Connect your bean-to-bar equipment to real-time insight.
FactoryLink bridges your melangers, roasters, tempers, and cooling tunnels into CocoaCraft Hub. See runs, parameters, and downtime in one workspace — so you can protect flavor, hit production targets, and prove process control to partners.
FactoryLink is currently available for Maker Workshop tiers. Chocolate Lab support is planned for serious hobbyists and pilot labs.
Whether you're running a 5 kg test lab or a multi-line factory, FactoryLink helps you answer three questions:
- What equipment ran today, and how hard?
- Which batches hit—or missed—our target profile?
- Where are we losing time to setup, cleaning, or rework?
One workflow from recipe idea to repeatable production.
FactoryLink doesn't replace your formulation tools — it connects them. Recipes live in CocoaCraft Lab and Formulation. FactoryLink anchors the production side: what actually happened when you ran a batch on real equipment.
1. Register your equipment
Create a digital card for each roaster, melanger, temper, or packaging line. Record make, model, capacity, and critical constraints so everyone runs within safe limits.
You can start with a single key machine and grow over time.
2. Log runs against recipes
Operators pick the recipe or job, then record start/stop times, key temperatures, speeds, and any deviations. Every run becomes a traceable record linked to product and lot.
Works with manual entry today; live signals can be added later.
3. Review history & spot drift
Pull up a machine or recipe and see every run, changeover, and issue. Catch patterns like longer grind times, hotter roasts, or specific equipment causing rework.
Perfect for QA reviews, partner audits, and scaling up a hit bar.
Built for makers, teams, and partner programs.
Small labs need simplicity. Multi-site partners need accountability. FactoryLink is designed to serve both without forcing a “big ERP” mindset onto a craft chocolate workflow.
For makers
Keep your equipment story in one place: when it was installed, when it was serviced, and how each machine feels at different loads. Capture the tribal knowledge of your production floor.
Great for head makers who want visibility without spreadsheets.
For quality & operations
Tie non-conformances back to specific runs and machines. See which lines tend to go out of spec, which parameters drift first, and where downtime is eating capacity.
Gives QA and operations a shared source of truth.
For partners & clients
Show your process discipline with real history: calibration checks, maintenance logs, and production records that map to the partner’s SKU-level expectations.
Ideal for co-manufacturing, white label, and bean-to-bar collabs.
Where FactoryLink fits into CocoaCraft plans.
FactoryLink is included with Maker Workshop tiers and planned as an add-on for serious Chocolate Lab users. Here’s how it lines up at a high level.
| Capability | Chocolate Lab | Maker Workshop |
|---|---|---|
| Recipe Builder & Lab history | Core recipes and small-batch history for personal labs. | Full recipe history with team access and controls. |
| FactoryLink access | Planned add-on for advanced labs and pilot plants. | Included with Hobbyist & above; unlocks equipment tracking. |
| Equipment count | Start with 1–2 key machines. | Track all major lines with standardized cards. |
| Run history and notes | Keep a basic log per machine. | Full run history linked to jobs, lots, and issues. |
| Growth Analytics | Optional; focused on personal learning. | Integrated with sales and operations signals. |
Ready to see FactoryLink in your own lab?
Start by organizing your recipes in CocoaCraft Lab, or spin up a Maker Workshop workspace if you're already running production for customers. FactoryLink will meet you where you are.