Unify batch, expiry and shipment in one record with lot traceability software
In food and feed export, Sighthem records the one question every buyer and destination market asks: which batch, which input and which date did this carton come from. The lot number, expiry date, production date and bin captured at goods receipt flow through one chain all the way to FEFO picking, GS1 barcodes, batch-level shipments and the recall trace. When you have to pull a batch, you see which customer received it on which shipment in seconds, not hours.
Batch identity at goods receipt: lot, expiry, production date and bin at once
Traceability starts not in the warehouse but the moment goods enter the door. Sighthem ties each batch's identity to the product line on the goods-receipt screen, so you never have to guess later.
- The lot number, expiry date, production date and supplier lot number are recorded separately at goods receipt, so batch identity is complete from the start
- Each batch lands in a warehouse and bin location, the same SKU keeps a separate line per warehouse, and which lot sits in which location is clearly visible
- Goods receipt from a supplier order is linked to the purchase record, so which imported input the batch came from stays in the chain
- Scanning a barcode auto-fills product, quantity and lot, reducing manual-entry errors and the risk of a missing batch record
FEFO picking: the batch closest to expiry leaves first
In food export the costliest mistake is forgetting expired stock in the warehouse. Sighthem orders picking by date and allocates the oldest batch to shipment first.
- Under FEFO, stock consumption is ordered by expiry date, the batch nearest expiry is surfaced automatically, and nothing ages out in the warehouse
- Switching between FIFO and FEFO is a single choice in operations settings, so a food customer sets its own consumption logic at workspace level
- Picking always happens from the real batch line, and which lot the allocated quantity came from is written to the record
- When the same SKU is spread across several batches and warehouses, the system resolves the distribution itself and allocates the most suitable batches in order
GS1 barcodes: batch and expiry scannable, shipment label readable at customs
Destination markets now require readable, standard barcodes; a hand-written batch label is not accepted. Sighthem both parses the incoming barcode and prints a standard label for the outbound pallet.
- When a GS1 barcode is scanned, the batch, expiry date, production date and quantity fields are parsed and the scan is matched to the relevant line and batch
- A GS1-128 shipment label carrying the pallet serial number is produced for the shipment pallet, printed in a form that carries the batch data
- The global product number entered once on the product card flows from a single source into every batch and shipment record, leaving no inconsistency across lines
- A scannable label speeds goods-to-document matching at the buyer's warehouse and at customs, so the physical carton and the system record show the same batch
Recall trace: follow a batch to its shipments in seconds
When a batch turns out faulty, what matters is speed and evidence; searching Excel for which customer got it is unacceptable. Sighthem keeps batch movement on record from end to end.
- All movement of a lot (goods receipt, consumption, transfer, shipment) is gathered in one trace, so where the batch came from and where it went is visible on a single screen
- A recall query lists which shipment carried a batch to which customer, so the blast radius comes out in seconds, not minutes
- Batches nearing expiry warn in a separate list, so the risk is seen up front before it ever reaches a recall
- Traceability is not one-way: it is followed in both directions, from shipment to batch and from batch to the supplier input
Batch-level and partial shipments: which lot is in which carton is on record
Shipment is the most common place the traceability chain breaks; if batch data is not bound to the package, the record loses its meaning. Sighthem closes the shipment at batch and pallet level.
- The shipment is built by batch and quantity, the allocated lot is bound to its pallet, and which batch is in which carton stays on the record
- In a partial shipment, when part of an order is sent the remaining quantity and batch stay open and the second shipment continues from the same record
- When the batch is bound to the package, stock is decremented automatically and the pallet is reserved, closing the risk of duplicate shipment and getting stuck in ready-to-ship
- The shipment record sits in the same chain as the export invoice and document set, so the invoice and the physical shipment point to the same batch
Batch documents and remaining shelf life: the proof buyers and customs want
Most buyers impose a certificate of analysis and a minimum remaining shelf-life requirement; this proof must sit next to the batch record. Sighthem ties the document and the shelf-life check to the batch.
