Expiration dates

Expiration dates allow you to:

• Monitor shelf life of products
• Automate removal and warning systems
• Ensure regulatory compliance and customer safety

Note: Expiration dates only apply to products that are tracked using lots or serial numbers.

Enabling Expiration Dates

Step 1: Enable Lots & Serial Numbers

• Go to Inventory app → Configuration → Settings
• Under the Traceability section, check:
  • ✅ Lots & Serial Numbers
  • ✅ Expiration Dates
• Click Save

Enabling this also allows optional printing of lot/serial numbers on delivery slips.

Configuring Expiration on a Product

Step 1: Set Product Type & Tracking

• Go to Inventory → Products → Products
• Select a product
• Under the General Information tab:
  • Set Product Type to: Storable Product
  • Set Track Inventory to:
    • By Lots (recommended for bulk)
    • or By Unique Serial Number(for individual tracking)

 Step 2: Enable Expiration Tracking

• In the Inventory tab:
  • Scroll to the Traceability section
  • Enable ✅Expiration Date

Step 3: Define Expiration Timings

Under the Dates section, configure:

Tip: These values auto-calculate expiration for received/manufactured products. You can also enter them manually at the time of receipt.

Assign Expiration Dates on Incoming Stock

Step 1: Use Detailed Operations on Receipt

• Go to Inventory → Operations → Receipts
• Click a product line, then the Details icon
• In the pop-up:
  • Enter Lot/Serial Number
  • Expiration Date will auto-fill if configured on the product
  • Or enter manually
• Click Save, then Validate

Important: You cannot validate a receipt without assigning a lot or serial number if tracking is enabled.

Assign Expiration Dates on Manufactured Products

• Go to Manufacturing → Operations → Manufacturing Orders
• Click New, choose product and quantity
• Add or use a Bill of Materials (BoM) to include components
• Click Confirm
• Lot/Serial numbers and expiration dates auto-generate based on product configuration
• Click Details icon to review or edit expiration fields

Selling Products with Expiration Dates

• Go to Sales → Create Quotation
• Add customer and product
• In Other Info → Delivery, choose expected delivery date
• Confirm the order

Step 2: Delivery Handling

• Click the Delivery smart button
• Validate the delivery

Odoo automatically selects stock using FEFO (First Expired, First Out) if configured on the location or product category.

Viewing Expiration Dates by Lot/Serial

• Go to Inventory → Products → Lots/Serial Numbers
• Click Group By → Add Custom Group → Expiration Date to view products grouped by expiry

List View Customization

• Click ⚙and enable the Expiration Date column
• You can now sort, group, or filter by expiration

Expiration Alerts

View Alerts

• Go to Inventory → Products → Lots/Serial Numbers
• Click a line with an expired product
• If expired or close to expiration, a red alert appears

Return to the list and use Filters → Expiration Alerts to show all expiring/expired lots.

Expiration Notifications to Users

To notify employees automatically:

Step 1: Assign a Responsible User

• Go to Inventory → Products → Products
• Select product
• Under Inventory → Logistics, assign a Responsible user

Step 2: Customize Notification Alerts

• Turn on Developer Mode
• Go to Settings → Technical → Activity Types
• Modify or assign users to the Alert Date Reached activity