Set Up Expiration Dates for Lot and Serial Items

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Use this procedure to set up expiration dates for lots and serial items. To learn more about this feature, see Expiration Dates for Lot and Serial Items.

Setting up this feature limits the ability to sell, issue, and accept returns of items based on their expiration date. You can allow users to override the default settings by enabling related security events in Role Maintenance. Review users' role security if you intend to allow overrides.

 

To enable expiration date tracking for lot and serial items

  1. Select Inventory Management Setup menu > Inventory Management Options.

  2. On the Additional tab, select the Enable Lot/Serial Expiration Dates check box. For more information, see Inventory Management Options - Fields.

  3. Select the Require Expiration Date check box if needed.

    Note You can override this and the remaining selections for individual items and product lines in Item Maintenance and Product Line Maintenance.

  4. In the Calculate Expiration Dates Based On field:
    • Select Don't Calc to leave the expiration date field blank so that the date can be manually entered.
    • Select either Days, Months, or Years to calculate an expiration date by subtracting or adding a certain amount of time to the receipt date (in Receipt of Goods), the transaction date (in Transaction Entry), or the production date (in Production Entry).
  5. To calculate sell-by dates, in the Lot/Serial Expiration - Sales section:
    1. In the Calculate Sell-By Date Based On field, select either Days, Months, or Years to calculate the sell-by date by subtracting or adding a specified amount of time to the expiration date.

    2. Enter a value in one of the remaining fields in the Sales section. You can limit the sale of items for a specified period of time either before or after the expiration date.

    For example, to limit the sale of items to 5 days before the expiration date, select Days in the Calculate Sell-By Date Based On field, and enter 5 in the Number of Days Before Expiration Date field.

  6. To calculate use-by dates, in the Lot/Serial Expiration - Issues section:
    1. In the Calculate Use-By Date Based On field, select either Days, Months, or Years to calculate the use-by date by subtracting or adding a specified amount of time to the expiration date.

    2. Enter a value in one of the remaining fields in the Issues section. You can limit the issue of items for a specified period of time either before or after the expiration date.

    For example, to limit the issue of items to 3 months before the expiration date, select Months in the Calculate Use-By Date Based On field, and enter 3 in the Number of Months Before Expiration Date field.

  7. To calculate return-by dates, in the Lot/Serial Expiration - Returns section:
    1. In the Calculate Returns Based On field, select either Days, Months, or Years to calculate the return-by date by adding a specified amount of time to the expiration date.

    2. Enter a value in the Number of Days After Expiration Date field.

    For example, to limit the return of items to 1 year after the expiration date, select Years in the Calculate Returns Based On field, and enter 1 in the Number of Months After Expiration Date field.

Your default options for tracking expiration dates of lots and items with serial numbers are now set up. You can override any of these settings for an item or product line, in Item Maintenance or Product Line Maintenance.

 

To set up expiration date tracking by product line

  1. Select Inventory Management Setup menu > Product Line Maintenance.
  2. Select an applicable product line. For more information, see Product Line Maintenance - Fields.
  3. On the Lot/Serial tab, select the Track Lot/Serial Expiration Dates check box and make other selections as needed.
  4. Click Apply.
  5. In the Apply Product Line Information window, select the Lot/Serial Expiration Settings check box.
  6. To apply the settings only to certain items within the product line, enter the appropriate options in the Selection grid. For more information, see Apply Product Line Information - Fields.
  7. Click Proceed.
  8. When asked if you want to apply the product line information, click Yes.

The items in the product line are now set up to track expiration dates. To add expiration dates for multiple items, use the Change Lot and Serial Expiration Dates utility located on the Utilities menu. To add a date for one lot or serial number at a time, use the Change Lot/Serial Expiration Date window accessed from the Cost Detail tab in Item Maintenance.

 

To set up expiration date tracking for an item

  1. Select Inventory Management main menu > Item Maintenance.
  2. Select an item. For more information, see Item Maintenance - Fields.
  3. Click the arrow button in the top-right corner of the window and select Lot/Serial Expiration.
  4. In the Lot/Serial Expiration Settings window, select the Track Lot/Serial Expiration Dates check box and make other selections as needed. For more information, see Lot/Serial Expiration Settings - Fields.
  5. Click OK to return to Item Maintenance.
  6. To enter expiration dates for individual lots and serial numbers:
    1. Click the Cost Detail tab.
    2. Select a lot or serial number and click the Change Lot/Serial Expiration Date button.
    3. In the Change Lot/Serial Expiration Date window, enter the new expiration date.
    4. Click OK.
  7. Click Accept.

The item is now set up to track expiration dates. If you didn't enter expiration dates for individual lots or serial numbers, you can do that now using the Change Lot and Serial Expiration Dates utility located on the Utilities menu.