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Order Weight Calculation

When an order arrives, Pickpad predicts its total weight before the scale measures it. This prediction is used to decide how many Pickpad trays the order needs and to verify accuracy once the order is placed.

Step 1 — Match order items to the catalog​

For every dish and modifier in the order, Pickpad looks up the matching catalog record by External ID.

If a dish or modifier has no catalog entry or no weight set, it is counted as missing. The prediction is still attempted for matched items, but packaging weight is skipped unless every dish in the order was matched.

Step 2 — Sum food weight​

Each matched dish contributes its catalog weight multiplied by the quantity ordered. Each modifier on that dish contributes its weight multiplied by the modifier quantity. All contributions are summed into a total food weight.

Step 3 — Calculate the acceptable range​

For each dish and modifier, Pickpad picks an allowed deviation using the priority order described in Weight Settings — dish override, then category, then account default.

The final deviation reported alongside the prediction is the weighted average across all items. It defines the range the scale reading is expected to fall within:

acceptable range = predicted weight  ±  deviation

Step 4 — Add packaging weight​

If the order type is known (pickup / delivery / dine-in) and all dishes were matched, Pickpad checks the packaging rules on each category:

  • Determines which packages apply to this order type
  • Calculates how many packages are needed based on dish count and items-per-package
  • Adds the package weight multiplied by the number of packages to the total

Packaging weight is only added when the category has packaging configured, the package is enabled for this order type, and no dishes were missing.

Result​

The prediction is only produced when every dish and modifier in the order has a weight set in the catalog. If any item is missing or has no weight, the prediction is skipped and the raw scale reading is used as-is.

When successful, the result contains the total expected weight in grams (food plus packaging) and the acceptable deviation range the scale reading should fall within.