Lot capture on receipt
Capture lot code and expiration on receiving. Each receipt becomes a lot record under the SKU.
Use case
Lot & Expiration Tracking software
'Find me the lot from May 14' is a 30-minute job in spreadsheets and a 30-second job in software. Lot and expiration tracking is what makes recalls fast, FEFO rotation possible, and clinical or food workflows compliant. Order3 captures lot and expiration on receipt, supports first-expired-first-out, and pulls recall-affected items by lot in seconds.
Definition
What is Lot & Expiration Tracking software?
Lot tracking groups inventory by batch: the production run, the receipt date, or the manufacturer's lot code. Each batch can have its own expiration, recall status, and supplier history. Expiration tracking flags items approaching or past their use-by date. Together, the two are what make recalls fast, FEFO rotation possible, and clinical or food workflows compliant. Medical and dental practices, restaurants, food producers, aviation maintenance, cosmetics and supplement brands: anyone handling time-sensitive items needs it. Lot tracking software replaces the practice of scribbling dates on tape and hoping someone is checking before the next shift.
Capabilities
What the workflow covers
Expiration alerts
Set lead-time thresholds for expiration warnings. Order3 flags items approaching expiry by item and by location.
FEFO rotation support
Pick lists and pulls suggest the oldest lot first (first expired, first out). Operators can override when rotation isn't appropriate, and the override is logged.
Recall by lot
When a manufacturer issues a recall, search by lot code and pull every affected unit and current location instantly.
Lot history and traceability
Each lot tracks every receipt, transfer, and consumption event. Useful for audit, quality investigations, and recall documentation.
Mixed lot and non-lot SKUs
Lot tracking is on per SKU. Items that don't need it stay simple; items that do get full lot detail without affecting the rest.
How it works
From floor action to approved record
- Step 01
Enable lot tracking on the SKU
On items where lot matters, turn on lot tracking. Receiving will prompt for lot code and expiration.
- Step 02
Capture at receipt
At the dock, scan or enter the lot code and expiration. Each receipt creates a distinct lot record.
- Step 03
Rotate and use FEFO
Pick lists suggest the oldest lot first. Operators confirm or override; either way, the choice is logged.
- Step 04
Trace recalls and audits
When a recall hits, search by lot. Pull current locations, prior movements, and recipients in seconds.
Workflow artifact
The record a team can inspect
A useful lot & expiration tracking workflow leaves an item, location, owner, next action, and approval trail behind it.
Order3 record
Lot & Expiration Tracking review
Trigger
Lot capture on receipt
Capture lot code and expiration on receiving. Each receipt becomes a lot record under the SKU.
Evidence
Enable lot tracking on the SKU
On items where lot matters, turn on lot tracking. Receiving will prompt for lot code and expiration.
Next action
Capture at receipt
At the dock, scan or enter the lot code and expiration. Each receipt creates a distinct lot record.
Control
Trace recalls and audits
When a recall hits, search by lot. Pull current locations, prior movements, and recipients in seconds.
Who runs this
Who needs lot and expiration tracking software?
Medical and dental practices managing clinical supplies, vaccines, and pharmaceuticals where lot and expiry are non-negotiable. Restaurants and food producers handling perishables, ingredients, and packaged goods with use-by dates. Aviation and aerospace teams managing lot-traceable parts. Manufacturing teams using raw materials with batch-specific properties. Cosmetics, supplement, and consumer-goods brands where recalls happen and traceability is regulated. Anyone who has been through an FDA recall and realized the cost of not knowing where a lot went.
Fit checklist
Use Order3 when the workflow needs these controls
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Lot capture on receipt
Capture lot code and expiration on receiving. Each receipt becomes a lot record under the SKU.
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Expiration alerts
Set lead-time thresholds for expiration warnings. Order3 flags items approaching expiry by item and by location.
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FEFO rotation support
Pick lists and pulls suggest the oldest lot first (first expired, first out). Operators can override when rotation isn't appropriate, and the override is logged.
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Recall by lot
When a manufacturer issues a recall, search by lot code and pull every affected unit and current location instantly.
How it works in Order3
How lot and expiration tracking works in Order3
Turn on lot tracking per SKU. Order3 captures lot and expiration at receipt. Each lot becomes a record under the SKU with its own quantity, location, and expiration. Multi-location holds lots at the right level. Pick and pull workflows suggest FEFO; operators confirm. Expiration alerts surface items approaching threshold per item and location. The activity log captures every receipt, transfer, and consumption with the lot reference. The AI assistant fields 'which lots expire this month' or 'where is lot LOT-2025-A14'. Recalls are a search-by-lot query that returns affected units and locations. Serialized tracking can ride on the same item where unit-level detail is also needed.
