Items, lots and locations

Stock items carry a SKU, name, base unit, lot tracking choice and active flag. The organization reference places each item with its operating company or site. Storage locations carry a code, name, address, contact and eligibility note. A request, reservation or movement points to these records so the team can tell which material and physical place a quantity concerns.

A lot gives a tracked batch its code, expiry date, release state and owner reference. Pending, Released, Quarantined and Blocked are distinct states for review. The expiry date matters when a coordinator selects stock for a dated request. The location’s eligibility note gives the team local handling context; it is not a substitute for checking the actual lot.

• Maintain the catalog. App Administrator keeps organizations, items and storage locations identifiable and active where they should be used.
• Review the lot. Inventory Reviewer examines expiry and release state before a lot is selected for a stock action.
• Select exact context. Inventory Coordinator relates the request or reservation to the intended item, location and lot.

The base unit is important across the entire chain. Requested units, scanned units, reservation quantity and signed movement quantity need a common interpretation for comparison. If labels or handheld devices use packs, the operating team must agree on the conversion before any quantity is posted.

Set a consistent SKU convention, location code scheme and lot code policy. Decide whether a lot code is unique within an item or across an organization. Define who can change release state, and how a quarantine or block decision is documented. Confirm whether a storage location represents a bin, room, dock or external site; the address and eligibility note should help a worker find and assess it.

Agree on when inactive items and locations stop being selectable for new work while remaining visible on historical requests. Decide who owns the master list at each organization. A member’s role name and linked user should match the real person making decisions, especially when reviewers work across shifts.

An incoming batch has an expiry date and a lot code, and a request is due next week. The coordinator checks that the item is active, the selected location is suitable and the lot is Released. The reviewer can see the same lot identity on the reservation and eventual movement. If the lot is Quarantined, the team investigates before setting it aside for the request.

Later, an auditor can start from the lot and follow the movement history to see which requests used it. The item, location and lot references are stronger than a free-text description of the material. A movement’s recorded item code, lot code and base unit can add the snapshot used at the time of posting.

• Lots awaiting release — Pending lots with item and expiry details for review.
• Active reservations — Stock claims by item, location and lot.
• Posted stock movements — Recorded quantity effects at the location where they occurred.

Follow stock preparation before a request and scan to movement when a physical read is recorded.