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For cottage food & small-batch makers

Cottage food & small-batch traceability software

Move from paper and memory to a real lot record - without ERP overhead. Built for jam, honey, and small-batch makers stepping up to wholesale and their first traceability requests.

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The problem

What growing producers are up against.

! Growth into wholesale brings traceability requests you can't answer from memory.
! Ingredient lots and batches are tracked on paper, if at all.
! Full ERP or QMS software is far too heavy and expensive for the stage you're at.
How LotThread helps

Built for cottage food & small-batch traceability software.

Start with one product

Set up a single product, supplier, and batch, and you have a real, traceable lot record the same afternoon - no rollout.

Ingredient-to-jar trace

Every finished jar or pack lot traces back to its batch and the ingredient lots that went in.

Lot labels & best-by dates

Generate finished-lot labels with lot numbers and best-by dates the moment a batch is done.

Recall-ready from day one

Run a mock recall against any lot so you're ready the first time a wholesale buyer asks.

Follow the thread

One connected chain, receiving to shipment.

1
Receive

Log each incoming supplier lot with quantity, expiration, and certificate - the lot lands in quarantine until it's inspected and approved.

2
Produce

Start a batch and consume exact approved lots. LotThread blocks anything on hold, expired, or short before it enters production.

3
Package

Turn a completed batch into finished lots with lot numbers and best-by dates, and generate a label in one click.

4
Store

Track remaining quantity, location, expiry, and hold/release state so you always know what's clear to ship.

5
Ship

Record customer shipments with the same guardrails, closing the chain from supplier lot to the customer who received it.

What you get

Outcomes producers feel right away.

Answer your first wholesale traceability request
Retire paper batch logs and sticky notes
Label finished lots professionally
Grow into wholesale with records that scale
FAQ

Questions about cottage food & small-batch traceability software.

Is this too much software for a small maker?

No - that's the point. LotThread starts at one product, one supplier, one batch, with guided setup and no ERP configuration, so a small maker gets real traceability without enterprise overhead.

Do I have to replace my accounting or ecommerce tools?

No. LotThread is the traceability layer that sits alongside QuickBooks, Shopify, and the tools you already use - it connects your materials, batches, and shipments into one record without replacing your books or storefront.

How long does it take to trace my first product?

Most producers trace a first product in an afternoon. You set up one product, one supplier, and one production batch, and the genealogy and recall scoping compute from there - no manufacturing ERP rollout required.

Can I import existing lots from a spreadsheet?

Yes. Map your columns once and bulk-import materials, suppliers, and existing lots from a spreadsheet or supplier file, so you start with your real history instead of a blank system.

Cottage food & small-batch traceability software - start in an afternoon.

Replace scattered spreadsheets and production records with one connected history from receiving through shipment.

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Begin with one product, one supplier, and one production batch.