How to: Trace Item-Tracked Items

You can see where an item-tracked item was used, including how and when it was received or produced, transferred, sold, consumed, or returned. You can also find all current instances of a specific serial or lot number in the database. You do this by using the Item Tracing and the Navigate features.

These features can be particularly useful in quality control when you need to find out which customers received products with a particular lot number or when you need to find out which lot a defective component came from.

In the Item Tracing window, you can trace forwards and backwards in a sequence of posted inventory transactions for the serial or lot number.

In the Navigate window, you cannot see the sequence of transactions, but you can see all records of the serial or lot number, both posted entries and open records.

The two features can be used in combination by transferring a traced serial or lot number to the Navigate window to finish a complete trace scenario. For more information, see Walkthrough: Tracing Serial/Lot Numbers.

To trace item-tracked items

  1. In the Search box, enter Item Tracing, and then choose the related link.

  2. In the filter fields at the top of the window, enter the specific item numbers or a filter on the item numbers that you would like to trace.

  3. In the Show Components field, select whether you would like to also see where the components for the items came from. Your options in this field are as follows.

    Option Description

    No

    Select this option if you do not want to see any components.

    Item-tracked Only

    Select this option if you want to see only components that have lot or serial numbers.

    All

    Select this option if you want to see all components.

  4. In the Trace Method field, select the method you would like to use for tracing the item. The options are as follows

    Option Description

    Usage->Origin

    This method traces the item starting from where it was used to where it came from. For instance, if a manufactured item was sold to a customer, the Item Tracing window shows this with the sales shipment line first, which you can then expand to see from which production order it came.

    Origin->Usage

    This method traces the item starting from where it came into inventory to where it was used. For instance, if a manufactured item was sold to a customer, the Item Tracing window shows this with the finished production order first, which you can then expand to see sale shipment lines where the item was used.

  5. On the Actions tab, in the General group, choose Trace to run the trace.

Note

If you have received the same lot on more transactions, then the Item Tracing window may not show all transactions. Only applied transactions are shown.

Note

If additional transaction history under an item tracing line has already been traced by another line above it, then the Already Traced check box is selected. To provide a simpler view, such underlying lines are not shown. To find the item tracing lines where the transaction history has already been traced, choose the Go to Already Traced button. The item tracing line in question is selected, and all underlying lines are expanded.

To find item-tracked items with Navigate

  1. In the Search box, enter Navigate, and then select the related link.

  2. On the Item Tracking FastTab, in the Serial No. and Lot No. fields, enter the item tracking numbers that you want to trace.

  3. On the Actions tab, in the Page group, choose Find to find all instances of the serial or lot number in the database.

See Also

Other Resources

Item Tracing
Already Traced
Walkthrough: Tracing Serial/Lot Numbers