OPERATIONS AND BUYING
Lot, batch, and expiry tracking must be designed before controlled stock reaches the warehouse. It cannot be repaired reliably after cartons have been received without the right data. Brands selling supplements, cosmetics, food-related products, regulated goods, or any item with production traceability should decide what the warehouse must capture, where that data sits, and how it flows into orders. The goal is not to collect every possible field. The goal is to capture the specific data needed for compliant storage, accurate picking, recall response, returns quarantine, and customer support.
The brand should decide which fields are mandatory before inbound receiving begins. Common fields include SKU, lot number, batch number, expiry date, production date, supplier, purchase order, carton ID, and received quantity. The warehouse needs clear labels and documents that show those fields in a consistent format.
Not every product needs the same depth of tracking. A supplement may require expiry control, while a spare part may need batch traceability without expiry. Product and legal advisers should confirm the obligations for the specific category and destination markets.
Receiving is the control point where physical goods become system stock. If lot or expiry data is missed here, later picking rules may be impossible to enforce. The ASN should tell the warehouse which lots are expected, and the receiver should record what actually arrives.
Discrepancies need a separate path. A carton with an unexpected lot, unreadable date, missing batch code, or damaged label should not be received as normal sellable stock until the brand approves the treatment. Clean receiving protects later recall and customer-service work.
First-expiry-first-out can be appropriate for expiry-dated stock, but it should not be assumed without agreement. The brand and warehouse need to confirm whether the system can allocate by expiry, whether any minimum remaining shelf life applies, and what happens when older stock is not suitable for a specific channel.
Some channels may need stricter rules than others. A retailer might require longer remaining shelf life than a DTC customer order, or a marketplace may have its own acceptance rules. The warehouse can follow those rules only when they are written into allocation and pick instructions.
Lot tracking breaks when systems use different field names or formats. The ecommerce platform, ERP, order management system, and warehouse management system may each store product and batch data differently. The brand should map fields before launch and test orders end to end.
The mapping should show which system is the source of truth for SKU, lot, expiry, order reference, customer shipment, and return status. If the warehouse captures data that never reaches customer service or compliance records, the traceability process is incomplete.
A recall or quality withdrawal requires fast answers. The brand may need to know which lots are on hand, which orders received affected stock, which returns are pending, and which goods are already quarantined. That report cannot be built quickly if lot data was optional during normal work.
Recall responsibility and customer communication should be reviewed with qualified product, legal, and regulatory advisers. The warehouse can provide stock and shipment records, isolate goods, and follow hold instructions, but the brand owns the product decision and external communications.
Returned controlled stock should not automatically re-enter sellable inventory. The warehouse needs rules for unopened goods, opened goods, damaged packaging, missing batch information, short-dated products, and customer-used items. Some products may never be restocked after return.
Returns rules should preserve traceability. If a returned unit can be restocked, its lot and expiry should still be known. If the code cannot be read, the item should be held for brand decision or disposed of under an approved process. Waste, hygiene, and regulated product issues may need specialist advice.
VareYa can scope the warehousing and fulfilment work from a clear operating brief. Customs, tax, product and legal responsibilities should be checked with qualified advisers before inventory moves.
No. The need depends on product type, legal obligations, customer requirements, and the brand's quality process. Controlled, expiry-dated, regulated, or recall-sensitive products should be reviewed with qualified product or legal advisers.
Not automatically. FEFO should be agreed with the warehouse and supported by the system. The brand also needs rules for minimum remaining shelf life, channel exceptions, expired stock, and short-dated inventory.
Only if the brand's rules allow it and the warehouse can verify condition, lot, expiry, and packaging status. Uncertain or opened products should be quarantined until the brand approves disposition.
Use these related VareYa articles to connect this decision to the wider European fulfilment setup.
These sources support the regulatory or market context. Always check the current rules and how they apply to your business.
Share the products, markets, channels, order range, inbound origin and return requirements that shape your operation.
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