Item Lots

What is it and what is it for?

Using Lots is optional per item: only items with the Require Lots option checked on their card ask you to pick (or create) a Lot when they're registered on an inventory transaction. If an item doesn't have that option checked, it can't have Lots.

Tracking inventory by Lot lets you:

• Know which Lot each unit of stock came in on, so you can trace it back to the purchase or production run that created it (traceability).
• Record each Lot's expiration date and spot stock that's about to expire or already has.
• Pick the right Lot when selling, dispatching or making an adjustment, instead of moving the item "in general".
• Apply an authorization workflow before a new Lot becomes available for use, if your company requires it.

How to use it

1. Flag the item. On the Item's card, turn on the Require Lots option. From that point on, that item will ask for a Lot on its inventory transactions (purchases, sales, transfers, adjustments, manufacturing, etc.).
2. Create the Lot from the Lots catalog, or directly from the Lot selector inside a transaction, entering the Lot's code and, optionally, its expiration date. You can also create it ahead of time if you already know the code before receiving the merchandise.
3. Save. AdmCloud validates that the Lot code isn't empty, that an item is selected, and that the code isn't already used for that same item.
4. Select it on your transactions. When adding a line for an item that requires Lots, the system asks you to pick one of that item's existing Lots (or create a new one on the fly).
5. Review or edit an existing Lot. From the list you can open its detail, correct its expiration date, or change its authorization status.

Authorization statuses

Every Lot has a status: Pending, Authorized or Rejected. The Lots list lets you filter by any of these statuses (or view all of them), and from a Lot's detail you can change its status with the Authorize, Reject and Mark as pending buttons.

Authorizing or rejecting a Lot requires the Authorize permission level of the "Items & Services" permission; marking it back as pending only requires the Authorize or Edit level.

Key fields

Validations when saving

• The Lot code is required.
• The Item is required and must have the "Require Lots" option turned on; if the item doesn't have it on, AdmCloud rejects the Lot, stating that "the item doesn't support Lots".
• The same Lot code cannot repeat for the same Item. You can reuse a Lot code across different items.
• A Lot's Item cannot be changed once created; if you picked the wrong item, you must create a new Lot under the correct one.

Deleting a lot

A Lot cannot be deleted if:

• It has inventory transactions recorded against it (purchases, sales, transfers, adjustments, manufacturing, etc.); in that case AdmCloud shows you the document type and number that's using it.
• It's referenced in a warehouse picking movement.

In either case, you must review or correct those documents before you can delete the Lot.

Availability, permissions and conditions

• This feature requires the Enterprise edition with the add-on Advanced Inventory module active, and the "Lots" feature turned on in your company's Preferences/Features screen (Inventory tab). If it isn't available, the catalog screen shows a "not available on this edition" message.
• Access is controlled with the "Items & Services" permission (the same one that controls the Items catalog), with separate levels for browsing, adding, editing, deleting and authorizing.
• Only items with the "Require Lots" option checked on their card ask for or allow selecting a Lot on inventory transactions.
• If your company requires Lot authorization (a Company preference), new Lots stay Pending until someone with the right permission authorizes them.

Tips and common mistakes