Remaining Shelf Life in MRP Planning
In COSMO Process Manufacturing, you can configure a minimum remaining shelf life for each item to ensure that only lots with sufficient shelf life are considered as available supply in master resource planning (MRP). When enabled, the expiration date of item ledger entries and item tracking lines is compared with the due date of demand sources to exclude lots that would not meet the minimum shelf life requirement. This helps prevent expired or soon-to-expire inventory from being proposed as valid supply, supporting FEFO (First Expired, First Out) strategies and quality standards.
Typical scenarios include:
- Reducing waste by planning with fresher inventory
- Aligning planning with shelf-life-based quality requirements
- Ensuring that production and sales orders are fulfilled with inventory that meets shelf life expectations or agreements.
Note
The remaining shelf life configuration in MRP planning does not affect any customer-specific remaining shelf life configurations.
Setup
To enable remaining shelf life checks in MRP planning, configure both the item tracking code and the item itself.
Item Tracking Code Configuration
On the Item Tracking Code Card page, the fields that must be enabled for the item's tracking code are listed in the following table.
| FastTab | Field |
|---|---|
| Lot | Lot Specific Tracking |
| Misc. | Use Expiration Dates |
| Consider Shelf Life in Planning |
The Consider Shelf Life in Planning field determines whether the shelf life of the item is considered in MRP. When this toggle is turned on, MRP evaluates lot expiration dates and applies the minimum remaining shelf life logic during planning.
Item Configuration
On the Item Card page, on the Item Tracking FastTab, specify the Minimum Remaining Shelf Life Time field for each item where shelf life should be considered in planning. This field uses a date formula (for example, "15D" for 15 days) to define the required remaining shelf life that must be available when planning supply against demand.
Note
If the Consider Shelf Life in Planning toggle is not turned on for the item's assigned item tracking code, MRP does not evaluate remaining shelf life and behaves according to standard Business Central logic. Remaining shelf life in MRP planning does not change how expiration dates are calculated or posted.
Planning Logic and Supply Evaluation
When MRP runs for items with remaining shelf life enabled, supply (inventory or available lots) is evaluated against the due date of each demand and the configured minimum remaining shelf life for the item.
Expiration Date Sorting
The Consider Shelf Life in Planning field affects how available supply lots are sorted during MRP planning:
When enabled
Available supply lots are sorted by expiration date (earliest first) instead of posting date. This ensures that lots nearing expiration are prioritized, supporting FEFO usage and minimizing waste.When not enabled
Lots are sorted by posting date, following standard MRP logic.
Planning Period Behavior
Remaining shelf life is evaluated differently depending on when demand occurs relative to the planning start date:
Before the planning start date
The minimum expiration date is not taken into account. Demand with a due date before the planning start date is not evaluated for remaining shelf life, and MRP behaves according to standard Business Central logic.From the planning start date onward
The expiration date of the item ledger entries is compared with the due date of the demand sources. Lots that do not meet the minimum remaining shelf life requirement are excluded from being proposed as available supply for that demand.
Shelf Life Validation Rules
For demand occurring on or after the planning start date, lots are evaluated as follows:
- The lot's expiration date is compared to: Due Date + Minimum Remaining Shelf Life Time
- If the lot's expiration date is earlier than this calculated date, the lot is excluded from planning and marked as not available for that demand.
- If all available lots are excluded, MRP proposes a new planning line to cover the demand.
Example
- Item has Minimum Remaining Shelf Life Time = 15D
- Demand due date = April 15, 2026
- Lot A expiration date = April 25, 2026
- Lot B expiration date = May 5, 2026
Calculation for Lot A: April 15 + 15 days = April 30, 2026
Lot A expires on April 25, which is before April 30, so Lot A is excluded.
Calculation for Lot B: April 15 + 15 days = April 30, 2026
Lot B expires on May 5, which is after April 30, so Lot B is available and will be proposed by MRP.
Note
Remaining shelf life in MRP planning does not change reservation or picking logic beyond what is influenced by different MRP proposals.