BP-04 · ILLUSTRATIVE SCENARIO
Lot and expiry traceability for a food distributor
A distributor of foods that may fall under the FDA's Food Traceability List receives, stores and ships by the case from several suppliers. Lot codes are written on paper receiving sheets.
This is an illustrative scenario written by SALES TEC to show our approach. It is not a description of a real client, and it contains no results.
§ 01The problem
Finding where a lot went takes hours of digging through paper and invoices. Rotation is by eye, so short-dated stock sits behind fresh stock. The FDA traceability rule takes effect July 20, 2028, and buyers will start asking for records before then.
§ 02How we would approach it
- 01Capture the lot code, best-by date and supplier at receiving, and label every pallet with them.
- 02Enforce FEFO in picking and apply each customer's minimum shelf-life rule. Put a suspect lot on hold with one action.
- 03Record the key data elements at each critical tracking event: receiving, transformation and shipping.
- 04Provide forward and backward trace by lot with an exportable report.
§ 03How we would measure success
Measures of success
- Time to trace a lot to customers
- Write-offs from expired stock
- Picks that followed FEFO
- Receipts with complete lot data
Related services
Industry
Food & Beverage DistributionStart here
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