Shelf life vs Lot Control

Shelf life data into the storage view of the material master record. This data includes:

• Maximum time a material can be stored
• Minimum shelf life a material must have available to be accepted by the system
• Percentage of the total shelf life that must still be available if the goods are to be sent to another distribution point
• Time unit used for the shelf life data (days, weeks or years)
• Total number of days that the goods can be kept – from production to the shelf life expiration date

Lot control itself is a rather simple concept that ensures every piece of inventory that flows through a warehouse can be tracked to its group of origin. A “lot” is a specific batch of an item that was received, is currently stored, or was shipped from your warehouse. The criteria that constitute a lot can be determined at an organizational level by anything from the materials that went into a product to its expiration dates. Every lot is assigned a unique number to facilitate tracking.
Managing your inventory is important, but managing your inventory when you have perishable items is crucial. Inventory lot control can protect your stock from expiring before your customers receive it. Food, chemicals and medical supplies are not the only examples of industries that should be using lot control to maintain their inventory.