Managing Product Expiration
Keep track of expiring inventory to minimize waste and ensure customer safety. WareSquared monitors lot expiration dates daily and sends alerts based on configurable thresholds.
Expiring Lots Dashboard
The Expiring Lots widget on your dashboard shows three categories:
- Warning (yellow) — Lots expiring within your warning threshold
- Critical (red) — Lots expiring within your critical threshold
- Expired — Past expiration date, requires immediate action
Configuring Alert Thresholds
Customize when alerts trigger in Settings → Warehouse → Expiration Alerts:
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Warning Days | 30 | Days before expiration to trigger a warning |
| Critical Days | 7 | Days before expiration to trigger a critical alert |
Adjust these based on your industry:
- Medical supplies / healthcare: Set warning to 60+ days and critical to 14+ days to allow time for recalls or disposal procedures
- Food & beverage: Standard 30/7 works well for most perishables
- Distribution / wholesale: May only need 14/3 for non-perishable goods with long shelf lives
How Daily Monitoring Works
WareSquared runs an automated expiration check every day:
- Scans all active lots with expiration dates
- Marks lots past their expiration date as expired status
- Generates in-app notifications for lots in warning and critical windows
- Sends a daily email digest to admins summarizing all expiring and expired lots
Expiration Statuses
| Status | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Active | Lot is valid and available for picking | Normal operations |
| Expiring Soon | Within warning threshold of expiration | Plan to use or discount |
| Expired | Past expiration date | Quarantine or dispose |
| Quarantine | Under investigation or hold | Do not sell or ship |
| Recalled | Manufacturer recall issued | Remove from all locations |
Automatic FEFO Picking
When your company's default picking strategy is set to FEFO (First Expired, First Out), pick lists automatically prioritize lots with the soonest expiration date. Configure this in Settings → Warehouse → Default Picking Strategy.
Best Practices
- Always enter expiration dates when receiving lot-tracked products
- Review the Expiring Lots widget daily
- Set your default picking strategy to FEFO for warehouses with perishable goods
- Quarantine expired lots immediately to prevent accidental shipment
- Adjust warning thresholds to give your team enough lead time to act
See also: Warehouse Settings, FEFO Picking, Quarantine and Recall