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Reservations, Lots and Genealogy

Two questions get confused in stock systems: how much is here, and how much can be promised. Reservations separate them. Lots and serials give a batch or a unit its own identity, and genealogy links it to what consumed it, so a recall can be answered in minutes.

Where to find it

Architect Panel → ERP - Operations:

  • Stock — the console: the Reservations and Lots & traceability tabs, and Trace on any movement
  • Stock Lots — every lot and serial, read only
  • Stock Genealogy — the links between movements, read only

Admin Panel → Inventory & Production:

  • Stock — the same console for storemen and planners

On hand, reserved and available

  • On hand: physically in the location.
  • Reserved: committed and not yet issued.
  • Available to promise: on hand in locations that may be promised, less what is reserved there. Quarantine, scrap, work in progress and transit locations hold none.

A reservation is a movement in the reserved state: it changes what is available, never what is on hand, and it can never exceed what is available.

Reserving and releasing stock

  1. On the Stock console go to Reservations.
  2. Under Reserve stock, enter the Item, choose the From location (only locations whose stock may be promised are offered), enter the Quantity and what it is For (an order or customer reference).
  3. Click Reserve.
  4. To give it back, click Release on its row under Open reservations.

Releasing a work order's reservations happens when it is closed or cancelled.

Lots and serials

Whether an item is tracked is set on the item: Lot / batch tracked or Serial number tracked (see the item master). Once a company's item master is in use:

  • Every movement of a lot-tracked item names a lot; on an issue a blank lot is picked first-expiry-first-out.
  • Every unit of a serial-tracked item has its own serial, recorded as its own movement of one.
  • A lot is created by the first movement that names it, normally the receipt. Its expiry is the expiry entered, or the item's shelf life from the receipt date.
  • Expired and quarantined lots cannot be issued or consumed. They can still be transferred or scrapped.

Goods receipts in Purchasing carry a Lot and a Serial Number on each line, so tracked items can be received against a purchase order; receipts take expiry from the shelf life only.

Lots cannot be edited in the generic editor. Lots are quarantined by failed inspections and released by non-conformance dispositions. To correct a lot's dates, open it on Lots & traceability and use Correct this lot's dates or supplier reference (Expiry, Made, Supplier ref, then Save lot).

Answering a recall

  1. Go to Lots & traceability, enter the Lot or serial (tick Starts with (a batch family) for a range) and click Search.
  2. For each lot, read Where it is now and Every movement of the lot, newest first.
  3. Click Trace on a movement. Consumed into follows it forward into work orders and onward; Came from follows it back. Intercompany shipments of the same serial or lot are followed into the receiving group company, and companies you cannot read are shown as "another group company".

There is no one-click recall or mass quarantine: the trace tells you where the stock went, and you act on it with inspections, non-conformances or movements.

What goes wrong

  • "Only Q of 'X' is available at LOC.": you are reserving more than is available.
  • "LOC is not an available location": reserve from a Stock-type location.
  • "'X' is lot-tracked: name the lot" or "'X' is serial-tracked: every unit needs its serial number."
  • Trace says "Nothing recorded": links are written when an issue consumes a receipt's cost layers, and followed through work orders and intercompany shipments. Movements before tracking began have none.

Worked example

A supplier withdraws flour lot F-4471. Quality searches Lots & traceability for F-4471: 120 kg is still at UK-MAIN, and three consume movements took the rest into work orders. Trace on each shows the bread batches they became, and Trace on those shows two deliveries to customers. Quality raises a failed inspection to quarantine the remaining 120 kg and has the customer list in minutes.

Recommendations

  • Show available, not on hand, wherever a promise is made.
  • Capture lots at receipt, on the goods receipt line.
  • Set shelf life on perishable items so every receipt gets an expiry.
  • Rehearse a trace once before you need it for real.