To create multiple outputs for an Assembly, you will need to create multiple Templates. This can be a bit confusing the first time, so we'll run through an example here with you to make sure you're on track.
When you are doing a Run, you can add multiple Assemblies to be executed, which means multiple outputs will be created in one synchronized action.
Example
Let's say we have an Assembly that produces our homemade pasta sauce. We put the sauce in 16, 24, and 32 oz jars to be sold to our customers.
We'll have one template to create our homemade sauce. (For more information on how to set up your initial Assembly, be sure to check out either the recipe or bill of materials articles!)
For this example, we're going to assume the initial Assembly to create the pasta sauce has run and the ingredients were already deducted. What we're left with is a large amount of pasta sauce (in gallons) that needs to be placed in jars.
Creating Additional Templates
Next, we need to get the pasta sauce into its correct jars so we can sell it to customers. To ensure accurate cost tracking, you will need to create a template for each potential output, in this case, three in total.
16 oz
24 oz
32 oz
Let's start small and create an additional Assembly for the 16 oz jars. Your template will look like this:
1) Give your template an easily identifiable name, as shown below:
2) Add your inputs and how much should be deducted for each jar:
Unsure of how we did that math? Be sure to check out this article on how to make those conversions!
3) Add your output! It's the most simple if this is 1 single unit, but you can play around with that as well. This way, you can choose for the template to be run multiple times:
NOTE: 'Assembly cost' is an optional field and would calculated in addition to the cost we automatically calculate for you based on your inputs. If you enter an 'assembly cost,' it will be applied to each output unit. Generally, unless you know the number, you can leave this blank.
Now you would just need to create the other two templates for the other sizes (24 and 32 oz), just like you did for the 16 oz!
The Run
Once you have all three templates created, this is where the magic happens. Let's say we cooked up 10 gallons of sauce and it's ready to be put into jars. 1 gallon equals 128 fluid ounces. So 10 (gallons) x 128 ounces = 1,280 ounces to work with!
Out of the 1,280 oz, we'll use Assemblies to create:
18 - 16 oz jars
26 - 24 oz jars
9 - 32 oz jars
When we get to the Run page we can enter each of those templates to execute, and how many times we want it to be run. Since we want 18 jars of the 16 oz, we'll run it 18 times (and so on for the other sizes) shown below:
Conclusion
Each business has unique needs, so this example is not a hard and fast rule. This is meant to serve as a guide and highlight what can be done with Assemblies.
The reason we do not allow for multiple outputs for an individual Assembly comes down to cost tracking. We want to ensure that your costs are always accurately recorded in Thrive, so you know you can rely on our reporting.