A batch number, also called a lot number, marks goods made in the same run or received in the same consignment. Every unit in a batch shares the same production date, materials and, often, expiry date.
Where batches matter most
- Medicines
- the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules require a batch number and expiry date on the label, and a chemist must record them on sales.
- Packaged food
- batch or lot and date of manufacture on every pack under food safety rules.
- Ceramic tiles
- tiles from different batches can differ slightly in shade and size, so Morbi plants mark shade and calibre on each box, and dealers sell one project from one batch.
- Paint, chemicals and lubricants
- quality and shelf life vary by batch.
- Castings and engineering parts
- heat numbers link a part to its test certificate.
What batch tracking lets you do
- Sell the oldest or soonest-to-expire batch first.
- Find every customer who bought a faulty batch.
- Answer a complaint with the batch's test report.
- Write off expired stock by batch, without a full count.
The cost
Batch tracking needs a batch recorded at every receipt and every sale. For goods where batches never matter, that effort is better spent elsewhere.