A cold store holds other people's goods: potatoes and onions after harvest, fruit through the season, frozen fish and meat for traders and exporters, dairy and medicines for distributors. Parties bring lots in, take part of them out over months, and pay rent for the time they stayed. The goods are not yours, but every bag or carton short is your problem, and every rent calculation is a possible argument.
Lots, chambers and positions
The base record is the lot: one party's goods received on one day, with the commodity, the count of bags, crates or cartons, and the weight if it matters. Each lot is placed in a chamber, and in a large store, at a position within it. When a party asks how much is left, or a chamber has to be emptied for maintenance, the system answers in seconds.
| Question | With a register and paper passes | With cold storage software |
|---|---|---|
| How much does this party have? | Add up passes for every lot | Shown per lot and in total |
| Where is it? | Ask the chamber in-charge | Chamber and position on the lot |
| What rent is due? | Worked out by hand at the end | Calculated from dates and quantities |
| Can the goods go out? | Owner decides from memory | Balance shown on the gate pass screen |
Gate passes in and out
Every movement is a gate pass. An in-pass records the party, vehicle, commodity, count and chamber. An out-pass records what is taken from which lot, by whom and in which vehicle. Partial withdrawals are normal, so a lot runs down over time and the system always knows what remains. A copy of each pass can go to the party on WhatsApp the moment it is made.
Rent by period
Rent is where cold stores and parties disagree most. Stores charge in different ways: per bag or carton per month, per season, or by weight per period, with a minimum. When a party takes out half a lot mid-month, rent on the remaining half continues. The software should hold your rent rules per commodity or per party and calculate rent from the dates and quantities on the passes, so the bill can be explained line by line.
Find the party's lots
Search the party and see each lot with its chamber and remaining count.
Check rent due
The system calculates rent to date on the lots being withdrawn and shows any older balance.
Take payment or approval
Collect payment by cash, bank transfer, JazzCash or EasyPaisa, or record the owner's approval to release on credit.
Issue the out-pass
Print the pass with lot, count and vehicle, and send a copy to the party.
Confirm at the gate
The gate checks the vehicle against the pass before it leaves.
Loans against stored goods
In some cold stores the owner advances money to parties against the goods in storage. If you do this, each advance should be tied to the party and its lots, and release should check both rent and advance. Keep this simple and visible; it is the part of the business that most needs clean records. Each advance should show who approved it and on what date.
Power and temperature
Load shedding is a cold store's biggest operational risk. Generator hours and diesel can be logged in the same system, and temperature readings per chamber recorded by staff or a sensor. That history helps when a party claims spoilage. It also shows which chambers use the most power, which matters when deciding which to fill first at the start of a season and which to close when the season ends.
A small store with a few regular parties can run well on a carefully kept register. Software pays off when there are many parties, partial withdrawals every day and rent arguments at the end of the season.
Related guides
Transporters who store goods in dry warehouses use a similar party-stock model, covered in goods transport software. Arhtis who store produce after the mandi should read arhti and commission agent software. For stock control in general, see inventory management software.
How Operix builds it
Operix Systems builds ERP software in Pakistan from Old Clifton, Karachi. We start from your gate pass book and rent rules, design each screen for your approval, release weekly and train your gate and office staff in Urdu or English. Our logistics industry page covers storage and movement. To see lots and rent working on sample data, book a demo.
Questions people ask
Can rent rules differ by commodity or party?
Yes. Each commodity or party can have its own rent rule, such as per bag per month or per season. The system applies the right rule when calculating rent.
Can parties check their stock themselves?
Yes, through statements sent on WhatsApp, or a simple login if you want one. Most stores start with WhatsApp statements.
Can gate passes be printed in Urdu?
Yes. Passes and statements can be designed in Urdu, English or both, in the format your parties already know.
Do you have an office near our cold store?
Operix works only from Old Clifton, Karachi. Stores around Karachi can get on-site setup; stores elsewhere are served online, with visits when needed.
