


🧠 Smarter Batching Starts With a Smarter Run

On Hand Solution helps you batch intentionally, not reactively.


Here’s how it works:

Batch by Need, Not by Habit

OHS flags products that are low in inventory — so you’re only batching what actually needs to be made.


📦 Link Products to Formulas

Each product variant is tied to a formula and container, so you don’t have to guess ingredient amounts. You scale up or down — we do the math.


🧾 Pre-Batch Ingredient Breakdown

Before you even start, OHS shows you the exact materials you need — down to the gram or mL — so you can double-check you’re stocked and ready.


🏷️ Track Packaging + Inventory at the Same Time

Your jars, lids, and labels are deducted the moment the batch is submitted. No more forgetting to subtract what was used.


💬 TL;DR

A sticky note batching system works great… until it doesn’t.

With On Hand Solution, you can:


  • Plan smarter
  • Waste less
  • And get more done in fewer production sessions


👋 Ready to ditch the whiteboard?


Try OHS and make your batching brain automatic.

Free profit calculator: see what your product actually makes after fees