Batch or lot number
The manufacturer's identifier for one production run, and the key that ties goods to paperwork.
What is a batch or lot number?
A batch or lot number is the identifier a manufacturer assigns to a single production run, so that every unit made in that run can be traced back to the same materials, equipment, conditions and test results. The two words are used interchangeably in most Australian manufacturing settings, though some quality systems reserve batch for a continuous run and lot for a quantity grouped after production. Its purpose is traceability in both directions: forward, so a defect found in the field can be traced to everything made alongside it and recalled; backward, so a complaint can be traced to the specific inputs and conditions that produced it. The batch number is what makes every other document meaningful, because a Certificate of Analysis, a retest date and a storage history all attach to a batch rather than to a product name.
How Surply uses it
The batch or lot number appears on the listing and is the value that must match the Certificate of Analysis attached to it. It is the link between the goods sitting in the warehouse and the paperwork shown on screen.
Also known as: lot number, batch code, batch vs lot.