Feature
Low-stock alerts
Most low-stock alerts are noise. This one shows up with the lead time factored in, the right owner attached, and a next action one click away. Hand off to the purchasing agent for a draft, request a transfer from another location, or dismiss with a documented reason. Dashboards that nobody opens twice were not the goal.
Feature
Barcode scanning
Scan an item, confirm a quantity, and update the record from the floor. Order3 reads UPC, EAN, Code 128, Code 39, QR, and GS1 DataMatrix from an iOS or Android camera, plus Bluetooth handheld scanners that act as keyboards.
Feature
Multi-location tracking
Multi-location tracking means you can answer 'where is it' without calling someone. One workspace holds stock across warehouses, retail shops, trucks, jobsites, stockrooms, zones, and bins. Each keeps its own balance. Transfers between locations are first-class events, not adjustments hidden inside a global total.
Feature
Real-time reports
A stocker confirms a receipt at 9:47am. By 9:47am, the inventory value report reflects it. Reports in Order3 are queries against the live ledger. Every scan, transfer, count, and approval feeds the same data the leadership team reads. No nightly batch. No reconciliation lag. The number on the floor matches the number in the office.
How to choose
How to choose lot and expiration tracking software
Confirm lot capture at receiving is fast. If it adds significant time per item, the team will skip it on busy days and your trace data will have gaps. Check that FEFO rotation is built into pick and pull workflows, not an afterthought. Verify recall queries return what you need (affected units, locations, downstream movement) without manual stitching. If you have FDA, USDA, or other regulatory requirements, confirm the audit trail meets your standard's documentation expectations. Specific compliance certifications have not been completed. Don't pick Order3 if your operation requires full electronic batch records with signature workflows. Veeva or MasterControl are built for that. Order3 supports operational lot and expiration tracking for SMB clinical, food, and parts use cases.
Related guides
Read before you switch
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Guide
Inventory management for small business: the practical guide
Inventory management for a small business comes down to four things: knowing what you have, where it is, what changed, and what to reorder next. Most small teams do not need an ERP. They need clean item records, named locations, reorder rules where shortages hurt, and a weekly rhythm that survives a busy quarter.
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Guide
Reorder points explained: formula, examples, and how to set them
A reorder point is the inventory level that triggers a replenishment order before you stock out. Formula: ROP = (Average Daily Usage × Lead Time in Days) + Safety Stock. Set it for the items where shortages cost a job, a customer, or a margin. Ignore it for the long tail until you have usage data.
Lot & Expiration Tracking software FAQ
How is lot tracking different from serialized inventory?
Lot tracking groups units that share a batch: same production run, same receipt, same expiration. Serialized tracks each unit individually. Lot fits when units are interchangeable within a batch but the batch as a whole has properties (expiry, recall) you need to track. Serialized fits when each unit has its own history that matters. Order3 supports both, and a single item can use both. A serialized aviation part can also carry the lot it came from.
Does it support FEFO rotation?
Yes. Pick lists and consumption workflows suggest the oldest lot first. Operators can override (some workflows aren't strict FEFO, such as partial lots or customer-specified lots) and the override is logged. Reports show whether actual usage followed FEFO or deviated. For strict FEFO operations, the suggestion plus override log is usually enough; for fully enforced FEFO, set policies that prevent overrides.
How do recalls work?
Search by lot code. Order3 returns every unit of that lot still in your system, plus the history of where it's been and any consumption or assignment downstream. For clinical settings, this typically means pulling affected units off the shelf and contacting any patient or department that received them. The system gives you the data; the response workflow is your team's responsibility.
Can I track expiration per location?
Yes. Each lot at each location has its own expiration and quantity. Useful when the same SKU sits in multiple stockrooms with different turnover. One room may have a near-expiring lot while another has fresh stock. Alerts fire per location so you replenish or transfer where it actually matters.
Does this handle FDA UDI requirements?
Order3 supports per-lot and per-unit data capture, which is the operational layer of UDI. Specific FDA UDI compliance (DI/PI element handling, GUDID submission, label printing per spec) depends on your category and your processes. Confirm with your compliance lead before relying on Order3 alone for UDI compliance. Specific UDI certifications have not been audited.
How long does setup take?
Software setup is fast: turning on lot tracking per SKU is a few clicks. The slow part is the receiving discipline. Capture lot and expiry at every receipt going forward. Plan a week of training and reinforcement until the dock team is fluent. Existing on-hand stock without lot data is a separate question. Most teams either accept gaps for old stock or do a one-time pass to label what's still on the shelf.
Adjacent use cases
Try Lot & Expiration Tracking in Order3.
Start with the SKUs, locations, and counts behind the problem. Bring in expert help when the workflow needs integrations, approvals, or agent policy.