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Traceability · Batch & Serial

Batch tracking. Serial tracking. One platform that never confuses the two.

Lot, batch and serial numbers aren't the same thing and using the wrong one either drowns you in data or leaves you unable to answer what a recall actually asks. Axolt tracks both, natively on Salesforce, with full forward and backward genealogy.


Batch / Lot
Production
Serial Unit
Shipping
Full Genealogy
Recall Ready
1 : ManyBatch ID to units
1 : 1Serial ID to unit
BothSupported natively, together
0Middleware or sync jobs

Choosing the wrong tracking level costs you when it matters most

Most manufacturers say they "track everything." The real test comes during a recall, audit, or complaint and by then it's too late to fix the setup.

Batch tracking used where serial was needed

A defect in one unit forces you to treat an entire production run as suspect over-recalling good stock and inflating cost and scope.

Serial tracking used where batch was enough

Serialising consumable or high-volume goods generates data you'll never use, without adding any real recall precision.

Identifiers that don't connect to anything

Lot and serial fields stored in disconnected systems aren't traceability they're a data-gathering project waiting to happen under pressure.

Genealogy stitched together manually

When a serialised unit is built from batch-tracked components, tracing forward and backward by hand turns hours into days.

Auditors and regulators don't ask "do you store lot numbers?" They ask "show me everything that happened to this unit or this batch." The gap between those two questions is where most traceability setups fail it's covered in depth in what end-to-end traceability really means.

Built to handle batch, serial or both without switching systems

Everything lives in the same Salesforce data model as your CRM, inventory, quality and finance records.

Batch & lot tracking

Group units produced together under one identifier, with FIFO/FEFO expiry rotation built in.

Serial number tracking

One identifier per unit for warranty, service history, and UDI/serialisation compliance.

Forward & backward genealogy

Trace a finished serial unit back to its source batches, or a batch forward to every unit that used it.

Recall readiness

Isolate exactly what's affected a batch or a unit in minutes, not days. See why recall readiness can't be an afterthought.

Connected to warehouse & shipping

Batch and serial data flows straight through putaway, picking, and outbound shipment records.

Audit-ready by design

Every record sits on one data model, so there's nothing to reconcile when regulators come asking.

Batch vs serial: which one fits your product?

Granularity is the difference. Batch answers "what happened to this run?" Serial answers "what happened to this unit?"

Batch / Lot Tracking

  • Best for food, beverages, chemicals, cosmetics, bulk pharma
  • One ID covers many units made in the same run
  • Pairs naturally with FIFO/FEFO expiry rotation
  • Satisfies GMP and food-safety recall obligations
  • Lower data volume, manageable at high production scale
Group-level traceability

Serial Tracking

  • Best for medical devices, electronics, machinery, vehicles
  • One ID per individual unit full one-to-one history
  • Meets UDI and serialisation regulatory mandates
  • Carries warranty and field-service history per unit
  • Pinpoints exact affected units in a recall
Unit-level traceability

Connected to every process that touches the product

No middleware. No sync jobs. One Salesforce data model.

Procurement
Quality
Shipping
Finance

Built for regulated and high-precision manufacturers

Pharma
MedTech
Cosmetics
Heavy Machinery
Industrial Equipment
MinutesTo isolate an affected batch or unit
2-WayForward and backward genealogy
1Data model, no reconciliation
0Manual exports at audit time

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between batch and serial tracking?

Batch (or lot) tracking assigns one identifier to a group of units produced together, so you trace at the group level. Serial tracking assigns a unique identifier to every individual unit, so you trace each one separately.

Are "lot" and "batch" the same thing?

In most manufacturing and ERP contexts, yes the two terms are used interchangeably to mean a quantity of product made or grouped together under the same conditions.

Can a product be both batch and serial tracked?

Yes. Complex products often use both a serialised finished unit built from batch-tracked components, linked through genealogy in both directions.

Does batch and serial tracking help with product recalls?

Directly. Batch tracking isolates an affected production run; serial tracking pinpoints the exact units affected, shrinking recall scope and cost.

See batch and serial traceability running natively on Salesforce

One platform, one data model, full genealogy no middleware, no disconnected systems to reconcile during an audit or recall.

Book a Demo

Talk to our team and see batch and serial genealogy running live on Salesforce.

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