What is FEFO (first expired first out)?
FEFO, first expired first out, is a picking rule that sends the stock with the earliest expiry date out first.
Last updated
Why expiry beats arrival date
Stock does not always arrive in expiry order. A delivery received today can carry an earlier expiry than one received last week.
FEFO looks at the expiry date, not the receipt date, so short-dated stock leaves before it goes out of date.
Worked example
In this example, lot A has 40 units expiring on 12 March 2027 and lot B has 25 units expiring on 20 February 2027. Lot B arrived later.
An order for 30 units takes all 25 from lot B and 5 from lot A. Under FIFO, all 30 would have come from lot A, leaving lot B closer to expiry.
How Waresify handles it
With lot tracking on, which every plan includes, Waresify allocates stock by earliest expiry first, then oldest receipt, then shortest distance to outbound staging.
Lots without an expiry date sort after dated lots, and expired lots are never allocated. Replenishment also uses FEFO when choosing between reserve locations with equal stock.
Questions
When should I use FEFO instead of FIFO?
Whenever products carry expiry dates. For goods without expiry, FIFO by receipt date is usually enough.
Can I ship stock that is close to expiry to some customers only?
Many retailers set a minimum remaining shelf life. Check whether your WMS supports that rule before relying on FEFO alone.