Lots/Expirations Tracking

Updated by Tony Runyan

*NOTE: The following describes how Lot Types are set up and managed. However, to utilize Lot Tracking features, please contact your account manager and they will manage the set up process.

Red Stag supports tracking both Lot Numbers and Expiration Dates. This information will be captured while processing a Delivery and will remain with the inventory at it's stock location until it is Picked and finally Packed and shipped out. This feature will allow you to:

  • Gain visibility on inventory aging and lot numbers in stock.
  • Enforce the order in which inventory is allocated to new orders.
  • Report on which customers received a product with a given Lot Number or Expiration Date.
  • Prevent mixing fulfillment of a single order from multiple Lot Numbers or Expiration Dates.

To enable Lot Tracking, the first step is to create a Lot Type. Different products may have different requirements so just create one Lot Type for each set of requirements and then assign the appropriate products to each Lot Type. Once a product is assigned to a Lot Type the Lot Tracking functionality will automatically be enabled for that product.

To manage Lot Types go to Catalog > Lot Types

Creating a new Lot Type

The fields are:

Name 

The name for this Lot Type

Allow Mixing Locations

Specifies whether a Lot is allowed to mix with other lots in the same location.  ( Same Lot Type and Product but different Lots/Expirations )

Allow Mixing Fulfillment

Specifies whether a Lot is allowed to mix with other Lots when fulfilling an order.  ( Same Lot Type and Product but different Lots/Expirations )

Lot Number Input

The input method used when processing the lot number.  Choose between:  

  • None  — A lot number will not be tracked, no input field
  • Choose Date  — A calendar field will be used to enter the lot number.  Use when the lot number is a full date ( year, month, and day).
  • Extract Date  — A text entry field to enter the lot number.  Use to extract a date from the lot number.
  • Text  — A text entry field to enter the lot number
Expiration Date

The input method used when processing the Expiration Date info.  Choose between:

  • None  — An expiration date will not be tracked, no input field
  • Choose Date  — A calendar field will be used to enter the expiration date.  Use when the expiration date is a full date ( year, month, and day).
  • Extract Date  — A text entry field to enter the expiration date.  Use to extract a date from the lot or expiration numbers.
  • Based on Lot Number Date  — Used when the lot number has a date that is used to calculate the expiration date, no input field
When only tracking Lot Number or the Expiration Date, when displaying lot info to the user the untracked info will be displayed as a dash '-'.

Burn Order

Specifies what stock should be used first when fulfilling orders.  Can specify Choose Between:

  • None  — No preference between Lot Numbers, Expiration Dates, and those without when fulfilling an order.
  • FIFO (Accepted Date)  — First in first out; based on the date the delivery was accepted
  • LIFO (Accepted Date)  — Last in first out; based on the date the delivery was accepted
  • FEFO (Expired Date)  — First expired first out; based on the expiration date
  • LEFO (Expired Date)  — Last expired first out; based on the expiration date
  • FIFO (Lot Number)  — First in first out; based on the lot number
  • LIFO (Lot Number)  — Last in first out; based on the lot number

Lot Number Input Selection Fields

Extract Date

When selecting Extract Date three new fields will be shown.

  • Lot Number Example — Used to enter in a typical example of the lot number used on the product(s). This will be used to validate the Lot Number Pattern below and displayed to users when prompted to input a lot number.
  • Lot Number Pattern — Used to enter in a Regular Expression (RegEx) for capturing the date info from the Lot Number Input.
  • Lot Number Replacement — Used to enter a RegEx that is used to turn the captured pattern above into a recognizable date that will be saved as the lot number.

Text

When selecting Text three new fields will be shown — the same ones shown for Extract Date but with slightly different usage and instructions.

  • Lot Number Example — (The same use as for Extract Date) Used to enter in a typical example of the Lot Number used on the product(s). This can then be used to validate the Lot Number Pattern below and can be displayed to users when they are prompted to input a Lot Number.
  • Lot Number Pattern — Used to enter in a RegEx for capturing the Lot Number
  • Lot Number Replacement — Used to enter a RegEx that is used to either just save the Lot Number as is or can transform the entered Lot Number into something that is more human readable.

Expiration Date Selection Fields

Extract Date

When selecting Extract Date three new fields will be shown.

  • Expiration Date Pattern — Used to enter in a Regular Expression (RegEx) for capturing the date info from the Expiration Date.
  • Expiration Date Replacement — Used to enter a RegEx that is used to turn the captured pattern above into a recognizable date that is saved as the Expiration Date.

Based on Lot Number Date

When using Based on Lot Number Date one new field will be shown

  • Expiration Date Delta — Used to enter the number of days that should be added to the Lot Number Date to calculate the Expiration Date.

Assigning a Lot Type to a Product

To assign a Lot Type to a product, go to your product's General tab. You will find a field called "Lot Type" that is a selection list of all the available Lot Types. Select the Lot Type you want assigned to this product.

Delivery

Processing

Processing a delivery will only be different once the user begins to process a product that has a Lot Type assigned to it.  The differences start when the user goes to start counting the product. When the "Count" button is click instead of going to the normal count screen the user will be shown the new Lot/Expiration page.

Depending on what settings were used when creating a Lot Type a Lot can consist of:• a Lot Number• an Expiration Date• a Lot Number and an Expiration Date — Will ask for the lot number then the expiration date.

The user will then be asked to enter in the expected lot info. After entering and submitting all of the lot info the user will be taken to the normal counting screen but they are counting undamaged product for this particular lot on the selected container. When they encounter a second lot, this should be processed as a different lot. The user will submit the count for the first lot, once submitted the user will be back to normal processing screens.

When the user goes to count a different lot for that product the lot info page will now show all previously entered lots.

On this page the user can now:

  • edit the other lots
  • create a new lot
  • select a previously entered lot to count
When selecting a previously entered lot to count, the user will be counting the selected lot on the selected container.

For managers the lot info will be shown on the containers tab of a delivery's view. 

Viewing Lot Information

A Product's Inventory

A product's lot info is shown on Inventory tab in each warehouse's locations. You will see two new columns: Lot Number and Expiration Date.

All Processed Lots

To view all information for processed lots, go to Catalog > Lots/Expirations.

Clicking on a row will show that lot's information

A Lot's View

The Information tab shows the lot's information.

The Shipments tab will show any shipments that have used this Lot.

A Shipment's View

When a shipment has a product with a Lot Type the lot info is displayed as a new column on the product in a shipment.

Exporting Lot Information

Receiving, Shipping, and Lots/Expirations grids will allow you to export out the lot information.

Receiving Grids

From the Receiving grids, ASNs, RMA, Cancellations, and Other Shipments, you can export out the Delivery Lots/Expirations as CSV or Excel XML files.

Shipping Grids

From the Shipping grids, Orders and Shipments, you can export out the Shipment Item Lots/Expirations as CSV or Excel XML files.

Lots/Expirations Grid

The Shipment Item Lots/Expirations export is also on the Lots/Expirations grid.

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