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Keeping track of inventory items is increasingly important. Using lot numbers in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is quick to set up and easy to use. 

With lot tracking, you can trace items across internal warehouse movements, and outbound and inbound transactions.  This is useful for general quality assurance, for product recalls, warranties, or expiration dates.

 

How to setup Item Lot Tracking

  1. Choose the search 🔎 icon, enter Item Tracking Codes, and then choose the related link.
Lot tracking in Business Central

2. Choose the New action.

3. Fill in the fields as necessary as per specific requirements.

The item tracking code indicated how Business Central will track the item in inventory.
Note: Hover over a field to read a short description of each field.

4. On the Lot No. Tab, define policies of item tracking by serial, lot, and package numbers respectively. 

Lot tracking in Business Central

How to assign lot numbers to Item Codes

To enable item tracking you first have to assign the item tracking codes to an item.

1. Choose the 🔎 icon, enter Item, and then choose the related link.

Lot tracking in Business Central

2. Select an existing item from the list (or create a new Item) and open the Item Card

3. On the Item Tracking tab, assign the Item Tracking Code, Lot Nos & Expiration Calculation.

Lot tracking in Business Central

Assigning lot numbers during inbound transactions

Purchase orders are often the central document used for processing inbound transactions. Lot No. will need to be assigned to the Item on the purchase order line.

  1. Choose the 🔎 icon, enter Purchase Orders, and then choose the related link.
Lot tracking in Business Central

2. Either open an existing purchase order or create a new purchase order.

3. Select the relevant line on the purchase order then click on the Line action, and then choose the Item Tracking Lines This will open the Edit – Item Tracking Lines page.

 

Lot tracking in Business Central

4. You can assign lot numbers in the following ways:

  • Automatically: select Process then choose  Assign Lot to assign serial numbers from predefined number series.
  • Manually: by entering lot numbers directly.
    You might use this option if you were given lot numbers
Lot tracking in Business Central

When the document is posted, the item tracking entries are carried to the associated item ledger entries.

Assigning lot numbers during outbound transactions

The sales order is often the central document used for processing Outbound transactions.

Lot No. will need to be assigned to the Item on the sales order line before the Item leaves the company and this can be done one of two ways:

  1. Selecting from existing lot numbers when item tracking numbers have already been assigned during inbound transactions.
  2. Assigning a new lot number when tracking numbers have not been assigned to items until sold and ready to ship. Follow the same instructions for inbound (above) to assign new lot numbers on sales invoices.

Select from existing lot numbers

When you are working with items that require item tracking and you are creating outbound transactions, where the items go out of inventory, you typically need to select the lot numbers from those that already exist in inventory.

1. Choose the icon, enter Sales Order, and then choose the related link.

2. Either open an existing sales order or create a new sales order.

3. Select the relevant line on the sales order then click on the Line action, select Related Information and then choose the Item Tracking Lines This will open the Edit – Item Tracking Lines page.

Lot tracking in Business Central

4. Select the Lot No.field, and then select a number from the Lot No. List

Lot tracking in Business Central

5. Click on the ‘assist’ button on the Lot No. field to select the Lot No. and then enter the Quantity (Base).

 On posting, the Item Tracking Entries will be updated and will reduce the Lot available quantity.

Tracing Lots

Use the Item tracing page to find all current instances of a specific lot number in the database.  Enter the Item and Lot No. in the filter fields.

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