First Expired, First Out
FEFO picking ensures products closest to expiration are shipped first, minimizing waste and protecting customers.
How FEFO Works
When generating a pick list, the system:
- Looks at all available lots for the requested product
- Sorts by expiration date (soonest first)
- Allocates picks from the soonest-expiring lot
- If that lot doesn't have enough, moves to the next soonest
Example
Picking 10 units of Vitamin C Serum:
| Lot | Expiration | Available | Picked |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOT-A | March 30 | 3 | 3 |
| LOT-B | April 15 | 12 | 7 |
| LOT-C | June 1 | 20 | 0 |
| Total | 10 |
The system picks all 3 from LOT-A (expiring soonest) and 7 from LOT-B.
Enabling FEFO
- Ensure Lot Tracking is enabled for the product
- Go to Warehouse settings
- Set the Picking Algorithm to FEFO
- All pick lists for this warehouse will now use FEFO
FEFO vs FIFO
- FEFO uses the lot expiration date — best for perishables
- FIFO uses the received date — best for non-perishable goods
Important: FEFO only works with products that have lot tracking enabled and lots with expiration dates set. Without expiration dates, the system falls back to FIFO.