LotTracking

Lottracking is the process of identifying, recording, and tracing a group of items that share a common production or procurement lot. Each lot is assigned a unique lot number and associated attributes such as production date, expiration date, supplier, manufacturing site, and batch characteristics. Lot tracking enables end-to-end traceability from receipt through production, storage, and distribution, allowing organizations to determine the origin of a product, the path it took, and any quality events linked to that lot.

Implementation typically involves enterprise resource planning (ERP), warehouse management systems (WMS), manufacturing execution systems (MES), or dedicated traceability software. Barcodes or RFID are commonly used to capture lot data at each transaction, including receiving, manufacturing, packaging, and shipping. The system maintains a complete history for each lot, including test results, certificates of analysis, quarantine status, and disposition.

Applications and benefits include regulatory compliance and product recalls, faster and more precise recalls, improved quality management, and enhanced inventory accuracy. Lot tracking supports stock rotation, accountability, and recall readiness, reducing waste and enabling informed disposition decisions.

Industry use ranges from pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and cosmetics to chemicals, automotive components, electronics, and healthcare products. Key considerations include data integrity, coding standards, and alignment with GS1 or other barcoding standards; integration with ERP/WMS/MES; labeling and expiration management; and the cost and organizational change required for implementation.

Limitations can include complexity in high-volume or high-mix environments, reliance on complete upstream data, and ongoing maintenance of systems and processes.