Lot / Serial (Expiry Date)

Lot / Serial tracking records which batch or which individual unit every stock quantity belongs to, together with its expiry date. Use it for items that expire (food, drinks, medicine, cosmetics) or that must be traced unit by unit (phones, electronics, equipment).

Each item uses one of three tracking methods:

1. None – only the total quantity is tracked. For items that don't expire or need tracing.
2. Lot / Batch – many units share one lot number and one expiry date. For drinks, food or medicine from the same production run.
3. Serial Number – each single unit has its own unique number. For phones, laptops or machines with a warranty.

Turn on Lot / Serial

Lot / Serial is a company-wide preference. Turn it on once before any item can use it.

Go to Setting Lot / Serial:

1. Click on the Settings icon.
2. Click on the “Preference”.
3. Click on the “Item”.
4. Tick Active Lot / Serial.
5. Click the “Save” button.

Once active, the Tracking Method field on each item's Stock Information tab can be set to Lot / Batch or Serial Number. Items left on None keep working as before.

Set up an item for tracking

Choose the tracking method on the item itself. Only Stock Part items can be tracked (service items are always None).

1. Go to Item → Item, then click Add (or open an existing item).
2. Make sure Item Type is Stock Part.
3. Open the Stock Information tab.
4. Set Tracking Method to Lot / Batch or Serial Number.
5. Click Save & Close.

Item that already has stock. When you switch tracking on for an item with stock on hand, you must assign that stock to lots or serial numbers (Assign Lot / Serial to Existing Stock):

1. Lot / Batch: lot quantities must add up to the on-hand quantity of each warehouse.
2. Serial Number: enter one serial number for each unit on hand.
3. If any warehouse shows a negative on hand, correct the stock first, then change the tracking method.

Tracking method is locked after use. Once an item has any lot or serial movement, its tracking method can no longer be changed.

Importing items. Lot- or serial-tracked items must be imported with the Lot / Serial import template, not the standard one.

Record lots and expiry dates when receiving stock

Every stock-in line for a tracked item must be fully allocated to lots or serial numbers before the document can be saved. This applies to Purchase (Bill), Goods Received (GRN) and other documents that bring stock in.

Go to Purchase:

1. Click on Vendor → Vendor Transaction.
2. Click Add → Purchase (Bill) (or Goods Received (GRN)).
3. Choose the Vendor and Warehouse, then add the tracked item with its Qty and Cost.
4. Move to the next row. A Lot / Serial column appears on the line showing what is allocated, e.g. 0/10.
5. Click the Lot / Serial cell to open Lot Allocation.
6. Click Add Row and fill in the lot, then click OK.
7. When the cell shows the full quantity (e.g. 10/10), click Save & Close.

Lot Allocation fields (Lot / Batch items):

1. Lot No. (required) – your lot number. Type a new one or select an existing lot.
2. Supplier Lot No. (optional) – the batch number printed by the supplier.
3. Manufacture Date (optional) – production date.
4. Expiry Date (required for a new lot) – must be after the manufacture date.
5. On Hand – shown by the system for an existing lot.
6. Qty (required) – quantity in this lot; must be more than 0.

The header shows Item, Qty, Date and Remaining. Split one line across several lots by adding more rows; the lot quantities must add up to the line quantity.

1. New lot: a lot number that doesn't exist yet is marked new and is created when you save. It needs an expiry date.
2. Existing lot: its supplier lot no. and dates come from the lot itself and can't be changed here.
3. Lot details are locked once another transaction uses the lot. Change them on the document that received the lot.

Serial Number items: enter one serial number per unit (type or scan, then press Enter). You can also record Warranty Start and Warranty End when the unit is first received. A serial number already in stock, or already used for this item, cannot be received again.

Warning on save: if a lot expires on or before the document date, the system warns you before saving.

Choose lots when selling or issuing stock

Every stock-out line for a tracked item must say which lots or serial numbers leave stock. Auto (First Expired) fills this for you by taking the lot that expires soonest first.

Go to Invoice:

1. Click on Customer → Customer Transaction.
2. Click Add → Invoice (or Sale Delivery (GDN)).
3. Choose the Customer, then add the tracked item with its Qty.
4. Move to the next row, then click the Lot / Serial cell (e.g. 0/5).
5. In Lot Allocation (marked Stock Out), click Auto (First Expired), or click Add Row and pick the lot yourself.
6. Check that Remaining shows 0, click OK, then Save & Close.

Each row shows the lot's Expiry Date and On Hand at that warehouse, so you can see what is available before you choose.

Serial Number items: scan or type each serial number and press Enter, or pick it from Serials In Stock. The counter shows progress, e.g. Picked 3 / 5.

The system blocks a stock-out line when:

1. the lot had already expired on the transaction date;
2. the lot is not Active (for example Blocked or Quarantine);
3. the lot doesn't have enough quantity at this warehouse;
4. the serial number is not in stock, or appears twice on the same document;
5. lot quantities don't add up to the line quantity.

Check expiry and trace lots in reports

Six lot reports sit under Report → All Reports → Stock. Start with Lot Expiry Aging to see what is about to expire.

1. Lot Balance – see the quantity left in each lot, by item and warehouse.
2. Lot Expiry Aging – see stock grouped by days to expiry (0–30, 31–60, 61–90, over 90 days, Expired).
3. Lot Movement Detail – list every document that put stock into or took stock out of a lot.
4. Lot / Serial Traceability – search one lot, supplier lot or serial number and see its full history.
5. Lot Reconciliation – find documents that moved tracked stock without naming a lot.
6. Serial Register – list serial-numbered units and their status (In Stock, Sold, Returned, Scrapped); print serial barcode labels.

Lot Expiry Aging filters: As of, Warehouse, Item Group, Item Name, Lot No., Expires Within (Expired, or within 30 / 60 / 90 days), Open Days, Number Of Column Periods, Item Brand, and Hide Empty Lots. Columns show Lot No., Expiry Date, Days To Expiry, Warehouse, Qty On Hand, the aging buckets, Amount and Expired.

Tip: run Lot Expiry Aging with Expires Within = Expired or within 30 days each week to spot stock to sell first or remove.

Serial labels: from Serial Register, use Print Serial Labels to print one barcode label per unit. Set label width, height, gap and copies per unit, then scan the labels on your next document instead of typing.

FAQ and troubleshooting

I can't find Tracking Method on the item.

Turn on Active Lot / Serial in Settings → Preference → Item, then save. The item must be a Stock Part.

I can't change the tracking method of an item.

The item already has lot or serial movements, so the method is locked. Create a new item if you need a different method.

"The allocated quantity is less than the line quantity."

Open the Lot / Serial cell and add lots or serial numbers until Remaining is 0.

"This row creates a new lot, so it needs an expiry date."

Enter an Expiry Date for the new lot, or select a lot that already exists.

"The expiry date must be after the manufacture date."

Correct either date in Lot Allocation.

"The selected lot had already expired on the transaction date."

Choose another lot, or use Auto (First Expired) to pick the next valid one.

"That serial number has already been used for this item."

A serial number can be received only once per item. Check for a typing mistake, or use the unit's existing record.

Can I change a lot's expiry date after saving?

Only on the document that received the lot, and only while no other transaction uses it. After that, the details are read-only.

Do POS sales and stock assembly pick lots?

These documents move tracked stock without naming a lot. Run Lot Reconciliation to find them and keep lot balances matching stock on hand.

Can I import tracked items or opening stock?

Yes. Use the Lot / Serial import template; it has columns for lot number, lot quantity, expiry date and serial number.