How to Set Up Batch Tracking and Expiry Dates in Unleashed

Before you start

• Batch Tracking isn't supported on Lite. You need Core or Pro.
• Once Batch Tracking is on and used on products, it can't be turned off for the account. You can still turn it off on individual products.
• A product can't be both batch-tracked and serial-numbered.
• A product on any open transaction can't be switched to batch-tracked. Complete those transactions or remove the product first.
• Have batch numbers (and expiry dates, if you use them) for the stock you already hold.

Step 1: Turn on Batch Tracking for the account

1. 1Go to Settings > Company > Configuration.
2. 2Toggle Batch Tracking to ON.
3. 3Click Save.

Step 2: Turn it on for each product

1. 1Open the product record.
2. 2In the Details tab, find the Type section and toggle Batch Tracked to ON.
3. 3Click Save.
4. 4If the product has stock, a window opens. Give the existing stock in each warehouse a Batch Number and, optionally, an Expiry Date. All stock needs a batch before you can save.
5. 5For many products with stock, use the Batch Numbers tab under Inventory > Products > Import/Export instead. Each batch goes on its own row with product code, warehouse and quantity, and the costs for all batches of a product must match.

Step 3: Record batches as stock moves

1. 1Purchase orders: enter new or existing batch numbers and expiry dates when you receipt. This is where batch details are captured.
2. 2Sales orders: in Order Lines, click the Batch column to soft-allocate batches. Select Oldest picks the oldest; Select None clears them.
3. 3Shipments: in Shipment Lines, click Batch to choose from batches "Selected on Order" or "All Available Batches". Batches are only hard-allocated when the shipment is dispatched.
4. 4Credit notes: you can only return batches dispatched on that sales order. For another batch, use a Free Credit.
5. 5Warehouse transfers, stock adjustments and stock counts each have a Batch column for the same job.
6. 6To assign oldest batches on many orders at once, tick them on the view page (for example View Sales Orders) and choose Assign Oldest Batch Numbers from the header action cog.

Step 4: Watch expiry and trace a batch

1. 1On your Dashboard, select Show on the Batch Expiry tab to see batches nearing expiry. Expired batches show in a red banner.
2. 2To change an expiry date, go to Reports > Inventory > Batch Numbers Enquiry, run it, and click the batch's Expiry Date field. You can also do this in the product's Batch Numbers tab. Each batch has one expiry date.
3. 3For a recall, go to Reports > Inventory > Batch Numbers Enquiry, filter by batch or product, set Batch Number Status to blank and click Run.
4. 4Select Export, then Export Batch Information. The CSV lists the purchases, shipments and assemblies for that batch, with customer details.

If something doesn't look right

• You can't turn on Batch Tracked: the product is on an open transaction. Check its References tab.
• You can't turn it off: the product has stock, is on an open transaction, or is a component on a Bill of Materials (including obsolete ones).
• A shipment still shows old batches: changing batches on a sales order doesn't update shipments or invoices already created. Update them by hand.
• Orders with batch-tracked products load slowly: Unleashed suggests about 1,000 transactions per batch at most, and 100 or fewer batch-tracked lines per shipment.
• Select Oldest didn't pick the batch with the nearest expiry: the Batch Tracking article describes "oldest" two ways, by expiry date where used and by the date the batch was first added. Check which batch was picked before you dispatch short-dated stock.

Where Unleashed leaves the work to you

• Capturing batch numbers and expiry dates correctly at receipt. If they're missing or wrong, traceability is too.
• Choosing batches on each order or shipment, and checking the choice when stock is short-dated.
• Running the recall: Unleashed exports who received the batch, but contacting them is your job.

Where Logistify fits

Logistify doesn't set batch numbers or expiry dates on orders. The Sales Order Service enters customer orders into Unleashed as sales orders; your team assigns batches in Unleashed as usual. For products tracked by unit instead of batch, see How to set up serial-numbered products.