A recall means a week of paper
The manufacturer recalls batch L2391. Finding which pharmacies and clinics received it means going through delivery notes by hand.
Pharma & Medical Supplies
A recall answered in minutes, down to the customer.
In pharma and medical supplies, batch and expiry are not optional fields. A short-dated batch has to leave first, an expired one must never leave at all, and when a manufacturer recalls a batch the question is who received it, today. OrbitWix carries the batch on every receipt, pick and delivery, so that answer is a report rather than a search through paper.
The problem
Where a batch number matters most.
Most days, a batch is a line on a label. On the day of a recall, it is the only thing that matters.
Expired stock is written off, not sold
First-expiry-first-out is a habit, so a newer batch goes out while the older one passes its date at the back of the shelf.
Quarantine lives on a sticky note
Stock waiting for release, or returned and not yet checked, sits beside saleable stock, marked only by a note on the box.
Returns lose their batch
A clinic sends back short-dated stock. It is put back on the shelf without its batch, and the stock ledger is wrong from then on.
Typical workflow
How a batch moves.
One batch number, from the supplier’s receipt to the last customer who received it, and back if it is recalled.
A batch moves through six stages: received with its batch and expiry, held in quarantine until released, picked earliest expiry first, delivered with its batch on the note, traced on a recall, and the recalled stock returned and blocked.
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01 Receipt
Batch L2391
Batch + expiry
-
02 Quarantine
Batch L2391
Held
-
03 Released
Batch L2391
Saleable
-
04 Delivery
Batch L2391
On the note
-
05 Recall
Batch L2391
Traced
-
06 Returned
Batch L2391
Blocked
The solution
What OrbitWix puts in place.
Six parts, all hanging off the batch number.
Batch and expiry on every receipt
A receipt cannot be completed without the batch and its expiry date, so every unit in stock has both.
Earliest expiry first
Every pick suggests the batch nearest its expiry, and the picker confirms the batch they took.
Quarantine as a warehouse
Stock awaiting release or inspection held in its own warehouse, which nothing can be sold from.
Recall trace by batch
Every delivery of a batch, to every customer, on one report — with quantities and dates.
Returns with their batch
A return is received against the delivery it came from, batch and all, and goes to quarantine first.
Buying by expiry window
Short-dated stock and stock nearing expiry seen together, so the buyer orders what will sell in time.
Example
One recall, one afternoon.
An illustration of a manufacturer’s recall worked through on the record. The names are made up; the sequence is the ordinary one.
- 13:00 The manufacturer recalls batch L2391. A trace by batch shows it was received in June: 2,400 packs.
- 13:05 The same report shows where every pack went — 1,620 delivered to 14 customers on 22 delivery notes, 780 still in two warehouses.
- 13:10 The 780 in stock are moved to quarantine. Nothing can be picked from them from this moment.
- 13:30 Each of the 14 customers is sent the delivery notes and quantities that concern them.
- Next week Returned packs are received against their original deliveries, batch L2391 on each, into quarantine to await the manufacturer.
Visibility
Reports you read, and work you stop doing.
Both read the same records the work is done on, so neither needs an export to stay current.
Reports
- Batch traceEvery receipt and delivery of one batch, with customers and quantities.
- Near-expiry stockWhat expires in the next 30, 60, 90 and 180 days, by warehouse.
- Expired stock on handWhat has passed its date and where it is sitting.
- QuarantineEverything awaiting release, inspection or return to the supplier.
- Returns by reasonWhat came back, from whom, and why.
Automation
- The earliest-expiring batch is suggested on every pick
- Returned stock is received into quarantine, not saleable stock
- A watch on batches within 90 days of expiry with no open orders against them Early access
Items marked early access run on Watcher, which is still being finished.
Recommended apps
Where to start.
Pharma and medical distributors start with these four together, because the batch has to be right at every one of them.
Inventory
Batch, expiry, quarantine and the recall trace.
Dispatch
Earliest-expiry picking and batches on every note.
Sales
Orders and returns that keep their batch.
Purchase
Receipts with batch and expiry, bought by expiry window.
FAQ
Questions from pharma and medical distributors.
How fast can we answer a recall?
As fast as you can run a report. Every delivery note carries its batch numbers, so a trace by batch lists every customer, quantity and date that batch went to.
Can expired stock be stopped from going out?
Yes. Batches carry their expiry date, and an expired batch cannot be selected on a delivery. Picks suggest the earliest-expiring batch that is still in date.
Can stock be held in quarantine?
Yes. Quarantine is a warehouse of its own. Stock there is counted but cannot be sold, and it moves to saleable stock only when someone releases it.
Is it certified for our regulator?
OrbitWix records batch, expiry and every movement, with who did what and when. It is not a validated system for regulated manufacturing, and requirements differ by country, so talk to us about your regulator’s before you rely on it.
Have a different question? Talk to us.
See a recall answered on your data.
Bring a batch number you shipped last quarter. We will show every customer who received it, and how long the answer takes.