Batch number (lot number)
The code a manufacturer prints on a production run, used to group identical units so you can trace, recall or expire them together.
A batch number identifies one production run. Every strip, bottle or bag from that run carries the same code. It is how you tell two boxes of the same product apart when only one of them has a problem.
Why it matters
Recalls, expiry and warranty claims all work at batch level. If a manufacturer withdraws a batch, you need to know how many units of it you received, how many you sold, and to whom. Without batch records you have to pull every unit of the product off the shelf.
Trades that cannot skip it
Pharmacy, food, cosmetics, agrochemicals, paint and lubricants. In pharmacy the batch and expiry must appear on the invoice, and returns to the distributor are settled batch-wise.
Batch is not the same as serial
A batch covers many units that share one code. A serial number identifies a single unit. Use batch for consumables sold in quantity; use serial for high-value items where each piece is tracked on its own.
How KillStock handles it
Batch tracking can be switched on for the items that need it, with the batch and expiry recorded at goods receipt and carried through to the sale. Every movement of a batch stays in its history, so you can trace a lot forward to the customer or backward to the supplier.
A common mistake
Recording the batch at purchase but not at sale. Half a trail is no trail — you will know what came in and still not know where it went.