There are so many digits found on products these days. It can seem as though keeping track of inventory has become more complicated than ever rather than simplified by modern advancements in technology. At first glance, this notion can appear to be counterintuitive given the intricate level software has risen to in the pursuit of recognizing items to the smallest detail. Looking at the array of designations found on most any given object in virtually every market genre, there is still some confusion for the average person to distinguish the difference between what is a serial and what is a lot number. This can vary widely on their location, but the meaning of these respective notations is always the same in reference to manufactured goods.
A serial identifies a specific item that cannot be mistaken for something else because these numbers are all different. One of these pinpoints a single part of a larger group, denoted by a lot number, which contains many like items. The lot can separate its contents based on many possible factors that range from identical substances in individual containers to distinctive things created at the same time period or from the same raw component. The manner in which they are collectively referred to is often the choice of the creator, but can, in certain instances or industries, be a case of policy or regulation. This can be very helpful in situations where something in a large stock area needs to be located without any delay.
Trying to read the codes stamped on the multitude of articles circulating around in the world today would be a monumental task for any human hoping to understand them without some kind of descriptive accompanying text. This is why it has become indispensable to have programs created just to handle this massive volume of products with such a plethora of markings. Without them, it would be virtually impossible to complete some tasks as simple as just counting. The difficulty identifying the nuances from one tag to another would then be a global problem that would affect every industry. Therefore, lots are collections of related commodities, which all have their own serial but fall within the same distinct category.
In any case, this merchandise is counted together and given the same lot number to clearly delineate they originated in the same place. Combined with other digit descriptions, it then becomes possible to determine the exact manufacturer, location, or production date for the entire lot. In the event of a recall, it may become necessary to use this divergence of indicators to quarantine a section of inventory or decipher what needs to be returned to its producer. As a matter of simplifying counts of current holdings, it is efficient, but for finding mistakes it could be quite critical to safely prevent exposure to the public. The purpose of the many different numbers and/or letters then can be seen to tell a unique story that is specific to where they are printed.
