How to Pass an FDA Audit When You're Using Veeqo

You use Veeqo to manage inventory and fulfill orders. It works well — until an FDA auditor shows up and asks questions Veeqo can't answer.

Veeqo tracks SKU quantities. It doesn't track batches, lot numbers, or expiry dates. That gap can turn a routine FDA inspection into a serious problem.

Here's how to stay audit-ready while using Veeqo — without replacing your entire system.

What FDA Auditors Actually Ask For

FDA inspections vary based on what you sell (supplements, food, cosmetics, medical devices), but the core questions are consistent:

1. Lot-Level Traceability

The question: "Which customers received this specific lot number?"

Why they ask: If there's a contamination issue or recall, FDA needs to know you can identify affected products quickly. They expect you to trace a lot number to every order it touched.

What Veeqo provides: Nothing. Veeqo doesn't track which lot shipped with which order.

2. Batch Distribution Records

The question: "Show me your distribution records for batch X."

Why they ask: Regulations like 21 CFR 111 (supplements) and FSMA (food) require documented proof of where each batch went — from receiving through customer shipment.

What Veeqo provides: Order history by SKU, but no batch-level breakdown. You can see that you shipped 500 units of Product A. You can't see which lots those 500 units came from.

3. Stock Rotation / FEFO Compliance

The question: "How do you ensure oldest-expiring stock ships first?"

Why they ask: Proper stock rotation (FEFO — First-Expired-First-Out) prevents expired products from reaching consumers. Auditors want to see a system, not just good intentions.

What Veeqo provides: No expiry tracking. No FEFO logic. No batch rotation records.

4. Historical Inventory Position

The question: "What was your inventory on [specific date]?"

Why they ask: If they're investigating a complaint or incident, they may need to reconstruct what you had in stock at a specific point in time.

What Veeqo provides: Current inventory only. No historical snapshots.

5. Expiry Management

The question: "How do you prevent expired products from being sold?"

Why they ask: Shipping expired products is a violation. They want to see controls — not just "we check manually."

What Veeqo provides: No expiry tracking. No automatic holds. No alerts.

The Veeqo Gap

Veeqo is excellent inventory and order management software. It handles stock levels, multi-channel sales, purchase orders, and shipping. For many e-commerce businesses, it's the right tool.

But Veeqo wasn't designed for regulated industries. It doesn't have:

• Batch or lot number tracking
• Expiry date fields
• FEFO allocation logic
• Lot-to-order assignment
• Historical inventory snapshots
• Recall reporting

If you sell supplements, food, cosmetics, pet food, or medical supplies — and you face FDA, FSMA, or EU regulatory requirements — Veeqo alone leaves you exposed.

Most businesses fill this gap with spreadsheets. That works until it doesn't.

Why Spreadsheets Fail During Audits

Spreadsheets are where batch tracking goes to die.

Here's what typically happens:

1. You create a spreadsheet to track lot numbers, expiry dates, and quantities.
2. Someone forgets to update it when a shipment goes out.
3. The data drifts from reality. Quantities don't match. Lots are missing.
4. An auditor asks a question. You open the spreadsheet. The answer isn't there — or it's wrong.
5. You spend hours reconstructing what happened from order records, shipping labels, and memory.
6. The auditor notes the gap. Best case: observation. Worst case: warning letter.

Spreadsheets have no connection to your actual order flow. They depend on manual entry — which means human error, delays, and gaps.

What Audit-Ready Traceability Actually Looks Like

To pass an FDA audit confidently, you need:

1. Automatic Lot Assignment

Every order should have the lot number recorded automatically — at the time of fulfillment, not reconstructed later. When an auditor asks which orders contained a specific lot, you run a report and hand it over.

2. Complete Batch History

Every batch should have a full history: when it was received, how it was allocated, which orders it fulfilled, any returns or transfers. Timestamped. Immutable. Audit trail from day one.

3. Historical Snapshots

You should be able to answer "what was your inventory on March 15th?" instantly. Not by reconstructing from order history — by pulling a snapshot.

4. Expiry Controls

Expired stock should be blocked automatically. Not flagged for someone to review — blocked. System-enforced, not process-dependent.

5. Export Capability

Auditors want documentation they can review. You need to export batch histories, recall reports, and distribution records in a format they can use.

6. Recall Readiness

If a supplier notifies you of a contamination issue at 9am, you should have a complete list of affected customers by 9:15am. Not by end of day. Not tomorrow.

How to Add Batch Traceability to Veeqo

You have three options:

Option 1: Replace Veeqo with an Enterprise WMS

Some warehouse management systems have built-in batch tracking — SAP, Oracle, Fishbowl, etc.

Pros: Full-featured, handles complex workflows.

Cons: 6+ month implementation, $50K+ cost, massive workflow disruption, overkill for most SMEs.

If you're processing 50,000+ orders/month and have an IT team, this might make sense. For most Veeqo users, it's not realistic.

Option 2: Keep Using Spreadsheets

Maintain a parallel spreadsheet for lot numbers and expiry dates. Train your team to update it religiously.

Pros: No software cost.

Cons: Disconnected from Veeqo, relies on manual discipline, breaks down under volume, fails during audits. You already know how this ends.

Option 3: Add a Batch Tracking Layer to Veeqo

Use a tool that integrates with Veeqo specifically for batch/lot tracking and expiry management. Keep using Veeqo for everything else.

Pros: Fast setup, no workflow disruption, batch data syncs with Veeqo orders, purpose-built for the problem.

Cons: Additional subscription cost.

What TraceLot Adds to Veeqo

TraceLot is batch and expiry tracking built specifically for Veeqo. Here's what it gives you:

• Lot-Level Traceability — Every batch has a lot number, expiry date, and complete history. When you fulfill an order, TraceLot assigns the lot and records it. Search by lot number → see every order that contained it.
• Automatic FEFO — TraceLot assigns the earliest-expiring batch to every order automatically. Pickers see the lot number in Veeqo order notes. No manual selection, no rotation errors.
• Expiry Firewall — When a batch expires, TraceLot zeros out the quantity in Veeqo. Expired stock can't be sold or shipped. The system blocks it — no human decision required.
• Historical Snapshots — Pull your complete inventory position at any past date. "What did we have on February 12th?" — answered in seconds, like a banking ledger.
• Export Everything — Batch history, recall reports, expiry forecasts, distribution records — all exportable. Hand auditors exactly what they need.
• Two-Way Veeqo Sync — TraceLot syncs with Veeqo bidirectionally. Quantities stay matched. Order notes update automatically. No double-entry, no reconciliation.
• 10-Minute Setup — Connect Veeqo via OAuth, import inventory, create your first batches. No IT project, no data migration, no workflow changes.

What an FDA Audit Looks Like After TraceLot

That's the difference between audit anxiety and audit confidence.

Which FDA Regulations Require This?

Batch traceability isn't optional for many product categories:

• Dietary Supplements (21 CFR Part 111) — FDA's cGMP regulations require batch production records, lot-level traceability, and distribution documentation. You need to trace any batch from components through finished product through customer.
• Food Products (FSMA) — The Food Safety Modernization Act requires Key Data Elements (KDEs) and Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) for products on the Food Traceability List. FDA expects 24-hour recall capability.
• Cosmetics (MoCRA) — The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (2022) introduced new FDA requirements including facility registration and adverse event reporting. Batch traceability supports compliance.
• Pet Food (FSMA Preventive Controls for Animal Food) — Same framework as human food. Lot traceability and recall capability required.
• Medical Devices and Lab Supplies (21 CFR Part 820) — Quality System Regulation requires distribution records and lot/batch traceability.

Audit Readiness Checklist