Track lots and serials
Create and manage the batches and individual units that make recall and traceability possible.
Lots and serials are how Workcell tracks material below the item level. A lot is a batch that shares an origin (a single receipt or production run); a serial is one individual unit. Both let you trace material and hold it for quality.
Lots
- Go to Inventory > Lots and select New lot.
- Pick the item, give the lot a lot number, and record the vendor lot number if the supplier provided one.
- Set the received date and an expiration date if the material has shelf life.
- To seed an opening balance, enter a quantity and the location it sits in. Save.
Each lot carries a QC status (Pending, Approved, Rejected, or On hold) that signals whether the batch is cleared for use. See Lot and serial statuses.
Serials
Serialized items are tracked one unit at a time. Serials are usually created for you (a work order builds them, or a receipt records them), but you can also create them by hand.
- Go to Inventory > Serials. Use New serial for one, or Generate to create a numbered batch at once.
- A serial records its serial number, its source (built, received, or manual), its current location, and its parent lot if it has one.
- Open a serial to move it through its lifecycle with named actions: reserve, consume, ship, return, mark damaged or scrapped, or restore to stock. Its QC status is managed with approve, reject, and hold.
Where to go next
- For what each status means and the legal moves between them, see Lot and serial statuses.
- Follow a lot's history both directions in Trace a lot.
- See where lots and serials are created downstream in Production and Warehouse.