- A certificate-of-analysis number, issuer, date and result are added to each batch, the document is stored on the batch record, and it is at hand at the moment of shipment
- The remaining shelf-life percentage is calculated per batch, a batch that drops below the buyer's required minimum threshold shows a red warning, and below-threshold stock does not enter a shipment by mistake
- For cold-chain products the target temperature range and readings are recorded, and any out-of-range condition is flagged as a breach
- Because the document and shelf-life proof travel with the batch, you give a ready answer to a buyer query and to a market audit
End to end in one chain: the batch in one record from receipt to collection
Traceability is not the job of a single module; it gains meaning when the quote, order, warehouse, shipment and invoice share the same data. Sighthem carries batch identity through every link in this chain.
- The supplier input, production, warehouse, shipment and invoice are all fed from the same batch record, so traceability does not break between steps
- On the import side the batch is linked to the imported input and the supplier record, tracked in the same operation as the consumption follow-up of inward-processing inputs
- Every batch and movement stays isolated within the workspace, with cross-workspace data leakage prevented by tenant isolation
- From the mobile app you scan a barcode in the warehouse and query the batch, so the record in the field and the system in the office show the same reality
Once batch identity is entered at goods receipt, the lot, expiry, bin and origin are never looked up again at the shipment, invoice or recall steps. When you must pull a batch, which customer received it on which shipment comes out in seconds with a single query, instead of hours of searching in Excel.
Set the picking strategy to FEFO in operations settings. Stock is consumed by expiry date and the batch closest to expiry surfaces automatically; nothing ages out in the warehouse and you meet the buyer's minimum remaining shelf-life requirement.
If batch data is not bound to the shipment package, the traceability chain breaks at dispatch and you cannot tell which lot is in which carton during a recall. Build the shipment at batch and pallet level; when the allocated lot is bound to the pallet, stock is decremented and duplicate-shipment risk closes too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has lot tracking and traceability software become mandatory in food export?
In food and feed export, destination markets and buyers require that every shipment can be traced to a batch and recalled if there is a problem. Without batch-level records you cannot manage certificates of analysis, expiry tracking or recalls. Sighthem carries the lot, expiry and origin captured at goods receipt through one chain all the way to the shipment and invoice, so you answer buyer queries and market audits with evidence.
What is the difference between FEFO and FIFO and which should I choose?
FIFO is first in, first out, consuming by goods-receipt date. FEFO instead releases the batch with the nearest expiry date first. For shelf-life products like food and feed the right choice is usually FEFO, because it removes the risk of stock aging out and expiring in the warehouse. In Sighthem you set this at workspace level in operations settings with one click; picking always follows your chosen strategy from the real batch line.
If I have to recall a batch, how do I find which customers received it?
Sighthem keeps every movement of a lot (goods receipt, consumption, transfer and shipment) in one trace. A recall query lists which shipment carried a batch to which customer, so you see the blast radius in seconds instead of hours of Excel searching. Traceability is bidirectional: you can follow from shipment to batch and from batch to the supplier input, pinpointing both the source and every affected shipment at once.
Can you both scan and print GS1 barcodes?
Yes, it works in both directions. When an incoming GS1 barcode is scanned, the batch, expiry date, production date and quantity fields are parsed and the scan is matched to the right line. On the outbound side, a GS1-128 shipment label carrying the pallet serial number is produced and printed to carry the batch data. Because the global product number entered once on the product card flows from a single source into every batch and shipment record, the physical carton and the system record show the same batch.
How do I manage certificate of analysis and remaining shelf-life requirements in the system?
Each batch gets a certificate-of-analysis number, issuer, date and result, and the document is stored on the batch record, ready at the moment of shipment. The remaining shelf-life percentage is calculated per batch; a batch that falls below the buyer's required minimum threshold shows a red warning, so below-threshold stock does not enter a shipment by mistake. For cold-chain products the target temperature range and readings are recorded and any out-of-range condition is flagged as a breach.
Does lot traceability work in one flow from order to shipment and invoice?
Yes. Batch identity is not stuck in a single module; the supplier input, production, warehouse, shipment and invoice are all fed from the same batch record. The shipment is built at batch and pallet level, the allocated lot is bound to the pallet, and the same record sits in the same chain as the export invoice and document set. In a partial shipment the remaining quantity and batch stay open and the second shipment continues from the same record. All of these steps flow inside a single workspace, with cross-workspace data leakage prevented by tenant isolation.
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