In industries such as manufacturing, retail, pharmaceuticals, and logistics, tracking inventory efficiently is crucial. Businesses dealing with traceable products need to manage serial numbers and lot numbers to ensure product traceability, quality control, and regulatory compliance.

Dolibarr ERP & CRM provides robust features to track, manage, and monitor serial and lot numbers, helping businesses improve inventory control and enhance customer satisfaction.

In this article, we will explore how to manage serial numbers and lot numbers in Dolibarr, the benefits of using these features, and best practices to maximize efficiency.

1. What Are Serial Numbers and Lot Numbers?

Before diving into how Dolibarr manages serial and lot numbers, let’s define the key concepts:

  • Serial Number: A unique identifier assigned to an individual product unit. Each serial number is unique and helps track a specific product.
  • Lot Number (Batch Number): A code assigned to a group of identical products manufactured or received together. Unlike serial numbers, a lot number can apply to multiple units of the same item.

1.1 Key Differences

Feature Serial Number Lot Number
Uniqueness Unique per item Shared across multiple items
Purpose Individual product tracking Batch tracking
Used for High-value products, electronics, machinery Food, pharmaceuticals, chemicals
Traceability Tracks each product separately Tracks a batch of products

Dolibarr supports both serial and lot number tracking, ensuring businesses can effectively monitor their inventory.

2. Activating Serial and Lot Number Tracking in Dolibarr

To start using serial and lot numbers in Dolibarr, follow these steps:

2.1 Enable Stock and Lot/Serial Management

1️⃣ Navigate to Home > Setup > Modules/Applications.
2️⃣ Activate the Stock Module to manage inventory movements.
3️⃣ Enable Lot/Serial Number Management under the stock settings.
4️⃣ Configure tracking options such as expiration dates, supplier tracking, and batch movements.

Once activated, Dolibarr allows businesses to assign, track, and report on serial and lot numbers across warehouses and transactions.

3. Assigning Serial and Lot Numbers in Dolibarr

3.1 Assigning Serial Numbers

Each product unit that requires serial tracking must have a unique serial number.

✔ Go to Products/Services > Stock Management.
✔ Select the product and click Assign Serial Number.
✔ Enter the serial number manually or use an automatic generation format.
✔ Save and validate.

3.2 Assigning Lot Numbers

For batch tracking, multiple products can share the same lot number.

✔ Go to Stock > Lot/Batch Management.
✔ Create a new lot and assign it to a product category.
✔ Define attributes like manufacturing date, expiration date, and supplier details.
✔ Validate the entry to ensure traceability in all transactions.

Dolibarr allows businesses to automatically generate lot numbers based on predefined rules, making batch management easier.

4. Managing Stock Movements with Serial and Lot Numbers

Dolibarr allows businesses to track the movement of serial and lot-numbered products across warehouses, suppliers, and customers.

4.1 Receiving Serial and Lot-Tracked Products

When receiving inventory from suppliers:

✔ Navigate to Stock > Supplier Orders > Receive Stock.
✔ Select the product and enter the assigned serial/lot number.
✔ Confirm and validate the receipt to update the inventory.

4.2 Internal Transfers

For businesses managing multiple warehouses, Dolibarr supports internal stock transfers with serial and lot tracking.

✔ Go to Stock > Internal Transfers.
✔ Select the warehouse of origin and the destination warehouse.
✔ Choose the products and enter their serial/lot numbers.
✔ Validate the transfer to maintain accurate tracking records.

4.3 Shipping to Customers

When selling products with serial or lot numbers, they must be correctly assigned during sales.

✔ Navigate to Sales > Orders > Shipments.
✔ Select the product and warehouse.
✔ Choose the serial or lot number from the available inventory.
✔ Validate the shipment to update the stock automatically.

This tracking ensures that businesses can trace which serial/lot number was shipped to which customer, essential for returns, recalls, or warranty claims.

5. Traceability and Reporting

One of the most significant advantages of using Dolibarr’s serial and lot number management system is traceability.

5.1 Tracking Serial and Lot Numbers in Dolibarr

Businesses can trace a product from supplier to customer by:

✔ Searching for specific serial or lot numbers in the system.
✔ Reviewing purchase and sales history linked to the serial/lot number.
✔ Generating reports on stock movements per serial/lot number.

5.2 Expiration Date Management

For industries like food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, managing expiration dates is critical.

✔ Set expiration dates when assigning a lot number.
✔ Configure alerts for soon-to-expire products.
✔ Run reports to identify products nearing expiration and take necessary action.

6. Best Practices for Managing Serial and Lot Numbers in Dolibarr

To maximize the efficiency of Dolibarr’s serial and lot number tracking, follow these best practices:

✔ Standardize serial and lot number formats – Use consistent naming conventions to avoid confusion.
✔ Automate tracking with barcodes – Integrate barcode scanning for faster and error-free serial/lot assignment.
✔ Regular stock audits – Conduct periodic physical counts to ensure system accuracy.
✔ Enable alerts and notifications – Prevent issues by setting up reminders for stock movements and expirations.
✔ Train employees – Ensure all users understand how to correctly assign and track serial and lot numbers in Dolibarr.

7. Benefits of Using Dolibarr for Serial and Lot Tracking

By leveraging Dolibarr’s serial and lot number management system, businesses can:

✔ Improve traceability – Track products from supplier to customer.
✔ Enhance inventory accuracy – Reduce errors and discrepancies.
✔ Ensure regulatory compliance – Essential for industries with strict regulations.
✔ Minimize waste and losses – Avoid expired or obsolete stock.
✔ Streamline recall management – Quickly identify and retrieve defective products.

Dolibarr’s user-friendly interface and powerful automation tools make it an ideal choice for businesses that require advanced inventory tracking and traceability.

Conclusion

Managing serial and lot numbers in Dolibarr is essential for businesses that need accurate inventory tracking, regulatory compliance, and quality control. By properly setting up Dolibarr’s stock management features, businesses can enhance traceability, reduce waste, and optimize stock movements.

By following best practices and utilizing Dolibarr’s automated tracking and reporting tools, businesses can ensure error-free inventory management and improved operational efficiency.