Re: Product tracking in 1.2.9

["Chris Travers" <..hidden..>]

On 10/17/07, Pongracz Istvan <..hidden..> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I would like to ask your experiences of tracking a product in LS.
>
> Learning from my previous experiences, I will explain my question via an
> example.
>
> Example 1:
> <http://www.pos-gold.com/Product%20Tracking/tracking-soft.htm>
> Sorry, I don't want to blame you, but I thought, better to find a native
> English doc about my needs :)

Product tracking is actually a fairly fundamental information science
problem which has some standard solutions.  These are to date only
partly implemented in LSMB.  See below.
>
> Example 2:
>
> I am a computer part trader. I buy parts from several vendors and sell
> them to several customers.
> Sometimes I built complete systems.
>
> One time, I get a call from my vendor:
> "Hello my friend, do you remember those batteries, I sold you 3 months
> ago? It turned out, one series are damaged and could cause fire. We have
> to recall them. Please inform your customers in 2 hours and send me
> immediately all the batteries in your stock. Thank you for your
> cooperation."

Note that this only works properly if you are tracking by serial
number both when you receive and when you ship.  If that doesn't
happen, you have no way of knowing with certainty which customers you
need to contact.

>
> So, what to do in this case?
> How to track products using serial number/or SARZS number (produced
> goods in one shift or branch, such as pills, cables, springs, etc.)

Note that most businesses just issue a blanket recall or check with
all customers that purchased the specific part number.  As I say,
unless you are tracking by serial number when you buy, when you
manufacture, and when you sell, you don't know where a given one went.
 The best you can do is track by part number.  LedgerSMB does not, at
the moment,. allow serial number trakcing in assembly manufacture.

In that case, you probably need to do use the inventory report to
track sales by part, and contact all customers who purchased that part
to verify the serial number.
>
> I think, this is a common question, probably you already solved these
> questions.
>
> Are there any written or practical usage of this issue?
>
> Thank you,
> István

Hope that helps;
Chris Travers