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LOT number duplication issue

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Posted on by Niki

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Hi Experts,

I have raw material item I make positive adjustment for that item as opening balance and i have activated LOT number for that item. After that I GRN same item to the same LOT number which is mentioned in positive adjustment entry. since I partially GRN the PO, I will have same LOT number next purchase receipt also. Is there an issue when duplicating same lot number like this?

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Rishabh Kanaskar 6,147 on at

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Hi,

All quantities under that Lot are treated as one, so attributes like expiry date, quality status, and traceability apply to the entire lot.

Use the same Lot only for partial deliveries of the same supplier lot. For different lots, assign a new Lot No.

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Rishabh

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Nimsara Jayathilaka. 4,836 on at

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Hi

There is no system issue in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central when using the same Lot Number across multiple entries.

Refer that : https://youtu.be/rAkyoqrZgI4

Thanks

Nimsara

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Sumit Singh 9,995 on at

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Hi Niki,

It's more dependent on the nature of items, batches or internal business process. Ideally, reusing the same lot number is technically allowed, but it should only be done if the items belong to the same physical batch. For compliance and accurate traceability, assign unique lot numbers per batch whenever possible.

Please mark it "verified" if it helps.

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RockwithNav 8,576 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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And that's absolutely fine as per the lot no architecture. One lot can have multiple items and then you can sell it fully partially as per it. At the time of selling it will showcase you what's available and then you can process as per it.

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YUN ZHU 95,309 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Yes, but is it really the same lot? If not, it is recommended to manage them separately.

Thanks.

ZHU

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OussamaSabbouh 5,083 on at

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Hello,

Exactly, that’s how the lot number functionality works. You can have multiple transactions associated with the same lot number.

Regards,
Oussama

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Valentin Castravet 31,262 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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If both transactions have the same lot number then its perfectly fine.

Valentin Castravet
Work: Zander ERP Services
Blog: Dynamics 365 Business Central Insights
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/valentin-c-0500a247/

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Khushbu Rajvi. 20,234 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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There’s no system issue in Business Central if you use the same Lot Number across multiple entries. However, it should only be reused when the quantities truly belong to the same physical batch or supplier lot. For different batches, always assign a new Lot Number to maintain proper traceability, quality control, and compliance.

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Gregory Mavrogeorgis 763 on at

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Hi,

Yep—you can use the same Lot No. on multiple receipts, as long as it’s the same physical lot (e.g., partial GRNs of one supplier lot). BC will just add to that lot and traceability will show both entries under it.
Watch-outs:

Make sure lot attributes (expire/MFG date, country, etc.) are the same. Reusing a lot code for different attributes will mix data.

If you return or correct later, use Appl.-to Item Entry to point to the right receipt/cost—same lot ≠ same entry.

If you run FEFO/lot warehouse tracking, mixing dates under one lot will break the pick logic.

Best practice: reuse the lot only for true partials of the same supplier/manufacturing lot. If it’s not exactly the same, give it a new code (e.g., PI-9-2). If you want to prevent accidental reuse, a tiny validation in an extension can block posting when attributes don’t match.

If you find it helpful please mark it as a verified answer.

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Jeffrey Bulanadi 8,760 on at

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Hi Niki,

BC does not enforce uniqueness of Lot Numbers across transactions. You can reuse the same Lot No. (e.g., PI-9) across a positive adjustment and multiple purchase receipts, as shown in your Item Ledger Entries screenshot. However, this flexibility comes with implications for traceability, costing, and audits.

Here’s a clean path forward:

1. Lot Number Reuse Is Technically Allowed

BC permits reuse of Lot Numbers across different entry types.

This is common in industries where Lot Numbers are externally assigned (e.g., supplier batch codes).

Your example, a positive adjustment followed by GRNs using PI-9, is valid from a system perspective.

2. Traceability May Be Compromised

Reusing the same Lot No. across unrelated sources (e.g., manual adjustment and supplier receipt) can blur the origin trail.

During audits or recalls, it may be unclear whether the item came from a supplier or was manually adjusted.

Consider suffixing or tagging internal lots (e.g., PI-9-OB for opening balance) to distinguish them from GRNs.

3. Costing Can Be Affected

If your item uses Average Cost or FIFO, mixing entries under the same Lot No. can distort cost layers.

Positive adjustments often carry zero or manual cost, while GRNs reflect actual purchase cost.

Run Adjust Cost – Item Entries and Post Inventory Cost to G/L regularly to reconcile valuation.

4. Best Practice for Opening Balances

Use unique or clearly marked Lot Numbers for opening balances to separate legacy stock from live procurement.

This improves clarity in Item Tracking Entries, Item Ledger Entries, and downstream reports.

5. Undo or Revalue If Needed

If you need to correct a mistaken positive adjustment or GRN, use the Undo Receipt function or Revaluation Journal.

Revaluation only applies to remaining quantity, so timing matters.

Helpful Reference
Set up item tracking with serial, lot, and package numbers - Business Central | Microsoft Learn
Track items with serial, lot, and package numbers - Business Central | Microsoft Learn
The Complete Guide to Lot Numbers
Undo a posting by posting a reversing entry – Microsoft Learn

If you find this helpful, feel free to mark this as the suggested or verified answer.

Cheers
Jeffrey

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