Glossary · Manufacturing systems
Lot tracking
Also known as: Lot traceability, Batch traceability
German: Chargenverfolgung
In manufacturing and logistics, lot tracking is the recording and following of production lots or batches through receipt, production, storage and distribution, so affected products can be located forward and origins traced backward.
- Manufacturing systems
In one sentence
Lot tracking follows production lots through receipt, production, storage and distribution for forward and backward tracing.
Example
When a supplier reports contaminated flour lot 5521, lot tracking shows which bread batches used it and which customers received them.
How it applies
- Engineering: ERP, MES and WMS record lot numbers at each movement; scanning at goods receipt, consumption and shipping keeps records complete.
- Quality and regulation: Food, pharma, chemicals and medical devices require lot traceability for recalls. In the US, the FDA's food traceability rule sets record-keeping requirements for certain foods; see Product traceability rules in the USA.
- Operation: Mixing lots, partial consumption and rework make tracking harder; rules for these cases must be defined.
- Documentation: Document lot number formats, where lots are split or merged, and the recall procedure. Mock recalls test whether records and documentation work together.
Lot tracking vs. serialization
Lot tracking identifies groups of units made under the same conditions. Serialization identifies each unit individually. Many supply chains combine both: serial numbers linked to lots.