Batch numbers and expiry dates
Rodenticides, insecticides, baits and other treatments have batch numbers and shelf lives. The information is printed on containers that get opened, decanted and discarded, so a batch number that is not recorded when the delivery arrives is effectively lost.
Recording batch and expiry at receipt, per product, makes rotation possible: earliest expiry is used first, and the person picking from the store can tell which item that is. Expiry alerts several weeks ahead turn a write-off into a decision to use, return or reorder.
The same records answer questions later. If a supplier issues a notice about a batch, you can see which vehicles or sites are affected within minutes rather than reconstructing it from memory and paperwork.
- Record batch and expiry at receipt, before products are stored
- Rotate by earliest expiry rather than by shelf position
- Alert ahead of expiry so there is time to act
- Keep a batch-level trail to answer supplier notices quickly
Van stock and central store
Technicians work from vehicles, each carrying a selection of products and equipment. Treating each van as its own stock location, with minimum levels for the products that stop a visit when missing, replaces topping up by feel with a restock list.
Transfers between the central store and the vans should be recorded as transfers. Otherwise the store shows a shortfall nobody can explain and vans show a surplus nobody trusts, and expiry checks on van stock never happen because nobody looks.
A scheduled review of each vehicle, checking quantities and expiry dates, catches products that have quietly aged in the back of a van. Because vehicle stock is not seen daily, a schedule is what makes the check happen.
Recording what was used at each site
Knowing what was applied at which site, in what quantity and from which batch supports billing, stock accuracy and customer questions. Recording it at the time of use, rather than from memory at the end of the day, is what keeps it accurate.
Speed decides whether it happens. A scan of the product barcode with a phone takes seconds, and a quantity entry adds a few more. A form that takes minutes to complete will be skipped by the busiest technicians first.
Requirements for what must be recorded about product use, and how long records must be kept, are set by the relevant authority in each country. Take those requirements from your regulator directly; a stock system provides the movement history that supports meeting them, not the rules themselves.
Equipment and monitoring devices
Sprayers, foggers, dusters, protective equipment and monitoring devices are needed on specific days and need regular servicing. A sprayer that is out of service or in the wrong vehicle costs a visit.
Recording each item as an asset, with its location, service history, next service date and availability, answers whether tomorrow can proceed. Keeping it in the same place as product stock makes it less likely that one of the two records is neglected.
In StockFlow, products can carry batch numbers, expiry dates and per-location minimum levels with low-stock and expiry alerts, and stock can be moved between locations as recorded transfers, while equipment can be managed in the Assets module with maintenance status and readiness reporting.
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