Lot Control

Lot Control Overview

The Lot Control module provides a means of recording and tracking material usage by lot numbers.  For each user-assigned lot number the lot control file records the purchase order or work order from which the lot originated, the cost, the current on-hand quantity, an optional expiration date, and a notes section.

Inventory items are individually designated to require lot control.  If so, whenever that item number is received through purchasing, issued to work orders, completed, adjusted, or shipped, a lot number will be requested.  Multiple lots per transaction are accommodated.

Complete lot traceability is achieved via the Lot History report, which provides lot transaction history via a range of transaction types and other selection criteria.

The Lot Availability report shows the inventory on-hand quantity broken out by lot number.  If there are discrepancies between the inventory on-hand quantity and the quantity in the lot file, the Reconcile Inventory program adjusts the inventory quantity to agree with the lot file.

How to Use Lot Control

Purchase Order Receiving

Purchased item lots are most commonly created during PO-C  Receive Purchase Orders. After a transaction is fully received and posted, a lot control screen will be presented for any received items that are coded to require lot control.  If the items are received to QC, the Lot Control prompt will not appear until they are bought off using PO-J-C Enter Inspection Buyoffs

The purchase order number, vendor, item number, description, date, and quantity fields automatically display information from the purchase order.  The cursor is located in the Lot field.  Enter a lot number.  If it is a new lot number, the program will indicate that the lot number is not on file and will ask you if you wish to add it.  If yes, it will create an entry in the lot file for the new lot number.

You will then be asked if you want to enter notes.  If yes, you can enter free form notes to be stored against this lot number, as well as an optional expiration date, which is useful with shelf life controlled items.

Issuing or Backflushing Materials to Work Orders

Materials are issued to work orders individually or as kits through WO-G  Issue Materials.  Materials can also be backflushed after-the-fact through WO-I  Enter Finished Production.  In all cases, lot control is handled identically.

If a component coded to require lot control is issued either individually, through a kit issue, or through a backflush, the cursor will stop at the quantity field and a message will ask for a lot number.  You can change the default total quantity to the first lot quantity if you are issuing the component from more than one lot and the program will come back and prompt for additional Lot numbers until the entire quantity has been assigned.

The cursor stops at the Lot Number field.  Enter a lot number.  You may view and select from available lot numbers for this component by clicking on the Lookup icon (or press F2).  If you enter a new lot number or make an incorrect entry, you will receive a message indicating the lot number is not on file, do you wish to add it?  If yes, it will create a new lot number and go negative on the lot quantity.  If so, after this transaction is completed you should make the appropriate adjustments to get the original lot quantity up to the correct on-hand balance.

Enter Finished Production

Finished production is entered through WO-I, Enter Finished Production.  If the item number being manufactured is coded to require lot control, the cursor will stop at the Lot Number field.  Enter a lot number or select one by clicking on the Lookup icon (or press F2).

If you enter a new lot number or make an incorrect entry, you will receive a message indicating the lot number is not on file, do you wish to add it?  If yes, it will create a new lot number and go negative on the lot quantity.  If so, after this transaction is completed you should make the appropriate adjustments to get the original lot quantity up to a zero or positive on-hand balance.

After entering the lot number, you will be asked if you wish to enter notes.  If yes, you can enter free form notes in a pop-up window, along with an optional expiration date, which can be useful with perishable type items.  Once the notes are entered, the screen will be saved and the transaction is completed.

Sales Order Entry

Lot numbers can be assigned within SO-A  Enter Sales Orders.  This feature can be useful if you are pre-assigning products to be shipped from particular lots, or if you are using the instant invoice capability.

To assign lot numbers with sales order entry, you  need to enable the default in SD-M Sales Order Defaults on the Setup II Tab for Ask for Lot info when adding SO Lines.

When the sales order line is saved, if the item is coded to require lot control, depending on the default setting, you will be asked if you wish to assign lot control information at this time or the Lot Control window will come up without asking.

The sales order number, customer, item number, description, date, and quantity fields automatically display information from the sales order.  The cursor is located in the Qty field.  If you are shipping this item from more than one lot, you may enter the quantity shipped from the first lot.

Next enter a lot number.  You may select a lot number for this item number by clicking on the Lookup button (or press F2).  If you enter a new lot number or make an incorrect entry, you will receive a message indicating the lot number is not on file, do you wish to add it?  If yes, it will create a new lot number and could go negative on the lot quantity when the order is invoiced.  If so, after this transaction is completed you should make the appropriate adjustments to get the original lot quantity up to a zero or positive on-hand balance.

You will then be asked if you want to enter notes.  If yes, you can enter free form notes to be stored against this lot number, as well as an optional expiration date (which might be useful with perishable items, for example).

If you are assigning more than one lot number and entered just enter the first lot’s amount in the quantity field, the item will remain on the screen and the cursor will return to the quantity field for another entry.  Enter the second quantity, lot number, etc., and continue for as many lots as necessary until the original total quantity is reached.

Releasing Sales Orders

When you release sales orders through SO-E  Release Sales Orders, the program will check for any items coded for lot control.  If you have not already assigned lot numbers within the sales order (see above), you will be asked if you wish to assign lot control.

If you answer yes, the entry procedure is identical to that described in the previous section for sales order entry.

Invoice Posting

Inventory is reduced and lot number quantities are reduced when invoices are posted through SO-G  Post Invoices.  During the posting process, the program will check for any items that are coded for lot control that did not have lot numbers fully assigned either in SO-A, Enter Sales Orders, or SO-E, Release Sales Orders.  The same lot control entry window will be presented for any shipped items that are coded to require lot control, and the entry steps are identical to those described in the Sales Order Entry section above.

Adjust Physical Levels

Physical inventories are adjusted through IN-K  Adjust Physical Levels.  In theory the on-hand inventory for an item coded for lot control should agree with the sum total of all its lot number quantities.

If you change a physical count for an item coded for lot control, you will receive a warning that this could cause a discrepancy between the on-hand quantity and the lot file quantity.

It is better to adjust inventory for lot control items through IN-C  Enter Inventory Adjustments so that both the on-hand and lot quantities get adjusted at the same time (see below).

Inventory Adjustments

Inventory can be adjusted through IN-C  Enter Inventory Adjustments.  This program is only used for minor adjustments that are not performed through purchase orders, work orders, or sales orders.

Whenever inventory is adjusted for an item that requires lot control, the cursor will stop at the Lot Number field and will require entry of a lot number.  If multiple lots are required, enter a separate adjustment for each lot quantity.