What FEFO means
FEFO — First-Expiry-First-Out — is a stock-rotation and picking discipline: when fulfilling an order, you pick the batch that expires soonest, not necessarily the one received earliest. It requires batch-level tracking with expiry dates, because the system must know each batch's expiry to decide what to ship. For dated goods, FEFO is the rule that actually protects against expiry losses.
FEFO vs FIFO
FIFO (First-In-First-Out) ships the oldest-received stock first, which usually — but not always — corresponds to the earliest expiry. The two diverge whenever shelf life varies by batch, when stock is received out of production order, or when promotions and returns reintroduce older-dated stock. FEFO removes that risk by sorting on expiry date directly, which is why perishable and pharma supply chains prefer it.
- FIFO — pick oldest received first (proxy for expiry)
- FEFO — pick nearest expiry first (the real goal for dated goods)
- FEFO needs batch + expiry tracking; FIFO needs only receipt order
- Critical for dairy, frozen foods, bakery, pharma, and any dated SKU
Why FEFO needs software
FEFO is impossible to run reliably on paper or by eye at any scale — it depends on knowing every batch's expiry at the moment of picking. Inventory software with batch-and-expiry tracking enforces FEFO automatically, flags near-expiry stock for prioritised movement, and turns avoidable expiry write-offs into a managed, shrinking number.
In SalesPort
Store & Inventory (batch + expiry)SalesPort's Store & Inventory module tracks every batch with expiry dates and enforces FEFO picking, so near-expiry stock moves first and expired stock never reaches a shelf.