What a useful lot tracking spreadsheet must capture
The essential columns and connections to preserve when spreadsheets are still part of your receiving and production workflow.
A spreadsheet is only useful when records connect
Separate tabs for receiving, batches, finished goods, and shipments can work at small scale, but they need stable identifiers that connect across tabs.
Receiving fields
Capture your material, internal lot code, supplier lot, supplier, received quantity, unit, received date, expiration date, location, and status.
Production fields
Give every batch a unique code. Record the product, formula version, start and completion times, operator, each consumed material lot, consumed quantity, yield, and exceptions.
Finished goods and shipments
Create a finished-lot code, packaging date, best-by date, released quantity, quality status, and storage location. Shipment rows should name the customer, date, finished lot, and quantity.
The warning sign is repeated manual copying. Once teams spend time reconciling codes across files, a connected system becomes safer and faster than adding another spreadsheet tab.