Formulation built for the way nutritionists actually work
A real linear-programming workspace, not a spreadsheet with a solver bolted on.
Author formulas against hard nutrient and ingredient constraints, solve to least cost with a revised-simplex engine, then interrogate the result with shadow prices, sensitivity sweeps, and contribution analysis. Every solve is deterministic, costed, and versioned.
A real linear-programming solver under the hood
The core of the module is a revised-simplex LP engine that minimizes batch cost subject to every active constraint at once. It is deterministic and reproducible: the same inputs always return the same solution, and each solve is logged.
Revised-simplex solver
A two-phase revised simplex method solves the diet problem exactly, with reduced costs and a managed basis. No heuristic guessing, no manual goal-seeking.
Three authoring modes
Switch any formula between least-cost optimization, fixed amounts, or fixed percentages of batch. The same constraints and reporting follow you across all three.
≤ / ≥ / = constraints
Express nutrient targets, ingredient inclusion limits, and inter-nutrient ratios as less-than, greater-than, or equality constraints, all enforced simultaneously.
Honest solve status
Every solve returns optimal, infeasible, or unbounded, so you always know whether the formula in front of you is truly the lowest-cost feasible answer.
Cost intelligence on every solve
Total batch cost, cost per unit, the delta versus your previous solve, and the top material cost drivers update the moment the solver finishes.
Batch-size aware
Set the batch size and the solver scales amounts, levels, and costs to it. Nutrient targets stay in their native units of measure throughout.
Four tabs that hold the whole formulation problem
The formula editor organizes everything the solver needs into four working tabs. Edits auto-save and feed straight into the next solve.
Materials
Set min/max inclusion per ingredient and read back the solved level, % of batch, unit price, line cost, and shadow price, with a per-row override column for fixed-amount and fixed-percentage modes.
Properties
Define nutrient min/max targets in each property's native unit of measure, toggle constraints active, and see the solved level plus a binding-constraint flag when a target is what is driving cost.
Ratios
Constrain one nutrient against another, for example Calcium ≥ 2 × Phosphorus, with a choice of ≤, ≥, or = and a coefficient, enforced as a first-class constraint in the solve.
Rollup
Expand multi-level formulas: see the nested formula tree, the direct ingredients, the fully exploded leaf materials, and rolled-up nutrient values across every level.
See exactly why the solver chose what it chose
An optimal answer is only useful if you can defend it. These tools turn the dual side of the LP into something a nutritionist can read and act on.
Shadow prices
Dual values for every material and nutrient show the marginal cost of relaxing each constraint by one unit, visualized as a heatmap so binding constraints jump out instantly.
Nutrient sensitivity
Sweep a nutrient target up and down and watch cost and feasibility move with it, exposing the min/max feasible range before you commit to a spec.
Price sensitivity
Vary a material's price across a ±40% range in ten steps to see how its inclusion and total batch cost respond, giving you a fast read on which ingredients you are most exposed to.
Contribution matrix
A material × nutrient matrix attributes every nutrient level to the ingredients responsible, in absolute, percentage, or heatmap view.
When no formula is possible, get a fix, not a dead end
When constraints conflict, the module diagnoses why and proposes the smallest change that restores a feasible solution, so you are not left hunting for the culprit by hand.
Priority-ordered relaxation
Constraints are tested for relaxation in a sensible order: ratios first, then material bounds, then nutrient limits, until the formula becomes feasible again.
One-click apply & re-solve
Accept the suggested relaxation and re-solve in a single click, or read the guidance and adjust the constraint yourself.
Plain-language explanation
Each suggestion describes exactly which constraint to loosen and by how much, so the change is auditable and easy to justify.
One clean source of truth for ingredients and nutrients
Materials, nutrients, and their analytical values live in shared libraries, so every formula draws from the same vetted data, including values that are computed, not just typed.
Material library
Ingredients carry dry-matter %, default price and unit of measure, in-stock status, and species links, reusable across every formula.
Property library
Nutrients and analytical properties are typed (energy, protein, minerals, vitamins, fiber, fat) with their own units and locale-aware names.
Specifications matrix
Edit the full material × nutrient composition grid, or focus on one ingredient at a time, with side-by-side comparison and validation.
Computed (FX) specifications
Define composite values by equation, for example Atwater metabolizable energy from protein, fat, and fiber, recalculated on demand and badged FX.
Import & export
Bring materials, properties, and specifications in or out by CSV to keep the library in sync with lab results and external data.
Optimize beyond a single formula
Real decisions span multiple formulas and a moving market. Two tools take the solver from one recipe to the whole plan.
Multi-Blend batch optimization
Solve several formulas together under shared material-stock limits, so the optimizer respects what is actually available across the whole production plan, with global, price-list, or inventory pricing.
Forecasting & price scenarios
Project cost and feasibility over a horizon under flat, trend, or absolute price assumptions per material, and translate solved formulas into future ingredient demand before purchasing commits.
Every formula is versioned, approved, and audit-ready
Formulation is a controlled process. The module keeps the history, the sign-offs, and the safety checks attached to each formula.
Versions & milestones
Snapshot constraints as milestones, mark a release version, and restore or compare any prior version of a formula.
Solve log & cost trend
Every solve is recorded with its status, cost, batch size, and binding-constraint count, charted as a cost trend over time.
Approval tracks
Independent Customer, R&D, and QA approval tracks each capture who signed off and when, and appear on the printed report.
Species alert rules
Per-species threshold rules on any material or nutrient raise warning or blocking alerts after each solve to catch unsafe inclusions.
Cost the formula on the prices that actually apply
Choose where prices come from per formula, and let purchasing, inventory, quality, and production context flow into and out of the solve. Unlicensed modules degrade gracefully to global prices.
Global prices
Tenant-wide default prices from the material library, always available with no other module required.
Price-list basis
Cost against a purchasing price-list scenario and reference date when the purchasing module is in play.
Inventory basis
Use real inventory costs so the optimized formula reflects what stock actually costs you today.
Take the solved formula anywhere
Turn an optimal solve into the document or hand-off your team needs, with full control over what appears and to what precision.
Configurable PDF report
A printable report with organization header, approvals, materials, properties, ratios, and cost summary, with per-field sort order and decimal precision controls.
CSV export
Export materials and properties as flat CSV for spreadsheets, ERPs, or further analysis.
Send to production
Hand a released formula straight to a production batch when the production module is licensed.
Your formulas travel with you
Feedsoft is cloud-first: one browser interface that runs on any device, with nothing to install. Open the same formulation workspace on a phone or tablet to check a solve, read the cost, or sign off from the mill floor, a supplier visit, or the road.
Runs in any browser
No app to install or keep updated. The full module loads in the browser on phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.
Review & approve on the go
Open a formula, read its solve status and cost, and apply your Customer, R&D, or QA approval from anywhere.
Materials & specs at hand
Check ingredient prices, dry-matter, and nutrient specifications on the floor or at a supplier without returning to a workstation.
Always the live formula
It is the same cloud workspace, so what you see on mobile is always the current version, with no exports and no stale copies.
Put your own formulas in front of the solver
A focused demo maps your materials, nutrient specs, ratios, and pricing into the workspace so you can see the optimization, sensitivity, and reporting on your real formulas.