You configure traceability at part level, which means that a portion of your range of parts may have traceability, and another portion of your range of parts may not. You configure the traceability of a part using the setting Traceability under the General tab in the Update Part - Inventory procedure, which can be found in the Inventory module. Another requirement for using traceability is that you must use multiple stock locations. This is configured under the Inventory tab in the Settings procedure, found in the Global Settings module.
What Happens to Parts with Traceability?
During arrival reporting of purchased parts with traceability, the stock location box will contain a column for batch numbers. A batch number must then be configured per stock location. The default selection is the same as the purchase order number for a new location. The information is saved for the Trace Part procedure, with the purchase order number together with the batch numbers that have been entered for the location and parts, respectively.
When a part is later on withdrawn during a material withdrawal from a manufacturing order, this information is saved for the Batch Number List procedure, including the batch number, manufacturing order number, part number etc.
When the manufactured part is reported later on as finished into the inventory, then the manufacturing order number is configured as a separate batch number for the finished part in that stock location.
When the sold part is delivered, the information is then saved for the Trace Part procedure, with the customer order number together with the part's batch number, which will then be the same as the manufacturing order number.
The denomination "location" or stock location does not need to be used as an actual, physical location, but can be used as a MONITOR entry in order to enter a batch number per location. You can only have one batch number per location. Therefore, the name of the location is not important. There is a setting under the Inventory tab in the Settings procedure, that is called Create new location for arrival quick reporting? This can be used when you do not have fixed stock locations. Read more about this setting in the Help Function for that procedure
If you report manufactured parts with traceability on an existing location, you can only do this if the balance is zero for the location in question, otherwise a new one will be created, with its own batch number that is the same as the manufacturing order number.
There is also the possibility of suggesting a new location name during arrivals, using the setting called Suggest new location name for arrivals? in the Settings procedure under the Inventory tab. If you select this setting, you must also check the setting called Create new location for arrival quick reporting. In this case, a new stock location will always be suggested with a new location name, in the form of a consecutive number, even if there are existing locations with a zero balance. Read more about this setting in the Help Function for the procedure