Serial numbers, lots and expiry

Some products need more than a count. Boxture can track, per unit:

• a serial number, which identifies a single unit;
• a lot (batch), which identifies a group of units produced together;
• an expiry date (Expires on), the date after which a unit may no longer be shipped.

Which of these apply is set on the product (see Product details): Serialized with a Serialization mode, Lot tracked with an optional Lot pattern, and Expirable. These product settings can't be changed once the product has inventory, so decide on them before you receive stock.

Serial numbers

Serialization modes

Mode	Meaning
None	Entering serial numbers is not required.
Outbound	Entering serial numbers is mandatory when packing.
Full	Serial numbers are mandatory at every step of the process: receiving, adjusting, moving and packing.

With Outbound you can receive units without serial numbers, and the serial number is captured at packing. With Full, every inventory item has its serial number from the moment it is received.

Mixing units with and without serial numbers

If a product has units with a serial number and units without one, Boxture treats them as different. When you remove or move units without entering a serial number, only units without a serial number are considered. Once a unit has a serial number, you have to enter that serial number to work with it. Always fill in serial numbers when you create containers (licence plates) for serialized products, or the stock records will drift from reality.

Rules for serial numbers

• A serial number must be unique per product. Boxture refuses a serial number that is already registered for the product.
• A serial number may not be the product number or EAN/UPC of the product, or of any other product you have access to. This prevents a product barcode from being scanned by accident as a serial number.
• If the product has a serial number pattern (a regular expression), every serial number must match it.
• Serial numbers are stored in capitals, without spaces or tabs.
• Where a form accepts several serial numbers (adjust, put, take, split), enter one per line. The number of lines must equal the quantity.

Recycling serial numbers

Normally a serial number stays registered even after its unit is shipped and retired, so it can't be received again. Turn on Inventory › Recycle serial numbers if units can come back and go out again (for example rental equipment or refurbished returns). When you receive a serial number that belongs to a retired unit, Boxture then reuses that unit instead of rejecting the serial number as already present.

For orders that announce a specific serial number in advance (for example a return order line with a serial number), Boxture links the order to the existing retired unit, which becomes Expected again.

Serial numbers on orders

An order line can ask for a specific serial number. Units allocated to such a line can't be swapped for another unit during picking: the picker must pick the ordered serial number. The report Serial numbers on hand lists the serial numbers in stock, and Shipped serial numbers lists those that were shipped. See Reporting.

Lots

For lot tracked products, every unit must have a lot. You enter it when receiving or adjusting. Lots are stored in capitals. If the product has a lot pattern (a regular expression), the lot must match it. Lots aren't allowed for products that are not lot tracked.

Lots keep units apart:

• Order lines can ask for a specific lot, and only units of that lot are then allocated.
• When moving, removing or putting units in a container, you can enter a lot to work with that lot only.
• If Multiple products per container is off, a container may hold only one lot.

Expiry dates

For expirable products, every unit must have an Expires on date. Units of products that are not expirable may not have one.

First expired, first out

Whenever Boxture chooses units, for allocation, picking, removing or moving, it takes the unit that expires soonest first (after units that are loose or in open containers). The oldest stock leaves the warehouse first.

What happens on the expiry date

Every 15 minutes Boxture checks for units that have reached their expiry date. The date is compared with today's date in the location's time zone, and a unit expires on its expiry date.

• Available units become Expired.
• Allocated units that are not yet on a pick list (and whose order isn't on hold) are unallocated, become Expired, and Boxture then tries to allocate the order again from other stock.
• Units received with an expiry date that has already passed are received directly as Expired.

Expired units:

• are not available and can't be allocated to normal orders;
• can't be picked or packed, except for a scrap order;
• block shipping: a shipment that contains expired units can't be shipped;
• can still be moved, and can be removed with a negative adjustment.

If a picker finds that the units to pick have expired, they can report the picking problem Inventory to pick has expired. See Picking problems and Holds and releases.

Correcting a lot or expiry date

If a lot or expiry date was entered wrongly, open the inventory item and use Edit (admins and warehouse associates, available units only). See Inventory items and states. An expired unit can't be edited. Remove it and add it again with the correct date instead.