Setting Traceable-related Options for Stock

Maintain History for…Months

This option concerns the length of time records associated with traceable stock are retained within the database. When completed transactions become older than the number of months you enter here, they are deleted from the database when you use the Period End command in the Stock application. You can keep records for up to 999 months.

Receive via GRN Only

This is an important option because it controls how much freedom you have in recording the inward movement of traceable stock records. With the option selected, you can only record the receipt of traceable stock using the G.R.N. command in the Stock application. Creating a new GRN document will place the traceable items into a quarantine warehouse. Because you cannot issue traceable stock from a quarantine warehouse directly, you must then ‘release’ traceable stock into a non-quarantin warehouse having assigned the serial or batch numbers to the items concerned.

If you clear the option called Receive via GRN’s Only, much more flexibility is afforded in the way in which you can record receipts and transfers of traceable stock. Instead of being limited to using the G.R.N. command, inward movements of traceable items can be recording using the Receipts command in either the Stock or Purchase Orders applications as well as GRNs. Two other benefits arise:

You can record such receipts directly into a non-quarantine warehouse.

You can carry out the assignment of serial or batch numbers at any time after booking in the stock using the separate Assignments command.

All you have to remember is that you cannot issue traceable stock until you have assigned serial or batch numbers; so the quantity of traceable stock available for outward movements is dependent on whether you have assigned serial or batch number.

The main difference in having the Receive via GRNs Only cleared is that the inward movement of traceable items can be recorded using any of the three receipt functions: stock receipts, GRNs and POP receipts. Another difference is that the stock can be booked directly into any warehouse; regardless of whether it is a quarantine or non-quarantine warehouse (but provided the warehouse allows receipts in the first place). You can assign serial or batch numbers at the time of booking in the stock, or do this later.

Worth noting here, is that all receipt processes that involve traceable stock result in the creation of a GRN document. In other words, even when you use the purchase order receipts or stock receipt functions, GRN documents are automatically generated. You can find out more about this later in the guide in the sections that cover the assignment of serial and batch numbers.

Auto Release from Quarantine

This option is available for selection provided the Receive via GRN Only option is cleared. When you select Auto Release from Quarantine option, the process of releasing traceable stock in the quarantine warehouse is done automatically. That is, you do not need to carry out the release operation as a specific step in the GRN process.

For example, suppose you have created a direct stock receipt for some traceable items into a quarantine warehouse;  when you assign serial or batch numbers (either at the time of the receipt, or later as a separate assignment process), the application also releases the items automatically. If the option were not selected, the assigned items would remain in the quarantine warehouse ‘unreleased’. To release them, you would have to use the Release command on the GRN processing form. Released items can be transferred to another warehouse manually, if you want to issue them from a non-quarantine warehouse.

Assign Upon Receipt

You can assign serial or batch numbers to traceable items at the time you record the receipt of stock, or you can make the assignments at a later date if you prefer. This particular option setting determines what options are given when you record a receipt. Select Prompt and a prompt is displayed when you create a stock receipt for a traceable item (that is, one assigned to a traceable stock profile) asking if you want to assign serial or batch numbers. So, if you want to proceed with the assignment process, you click Yes. If you don’t want to assign traceable items yet, you click No. If you choose the No button, you can make the assignments at a later date using the Assignments command on the Action menu of the stock record’s Processing form or the Assign command on the Action menu associated with the GRN processing form.

Select Don’t Prompt and no prompt is displayed when you create a stock receipt, but the application assumes you do want to assign serial or batch numbers, so the assignment process begins straight away, without any message. Select No and the application assumes that you do not want to assign serial and batch numbers when you create a receipt record, but will always carry this out as a separate process.