Understanding Lot Control: Current Capabilities and Future Enhancements

At Kase, we are committed to providing clear, reliable systems for managing inventory, including Lot Control. This article will walk you through how Lot Control currently works, the options available to you, and what improvements are on our roadmap to ensure your business continues to grow seamlessly with us.

Lot Control is the process of tracking inventory characteristics throughout the fulfillment process, from receiving to packing, and making sure that the correct inventory items are being used. 

Merchants have the ability to configure settings in Kase to manage inventory by FIFO, LIFO, sequential lot number, or expiry date. These settings can be adjusted on the SKU level to allow for maximum flexibility. 

Current Lot Control Systems

Our system operates on a FIFO (First-In, First-Out) basis by default, meaning items are allocated and shipped based on the order they were received. This method ensures that older inventory is shipped first, reducing waste and optimizing shelf life.

However, we understand that some clients may need more control over how their lots are handled. For those who prefer to ship newer items first, we offer the option to switch to LIFO (Last-In, First-Out). This can be easily adjusted within the product information before placing an order. keep in mind, though, that after placing the order, it's important to switch back to FIFO to avoid inventory issues. Failing to do so could disrupt future orders and create reporting discrepancies.

For now, it's important to note that specific lot selection (e.g., choosing a custom lot for a particular order) is not yet supported. Our current system pulls inventory based solely on FIFO or LIFO, depending on the settings. If you require specific lot selection this will involve a manual process, which can lead to reporting inaccuracies.

Upcoming Improvements: What's on the Roadmap

We are actively working on enhancing our Lot control capabilities to better serve your needs:

• Custom Lot Selection: On our roadmap is the ability to pull specific lot numbers based on your requirements. This will allow for great flexibility, helping you manage products with expiration dates or other critical attributes more effectively.
• Lot Filtering and Sorting: We are exploring ways to integrate more advanced filtering and sorting options into our order processing, making it easier to select and allocate lots based on your criteria. This functionality is expected to streamline the picking process and improve accuracy in orders.
• Barcode Scanning for Lot Numbers: Starting on January 1st, 2025, we will require all lot numbers to be scannable barcodes. This will help automate lot tracking and ensure accuracy in both inventory management and reporting. We will provide examples of what these barcodes should look like and update our routing guidelines accordingly.

Important Reminders for Your Workflow:

• Default to FIFO: Our system defaults to FIFO unless manually switched to LIFO. Specific lot selection is not current available, so orders will be allocated based on the received date.
• Manual Processes: Using a manual process to pick specific lots can result in inaccurate reporting. To avoid discrepancies, we recommend using the built-in FIFO or LIFO method until our system is updated.

Communication and Support

We are committed to keeping you informed about system changes and updates. Expect regular communication detailing the latest features that have been built, what's in progress, and what's next on our roadmap. Well also provide target dates or quarters for each enhancement so that you can plan ahead.

We hope this guide provide clarity on our current Lot Control capabilities and gives you a preview of the exciting updates to come. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to our team for further assistance: Support@ShippingTree.co

Process outline: Warehouse

1. Inventory Item attributes are recorded at receiving for each SKU. The Kase app then generates Inventory Item Barcodes to be placed on cartons or pallets. 
2. Inventory is put away in appropriate locations and is ready for picking
3. Upon picking, if lot control rules are enabled that require scanning, then the picker is instructed to scan the Inventory Item Barcode to ensure the correct Inventory Item is being used for the batch being worked on. 

a)  * The default setting is FIFO based off of the received date of the inventory item, which does not require scanned confirmation

Merchants: 

Merchants must request that inventory attributes for lot control be recorded at receiving. 

By Navigating to the product detail page in the Kase app, merchants are able to adjust lot control settings for each SKU in their catalog. Only Inventory Control Fields recorded at receiving can be used in lot control logic, so please confirm with Kase support that the proper attributes have been recorded on each SKU.

1. Select the “parent product”
2. Adjust Inventory Control Type

3. Adjust Inventory Control Field

   

Reporting: 

Inventory reports will contain lot control attributes used and consumed during the fulfillment process. 

In the event of product recalls, where specific lot or serial numbers need to be recalled, Kase can provide a report highlighting exactly which lots were used for specific orders. Please contact Kase support to request this report. 

Pricing: 

With these changes come new pricing for Lot Control. Rather than charge a per order or per unit fee, which could add up significantly over time, we’ve decided to charge $45.00 per SKU, per ASN. For example, if an ASN contains two SKUs that require *lot control tracking then the cost for Lot Control tracking is $90.00. This is a one time fee at receiving and there is no per-unit fee during the fulfillment process. There is also a $0.25 per inventory attribute label that is printed and applied to pallets and/or case packs. 

To record Lot Control attributes after receiving has been completed, Kase charges $45.00 per labor hour. 

* All inventory in our warehouses are shipped FIFO, based on received date, by default. There is no additional charge for this logic. 

Glossary of Terms: 

• Inventory Item
  • A term used in the Kase System to describe a specific quantity of product that share the same attributes:
    • Product variant
    • Location
    • Lot Number
    • Receipt Date
      • Datetime stamp when the asn was received.
    • Expiry Date
    • Best by (use by) Date
    • Manufactured Date
    • Inventory Type
  • Each attribute is tracked in the system from receiving to shipping.
  • Inventory and Shipment reports include attribute information providing visibility to the chain of custody throughout the supply chain.
• Inventory Control
  • Method of monitoring how stock moves through a warehouse.
  • Examples of different types of inventory control include FIFO, LIFO, (first in first out, last in first out).
  • Default settings provide reporting of attributes and consume inventory FIFO based on receipt date.  
  • Merchants have the option in settings to enable FIFO inventory control on the following attributes:
    • Lot Number
    • Expiry Date
    • Best by Date
    • Manufactured Date
  • Additional pick and pack scan confirmations are enabled for Expiry date to ensure expired product is not shipped.
  • System features automatic quarantine and notification rules on inventory approaching Expiry date.  Merchants have the option of setting the number of days before product expiration to cease shipping on the lot.
• Inventory Item Barcode
  • Label containing the 2D barcode format of the inventory item license plate.
  • Two-dimensional (2D) barcodes look like squares or rectangles that contain many small, individual dots.
  • A single 2D barcode can hold a significant amount of information and may remain legible even when printed at a small size or etched onto a product. 2D barcodes are used in a wide range of industries, from manufacturing and warehousing to logistics and healthcare.
• Barcoding standards
  • Registered GS1 Recipient and Source/Information Provider.
  • Capabilities to support full GS1 interoperability with open and value added networks through the use of GS1 Architecture Principles.
  • Fully supports Type A and Type B GS1 data carriers including AIDC marking level for regulated pharmaceutical products and medical devices.
• Where the Inventory Item Barcode is used:
  • Receiving– First step of the ecommerce fulfillment process. Record the dimensions, barcode, and lot control.
  • Picking- The process of pulling out the right products from a warehouse for an order. Scan the barcode to ensure accuracy.