Expiration dates and lots
Track batches, spot expiring stock, and record waste without losing the rest of an item's inventory.
Inventory Tracking keeps batches separate by location, expiration date, and lot code. Give each batch the details that belong to it, review dated-stock views, and preserve batch information as stock moves.
What makes a batch distinct
A stock entry is identified by its item, location, expiration date, and lot code. Two deliveries of the same item can have separate entries when their dates or lot codes differ. Entries with the same combination can accumulate into the same batch.
An expiration date and lot code are optional. Undated stock is still stock, but a date-based view cannot tell you when it will expire. A lot code is useful for identifying a specific production or delivery batch; entering one does not create a separate catalog item.
Inventory exposes batch-level Quantity, Expiration date, Lot code, Price per base unit, Value, and Notes, alongside the item's shared details. Keep batch information on the stock entry so each location and delivery can retain its own history.
Capture batch information as stock arrives
- When receiving a purchase order, enter the accepted and rejected amounts on the receipt and add the line's best-by date where applicable.
- Check the receiving Inventory folder. Accepted quantities are placed into the physical location and dated stock entry; rejected quantities do not become usable stock.
- When adding stock manually, use Add stock and enter the quantity, location, expiration date, and lot number together.
- For a lot code not captured during receiving, open the resulting Inventory entry and update its Lot code.
- If correcting a date or lot later, check that another entry does not already use the same item, location, date, and lot combination. Matte rejects conflicting duplicate identities.
The purchase-order receive form captures a best-by date for catalog-linked lines. It does not currently provide a full per-line lot-code receiving workflow.
Find stock that needs attention
The built-in Expiring Soon view shows entries with positive stock and an expiration date in the next 14 days. Expired shows positive stock whose date is in the past. Zero-quantity entries are excluded from those default views.
You can use the table's filtering and saved-view tools to make a different window or narrow the list to a location, supplier, or category. Existing views can be customized by the workspace, so inspect the current filters if the result differs from the defaults.
A dated-stock view is a place to review inventory. It should not be interpreted as an automatic disposal instruction or a guarantee that someone has received an expiration reminder.
Uncounted / No Expiration Date is another built-in view for entries whose expiration field is empty. Its name does not prove that an item has never been counted; inspect the count history when that distinction matters. Where an item-level expiration summary is shown, it reflects the earliest date among its stocked batches.
Log expired or damaged stock
The dialog can suggest a next expiration date from recorded receipts and offers an optional new date or clear-date control where supported. Those controls do not replace checking the remaining physical batches. Removing a portion of one batch should not silently remove the other dates held for the same item.
- Open Stock actions and select Log expired stock.
- Choose the item and Inventory folder. If more than one stocked batch is available, choose the exact Stock batch being removed.
- Enter Quantity to remove and its unit. Use the displayed batch availability to check the amount.
- Choose Expired, Damaged, or Other, and add a note that explains the removal.
- Review the optional expiration controls if they are relevant, then save. Check the remaining batch quantities and Stock Activity.
How dated stock is used during movements
When a stock reduction does not name a specific batch, Matte allocates it from the earliest expiration dates first, then from undated stock. This is often called first-expiring, first-out. Transfers preserve the dates and lot details of the stock they move.
Sales shipment entry lets you select a Stock batch when several batches are available. Use an explicit selection when staff shipped a particular batch. A system's default allocation can only match the physical shelves if the team follows the same picking order.
Expiration dates remain descriptive stock data. The current workflow does not automatically block use or shipment just because a date has passed.
Limits and valuation
The catalog's Default shelf life (days) field is available, but current purchase receiving reads the date you enter. Automatic receipt-date-plus-shelf-life calculation is not implemented in this workflow.
A batch's Value is its quantity multiplied by its price per base unit. Built-in historical value reports use current item prices, so they do not represent historical receipt-cost layers or a FIFO accounting valuation.
Editing stock or removing waste requires the appropriate permissions, and availability can depend on the workspace plan. If a batch is missing, check the location, date filters, and whether it has any remaining stock before creating another record.