Retaining Sample Stock

Retaining Sample Stock

1. Overview

This article gives you an overview of sample retention—a critical quality control process where a portion of inventory is stored separately for future testing, compliance audits, or defect analysis.


Key Benefits:


  • Meets regulatory compliance (e.g., FDA, ISO standards).

  • Enables root-cause analysis for defects.

  • Maintains traceability through batch tracking.



2. Prerequisites

Before setting up sample retention, configure these essentials:


2.1 Item and Batch Setup

  • Items must be created (Home > Stock > Items).

  • Enable "Has Batch No" in the Item Master for batch tracking.



2.2 Dedicated Warehouse for Samples

  • Create a separate "Sample Retention Warehouse" (Home > Stock > Warehouses).


Best Practice: Isolate samples from production stock to prevent accidental use.



3. Step-by-Step Setup

3.1 Enable Sample Retention in Item Master

  1. Open the Item Master and navigate to the Quality Inspection section.

  2. Check "Retain Sample" and set:

    • Maximum Sample Quantity: Limits samples per batch (e.g., 5 units).



3.2 Set Sample Retention Warehouse

  1. Go to Home > Stock > Stock Settings.

  2. Under Sample Retention, assign the dedicated warehouse.



4. Workflow: Retaining Samples

4.1 During Stock Entry (Material Receipt)

  1. Create a Stock Entry (Home > Stock > Stock Entry) with purpose "Material Receipt".

  2. For items with Retain Sample enabled:

    • Enter Batch Number.

    • Set Sample Quantity (cannot exceed the max limit)


4.2 Generate Retention Stock Entry

  1. After submitting the Stock Entry, click "Make Retention Stock Entry".

  2. The system auto-creates a "Material Transfer" entry:

    • From: Original warehouse (e.g., "Stores").

    • To: Sample Retention Warehouse.

  3. Verify details and Submit.



5. Managing Retained Samples

5.1 Tracking Samples

  • Use Batch Report (Home > Stock > Reports > Batchwise Balance) to monitor:

    • Sample quantities per batch.

    • Location (retention warehouse vs. production).


5.2 Disposing Samples

  • Create a Stock Entry with purpose "Material Issue" to:

    • Discard expired samples.

    • Transfer to labs for testing.



6. Best Practices

  • Regular Audits: Reconcile physical samples with system records quarterly.

  • Labeling: Tag samples with batch/expiry dates for easy identification.

  • Integration: Link sample retention to Quality Inspection for end-to-end traceability.



7. Troubleshooting

Here’s a quick look at some common issues you might run into.


Issue

Solution

"Retain Sample" option missing

Enable "Has Batch No" in Item Master first.

Sample quantity exceeds limit

Adjust quantity to match the Max Sample Qty set in Item Master.

Retention Warehouse not listed

Verify it’s assigned in Stock Settings > Sample Retention.



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