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A lot identifies a traceable set of units of the same item. It lets you separate stock by code, source and cost.

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When to use lots

Use lots if you need:
  • purchasing or manufacturing traceability;
  • valuation by actual unit cost;
  • preservation of a purchase or manufacturing source code;
  • a relationship between merged lots and their source lots.
If your operation does not need to separate units by source, you can maintain stock without lots for that item.

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What a lot contains

A lot is active while its stock is not zero. When it reaches zero, it becomes inactive, but its history is preserved.

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Lot types

Bold distinguishes lot types by how they were created and what traceability they retain. The lot type helps you interpret its history. An original lot retains a direct source. A merged lot retains a relationship with its component lots.

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Lot source

The source indicates where traceable material comes from. Avoid using an unknown source as a routine solution. Use it only when the actual history is unavailable.

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Relationship with the warehouse

Bold records stock by item, location and optional lot. If an item uses lots, every receipt, consumption, movement or shipment must preserve the correct lot. Traceability loses value if your team uses a generic lot to record outflows. The lot should match the physical material being moved or consumed.

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Relationship with costs

The lot retains its recorded unit cost, which may still be zero when cost information is missing. When available, this cost lets you value traceable inventory from purchasing or manufacturing. Two lots of the same item can have different costs. That difference is normal if they come from different purchases or manufacturing runs.

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Merge lots

Merge lots only when you no longer need to keep their sources separate. Merging simplifies future operations but reduces analysis granularity. Do not merge lots if you need to keep their source codes or costs separate. When you merge lots, the resulting lot retains a relationship with the original lots and their quantities. Daily operations use the merged lot from then on.