FEFO (First Expired, First Out)

First Expired, First Out (FEFO) is an inventory rotation method that prioritises goods by their expiration or best-before date. Unlike FIFO, which dispatches based on receipt date, FEFO ensures that products closest to expiry are used or shipped first. This is the standard practice for food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and any product with a defined shelf life.

FEFO minimises product waste by ensuring the oldest expiry dates are consumed first. For food importers and pharmaceutical distributors in Qatar, where goods often travel long distances before arrival, managing remaining shelf life is critical. Retailers and hospitals require products with adequate remaining shelf life upon delivery — a metric known as shelf life on receipt (SLOR).

A warehouse management system tracks expiry dates at the batch level and automatically directs pickers to the location holding the earliest-expiring stock. Manual FEFO management is error-prone in facilities with thousands of items. Automated systems also generate alerts when products approach their expiry dates, enabling proactive actions such as discounting, reallocation, or disposal.