Lots
A lot is a batch of a part received together. Tracking by lot means that when something is wrong with one batch, you can find every unit of it.
When to use lots
Lot tracking earns its keep when a batch can be bad as a batch: components from one reel, material from one pour, anything with a shelf life or a supplier certificate. If a supplier reports a problem with a batch, the lot number is what turns that into a list of affected units.
If units of a part are interchangeable and nothing about a delivery matters later, you do not need lots.
What a lot records
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Lot number | The batch identifier |
| Type | What kind of lot it is |
| Quantity | How many units the batch holds |
| Created | When the lot was recorded |
| Unit price | What this batch cost per unit |
| Status | Where the lot stands |
Unit price sits on the lot rather than the part because two batches of the same part bought months apart rarely cost the same.
Lots and locations together
A lot is not a place. One lot can be split across several locations, and one location can hold several lots.
That is why the Location tab lists lots underneath each location: twelve units on a shelf might be eight from one batch and four from another. When you assign or relocate a lot tracked part, you pick the lot first and the available quantity follows from it.
Quantities are per lot, not per part
If assign offers fewer units than you expect, check which lot is selected. The limit is what that batch holds at that place, not what the part holds in total.
Editing a lot
Each row has an edit action for correcting the lot number or its details. Use it for fixing a mistyped batch number rather than for moving stock, which is what relocate is for.