Automated Operations with Lot- and Serial-Tracked Items: General Information

Lot numbers and serial numbers are used to track certain types of inventory items and keep accurate records about these items’ distribution. If the Lot and Serial Tracking feature is enabled on the Enable/Disable Features (CS100000) form, you can configure the tracking of stock items by lot or serial number, as well as by expiration date, and process documents with these items in automated mode.

Learning Objectives

In this chapter, you will do the following:

Perform automated picking and packing operations with lot- and serial-tracked items
Perform automated receiving and putting away operations with lot- and serial-tracked items
Perform automated transfer operations with lot- and serial-tracked items
Perform automated counting of lot- and serial-tracked items during physical inventory
Perform automated issuing of lot- and serial-tracked items
Perform automated receiving of lot- and serial-tracked items by using inventory receipts

Applicable Scenarios

You may need to track lot or serial numbers for items in any of the following cases:

Your organization purchases items with serial numbers provided by vendors and you need to track these items by their serial numbers in a warehouse.
Your organization accepts returns or replacements of serialized items that it has sold.
Your organization provides services (such as installation or repair) for serialized items that it has sold.
A vendor from which your organization buys items sells them in lots and provides lot numbers and expiration dates for each lot, which you want to track for the items.
Your organization sells items in lots and it is important to keep the assigned lot number tracked in the sales documents.
Your organization sells items with an expiration date and issues items based on this date.

Picking and Packing Lot- and Serial-Tracked Items

You open the Pick, Pack, and Ship (SO302020) form (or the corresponding screen in the Acumatica mobile app), switch to Pick mode, and scan a shipment number, the system loads the shipment lines into the table on the Pick tab. To select a line of the shipment for processing, you scan the item barcode and the barcode of the location from which the item is being picked.

For serial-tracked items (with any assignment method), the system shows a separate line for each picked item. For lot-tracked items, the system shows the total quantity to be picked as one line and splits the line by lot.

When you process the packing of items in Pack mode, for each item to be packed in a selected box, you scan the item barcode and lot or serial number; optionally, you also scan the expiration date (which must be the same as the expiration date in the shipment).

Receiving and Putting Away Lot- and Serial-Tracked Items

You open the Receive and Put Away (PO302020) form (or the corresponding screen in the Acumatica mobile app), switch to Receive mode, and scan or enter the purchase receipt number, the system loads the purchase receipt lines into the table on the Receive tab. To select a line for processing, you scan the item barcode and the barcode of the location to which the item is received. The settings of the item being received determine the item settings that you must enter.

For lot-tracked and serial-tracked items with the When Used assignment method, specifying the lot or serial number in automated receiving and putting away operations is not applicable.

For lot-tracked items with the When Received assignment method, the system requests the lot information as follows:

You must scan or enter the lot number when you are receiving an item. You receive each lot from a received quantity separately; the system splits the lines by the received lots.
For items of a lot class with the User-Enterable issue method, the auto-generation of lot numbers is mandatory, otherwise these items cannot be processed in an automated mode. For items that belong to a lot class for which the Auto-Generate Next Number check box is selected on the Lot/Serial Classes (IN207000) form, the system automatically generates lot numbers and displays them in the Lot/Serial Nbr. column. If you then scan a different lot number than the one that was automatically generated by the system, the system replaces the automatically generated number with the one that you have entered.
For items of a lot class that requires the expiration date to be specified—that is, a class for which the Track Expiration Date check box is selected on the Lot/Serial Classes form—you must enter the expiration date.

For serial-tracked items with the When Received assignment method, the system requests the serial information as follows:

You must scan or enter the serial number when you are receiving an item. The system splits the line once you enter a serial number for a received item. If you specify a different serial number than the one that was automatically generated by the system, the system replaces the automatically generated number with the one that you have entered.
For items of a serial class with the User-Enterable issue method, the auto-generation of serial numbers is mandatory, otherwise these items cannot be processed in an automated mode. For items that belong to a serial class for which the Auto-Generate Next Number check box is selected on the Lot/Serial Classes form, the system automatically generates serial numbers and displays them in the Lot/Serial Nbr. column. If you then scan a different serial number than the one that was automatically generated by the system, the system replaces the automatically generated number with the one that you have entered.

When you process the putting away of the items in Put Away mode, for each item to be put away, you scan the barcode of the receiving location, the item barcode, and then the lot or serial number.

Processing Inventory Transfers with Lot- and Serial-Tracked Items

On the Scan and Transfer (IN304020) form, when you transfer lot- or serial-tracked items, for each item to be processed, you scan the location barcode, the item barcode, and the barcode of the lot or serial number.

Counting Lot- and Serial-Tracked Items

On the Scan and Count (IN305020) form, when, during physical inventory, you enter counted data that contain lot- or serial-tracked items, for each item to be processed, you scan the location barcode, the item barcode, and the barcode of the lot or serial number. During the counting of the items, if you find an item with an unregistered serial number, you can add this item to the physical inventory document by scanning the item barcode and the serial number.

Processing Inventory Issues with Lot- and Serial-Tracked Items

On the Scan and Issue (IN302020) form, you can process inventory issues that contain lot- or serial-tracked items. The system may prompt you to enter the lot or serial number of the item, depending on the lot or serial class settings specified on the Lot/Serial Classes (IN207000) form as follows:

For the lot or serial class with the When Received assignment method and User-Enterable issue method, the system prompts you to scan the lot or serial number (which was specified on receiving of items).
For the lot or serial class with the When Used assignment method, the system prompts you to scan the lot or serial number only if the number is not generated automatically and must be entered manually.

Processing Inventory Receipts with Lot- and Serial-Tracked Items

On the Scan and Receive (IN301020) form, you can process inventory receipts that contain lot- or serial-tracked items. The system may prompt you to enter the lot or serial number of the item and an expiration date, depending on the lot or serial class settings specified on the Lot/Serial Classes (IN207000) form as follows:

For the lot or serial class with the When Received assignment method, the system prompts you to scan the lot or serial number only if the number is not generated automatically and must be entered manually.
For the lot or serial class with the Expiration issue method, the system prompts you to enter the expiration date of the item.