Lot numbers and expiration dates

If you sell products with a lot number or expiration date, you need to know which stock sits where in your warehouse and which customer it went to. In Picqer you record that alongside your stock. We call this feature traceability.

This guide covers what you record, why you record it in Picqer and how to approach it. Ready to get started? Read how to set up traceability.

Lot numbers and expiration dates in Picqer

A lot number is the code your supplier uses to identify a production run. The expiration date is the date printed on that run. In Picqer both belong to your stock on a location.

Together they make up a lot: the unit Picqer uses to trace your stock. A lot consists of a lot number, an expiration date, or both. In this guide we use 'lot' for that unit, and 'lot number' when we mean the code itself.

You decide per product what the lot consists of. Only the products you set up this way become traceable, so the rest of your warehouse keeps working exactly as it does now.

For a traceable product, stock from the same lot is always kept on one location, and two different lots are never mixed on a single location. The same lot may, however, be spread across several locations. This way Picqer knows exactly which lot comes from which location when you pick.

Why record it in Picqer

In some industries you are legally required to prove which lot of a product you shipped. Some certifications ask for this too.

When a supplier recalls a lot of a product, you want to know how much of it you still have on the shelves and which customers received that lot. That only works if you record the lot alongside your stock.

How to approach it

1. Decide which products to trace

You do not have to make your whole assortment traceable. Pick the products that genuinely need it, and decide per product whether you track the lot number, the expiration date, or both.

2. Check that your warehouse has enough locations

Since a location can only hold one lot of a product, you need a separate location for every lot you have in stock at the same time. Do new production runs often arrive while the previous one is still selling? Make sure you have enough locations available before you start.

3. Bring existing stock up to date at your own pace

The stock already sitting in your warehouse when you start does not have a lot yet. Picqer does not block your operation over this. You can fill in the missing lot details from a single overview and take your time with it, even if you have a lot of products.

4. Fill it in on every arrival

Stock can enter your warehouse in several ways. When you register a receipt, filling in the lot details is mandatory.

Stock also comes in through returns, stock counts and manual stock changes. On a manual stock change, filling in the lot details is not mandatory. Agree with your team that the lot always comes with the stock, otherwise you will find stock without data in your warehouse a few weeks in.

What you need in Picqer

To work with lot numbers and expiration dates you use these parts of Picqer:

• Stock per location: a lot belongs to a stock location, so you register your stock per location.
• Products of the type 'Normal': compositions and products with unlimited stock cannot be made traceable.
• Enough locations: per product, one location for every lot you hold in stock at the same time.

Useful additions:

• The 'Stock without lot' tool: use it to give the stock already sitting in your warehouse a lot number and expiration date in one go. The tool appears as soon as you turn traceability on.

What Picqer handles automatically

As soon as you have traceable products, Picqer takes care of this:

• The lot travels along. You enter it once, when stock arrives. When you move, write off and pick, it comes along by itself all the way to the packinglist, without you entering it again.
• The right lot ends up on the picklist. Because one location always holds the same lot, Picqer records which lot was taken from which location as you pick.
• Pick locations follow FEFO. For products whose expiration dates you track, Picqer gives priority to stock without an expiration date when choosing a pick location. Stock with the earliest expiration date comes next, including stock that has already expired. FEFO stands for first expiring, first out. Preferred locations and your bulk location setting take precedence over this date order.
• Every lot stays separate. When you move and put away stock, Picqer checks that two different lots of the same product never end up on a single location.

Reports

Two reports give you back what you recorded. One tells you where a lot came from and which customers received it. The other helps you keep an eye on your expiration dates.

Historical traceability data

This report shows which lots of a product you received and shipped. Open the product page, click the three dots under 'Stock' and choose 'Historical traceability data'. You get two overviews:

• Received lots: for each receipt, the amount, the supplier and the lot that came in.
• Delivered lots: for each order, the amount, the customer and the lot you shipped.

By default you see the last 30 days. Use 'Date period' to pick a different period of up to 12 months. To look up a single lot, use 'Lot number' or 'Expiration date period'. You only see the fields that match what you track for the product.

Has a supplier recalled a lot? Enter the lot number. 'Current stock' shows which locations still hold that lot, and 'Delivered lots' shows which customers received it. Click 'Export all results' to get an overview in Excel.

Products with upcoming expiration date

This report lists the stock that has expired or will expire soon. Go to Reports and open 'Products with upcoming expiration date'.

For each location you see the product, the lot number, the expiration date and the current stock, with the earliest date at the top. Dates that have already passed are shown in red. By default the report looks 30 days ahead. Use 'Expiration date up to and including' to choose your own end date.

If you work with fulfilment customers, you can filter the report by fulfilment customer. Your customers find the same report for their own products in the fulfilment portal.