FIFO-LIFO Controller

Overview

The FIFO-LIFO Controller is an automated skill that manages inventory rotation to ensure proper product flow based on expiration dates, production dates, or receipt dates. It enforces First-In-First-Out (FIFO), First-Expired-First-Out (FEFO), or Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) policies and manages lot tracking and shelf life compliance.

Capabilities

• FIFO Enforcement at Pick Time: Ensure oldest inventory is picked first based on receipt or production date
• FEFO (First Expired First Out) Management: Prioritize inventory with nearest expiration dates for picking
• Lot and Batch Tracking: Maintain complete traceability of inventory by lot, batch, or serial number
• Expiration Date Alerting: Generate alerts for inventory approaching expiration thresholds
• Shelf Life Calculation: Calculate remaining shelf life and predict expiration risk
• Product Hold Management: Manage inventory holds for quality, recall, or compliance reasons
• Compliance Documentation: Generate documentation for regulatory compliance and audit requirements

Tools and Libraries

• WMS APIs
• Lot Tracking Systems
• Shelf Life Databases
• Compliance Management Tools

Used By Processes

• FIFO-LIFO Inventory Control
• Cycle Counting Program
• Receiving and Putaway Optimization

Usage

skill: fifo-lifo-controller
inputs:
  item:
    sku: "SKU001"
    rotation_method: "FEFO"
    shelf_life_days: 180
    min_remaining_life_percent: 50
  inventory:
    - lot_number: "LOT001"
      quantity: 100
      receipt_date: "2025-10-15"
      production_date: "2025-10-10"
      expiration_date: "2026-04-10"
      location: "A-01-02"
    - lot_number: "LOT002"
      quantity: 150
      receipt_date: "2025-11-20"
      production_date: "2025-11-15"
      expiration_date: "2026-05-15"
      location: "A-01-03"
  pick_request:
    quantity: 75
    order_date: "2026-01-25"
    customer_min_life_days: 60
outputs:
  pick_recommendation:
    - lot_number: "LOT001"
      quantity: 75
      location: "A-01-02"
      expiration_date: "2026-04-10"
      remaining_life_days: 75
      meets_customer_requirement: true
  rotation_status:
    sku: "SKU001"
    total_quantity: 250
    lots_at_risk: 0
    lots_expiring_30_days: 0
    lots_expiring_60_days: 0
    lots_expiring_90_days: 1
  alerts:
    - type: "approaching_expiration"
      lot_number: "LOT001"
      days_remaining: 75
      action_required: "prioritize_for_picking"

Integration Points

• Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)
• Quality Management Systems (QMS)
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
• Recall Management Systems
• Compliance/Regulatory Systems

Performance Metrics

• FIFO/FEFO compliance rate
• Expired inventory percentage
• Write-off due to expiration
• Lot traceability accuracy
• Customer freshness compliance