Compare the operating models
The supplied juice product has a ninety-day shelf-life rule. Batch J1 expires 20 November and J2 expires 15 December. Editing the product to show one date would erase a difference staff need for picking and customer enquiries. Dates are synthetic examples, not food-safety guidance.
| Business requirement | Product-level rule | Lot-level actual date |
|---|---|---|
| General ninety-day rule | Reusable product attribute | Not a replacement for batch evidence |
| J1 actual expiry | One date cannot cover J2 | 20 November on J1 |
| J2 actual expiry | Overwriting hides J1 | 15 December on J2 |
Work through the chosen model
Product records carry a supplied shelf-life rule and date basis. Lot records carry batch ID, evidenced production/date details and actual expiry where known. A rule-derived suggestion should not be mistaken for the supplier’s documented date.
- Read the product rule
- Capture each incoming lot’s evidence
- Pick and answer enquiries by lot
Lot capture adds receipt work but preserves differences between deliveries. A single product date is simpler only when the supplied goods genuinely share one date.
The product keeps ninety days; J1 keeps 20 November and J2 keeps 15 December. A J1 dispatch identifies J1’s date rather than displaying the later J2 date as the whole product’s expiry.
When the other model fits
There is no verified incoming batch date. Does the shelf-life rule establish an exact expiry?
Show the worked answer
No. Keep the batch date unresolved until its date basis is supplied; the rule alone cannot identify the actual batch date.