Verderb und Abschreibungen durch mangelhafte FIFO/FEFO-Umsetzung

Definition

Australian food and beverage wholesalers handling perishable goods are required to maintain product safety and shelf-life integrity under the Food Standards Code and state-based food laws. Manual or paper-based FIFO/FEFO execution often fails to prioritise stock with the nearest expiry date, resulting in unsellable inventory that must be written off. Industry commentary on FEFO highlights that this method specifically aims to "reduce waste caused by expired goods" and "substantially reduce financial losses associated with unsellable or expired inventory" when implemented correctly.[2][5] Logistics and inventory experts note that FEFO is critical for perishable and regulated products because it minimises expired goods and maintains compliance with product safety standards.[2][7] For wholesalers without automated expiry tracking, it is common for 1–3 % of inventory value in perishable categories to be lost annually to spoilage, write‑offs, discounting, and additional handling, especially where expiry data is not systematically captured and used for picking decisions.

Why This Matters

The Pitch: Food & Beverage wholesalers in Australia 🇦🇺 routinely waste 1–3 % of cost of goods sold on preventable expiry-related write‑offs because of manual FIFO/FEFO rotation. Automation of batch/expiry tracking and FEFO-driven picking reduces waste and handling, protecting margins.

Affected Stakeholders

Warehouse Manager, Supply Chain Manager, Inventory Controller, CFO / Finance Manager, Quality Assurance Manager, Category Manager / Buyer

Related Business Risks