Expiry Tracking

Track expiry dates on perishable inventory and pick oldest stock first with FEFO (First Expired, First Out).

Overview

OrderDay's expiry tracking helps you:

• Reduce waste by tracking batch expiry dates
• Pick smarter with FEFO (First Expired, First Out) recommendations
• Stay informed with color-coded expiry warnings in Order Day
• Set policies for brand-specific discount thresholds

Perfect for pet food retailers, grocery stores, and any business with perishable inventory.

Receiving Products

When you receive inventory, record the expiry date:

1. Go to Receiving in the OrderDay menu
2. Search for the product by name, SKU, or barcode
3. Select the variant
4. Enter the quantity and expiry date from the packaging
5. Click Save Batch

Smart Upsert

If you receive more of the same product with the same expiry date, OrderDay automatically adds to the existing batch rather than creating duplicates.

What You'll See

After saving a batch:

• A success message confirms the batch was created
• The "Edit last batch" link lets you quickly fix mistakes
• A session counter shows how many batches you've received

Order Day Expiry Column

The expiry column shows at-a-glance status for all your products:

Badge	Meaning
🟢 Green	Safe - More than 180 days until expiry
🟡 Yellow	Warning - 90-180 days until expiry
🟠 Orange	Critical - 30-90 days until expiry
🔴 Red	Expired or less than 30 days
"-"	No batch data for this product

Hover over any badge to see:

• Exact days until expiry
• Number of batches tracked
• Earliest expiry date

Show/Hide the Column

1. Click the column settings icon in Order Day
2. Toggle Expiry on or off
3. Your preference is saved automatically

FEFO Picking

When fulfilling orders, OrderDay suggests picking from the batch that expires soonest (First Expired, First Out).

This helps you:

• Reduce expired inventory write-offs
• Rotate stock efficiently
• Meet food safety requirements

Reconciliation

If your actual inventory doesn't match OrderDay:

1. Find the batch you need to adjust
2. Click Reconcile
3. Enter the actual quantity on hand
4. Add a reason (optional but recommended)
5. Save the adjustment

Undo Window

You can undo a reconciliation within 24 hours if you made a mistake.

Settings

Customize expiry thresholds for your business:

Setting	Default	Description
Warning Threshold	180 days	When to show yellow warning
Critical Threshold	90 days	When to show orange critical
Enable FEFO	Yes	Suggest oldest batches first

Brand Policies

Set custom discount policies for specific brands to automate markdown decisions.

Why Brand Policies?

Different brands have different customer expectations and shelf life considerations:

• Premium brands may need earlier markdowns to maintain reputation
• High-volume brands can afford tighter margins near expiry
• Some distributors have buyback policies at certain thresholds

Creating a Policy

1. Go to Settings > Expiry Policies
2. Click Add Brand Policy
3. Enter:
   • Brand name (e.g., "Blue Buffalo") - matches product vendor in Shopify
   • Warning threshold - Days until expiry when first discount applies
   • Warning discount - Percentage off at warning stage
   • Critical threshold - Days until expiry for deeper discount
   • Critical discount - Percentage off at critical stage
4. Click Save Policy

Example Policy

Blue Buffalo Adult Dog Food

• Warning: 90 days → 25% off
• Critical: 30 days → 50% off

This means:

• At 90 days remaining: Suggest 25% discount, show yellow badge
• At 30 days remaining: Suggest 50% discount, show orange/red badge
• OrderDay calculates and displays suggested sale prices automatically

Managing Policies

From Settings > Expiry Policies:

• View all active policies in a table
• Edit any policy by clicking its row
• Delete policies you no longer need
• Policies apply immediately to matching products

Best Practices

1. Record expiry dates at receiving - Don't wait until later
2. Check Order Day weekly - Look for yellow/orange badges
3. Set up brand policies - Automate discount decisions
4. Use FEFO picking - Reduce waste automatically

FAQ

Q: What if I don't track expiry dates for a product?

A: The product will show "-" in the expiry column. You can add batch data anytime through the Receiving page.

Q: Can I backdate expiry entries?

A: Yes, you can enter historical data. The system accepts past dates for data migration purposes.

Q: How do I bulk import expiry data?

A: Contact support for assistance with bulk imports from spreadsheets.

Settings Page Walkthrough

Configure expiry tracking from Settings > Expiry Tracking:

Global Thresholds

Setting	Default	What It Does
Warning threshold	180 days	When products show yellow warning
Critical threshold	90 days	When products show orange/red warning
Expired threshold	0 days	When products are marked expired

FEFO Settings

Setting	Default	What It Does
Enable FEFO	Yes	Suggest oldest batches first when picking
Show FEFO in picking	Yes	Display batch suggestions in pick lists

Notifications

Setting	Default	What It Does
Expiry alerts	On	Email when products reach warning threshold
Daily summary	Off	Receive daily email of expiring products
Alert recipients	Account owner	Who receives expiry notifications

Related

• Order Day - Daily ordering workflow
• Inventory Management - Stock tracking
• Reconciliation - Fix inventory discrepancies
• Mobile Receiving - Log batches with expiry dates
• Getting Started - New user setup