Starting with the Business edition, ABRA Flexi allows you to track batches and expiration dates for items.

Batches and expiration dates are independent of each other, meaning an item can track only batches, only expiration dates, or both.

If you're looking for a guide for the web interface rather than the desktop application, switch to the guide for the web interface.

First, you need to determine which items should track batches or expiration dates. This is done in the price list, on the Additional Specifications tab of the price list item's detail view.

For our example, we'll enable both options - batch tracking and expiration date tracking.

An additional expiration-related field can be used to specify the shelf life in days after expiration.

This field is for informational purposes only and is used solely in document line items (e.g., issued invoices or delivery notes), where the shelf-life date is automatically filled in (provided the field is set in the price list).

If an item is configured this way, you can receive it along with its batch and expiration date information. Batches and expiration dates can be filled in for an item both from a goods receipt and from a received invoice. We'll show an example using a goods receipt, but the procedure for a received invoice is analogous.

You'll find the option to fill this in on the Accounting/Details tab of the relevant goods receipt line item.

You can stock in any number of items in a single batch or expiration date at once. Whatever quantity you receive will be received under the given batch and expiration date.

If you need to receive a single item with multiple batches or expiration dates at once, you'll need to split the item into multiple lines (one for each batch and expiration date, or their combination).

Once the goods receipt contains everything you need, you can save the document.

You can check which batches are currently in stock in the price list item's detail view, in the bottom tab bar.

If you need to see a summary of stock levels including batches or expiration dates, use one of our add-ons.

All that remains is to issue the item along with its batch or expiration date. We'll show an example again using a standard delivery note, though the analogous procedure again applies to an issued invoice (which, by default, automatically generates a delivery note itself - depending on the invoice type settings).

So let's create a delivery note with our item.

The option to specify batches and expiration dates is again found on the item's Accounting/Details tab in the delivery note. However, the behavior here differs from that of a goods receipt. In a delivery note, you select from the batches and expiration dates available in stock, using a drop-down list.

Saving the delivery note line item with the batches and expiration date set this way will remove them from stock.

If a price list item has active batch and expiration date tracking, you need to keep this in mind when issuing items and be sure to specify them for the item.

For an item with active tracking, both the batch and the expiration date are required fields. You must fill them in on every goods receipt and every delivery note, or you won't be able to save the document.

On the stock card of the relevant items, you'll find the Issue by expiration date flag. Its purpose is to prioritize issuing stock with the shortest expiration date, regardless of when it was received into stock.

Batches and expiration dates can also be processed via stocktaking.

If an item loaded into a stocktake tracks batches or expiration dates, they are reflected in the stocktake. The relevant item will appear on as many lines as there are combinations of batches and expiration dates for that item. The system-calculated quantity will always correspond to one such combination.

You'll find a detailed procedure for creating a stocktake on our website.