Overview
Managing expiring inventory in medical device sales requires balancing strict clinical safety with operational flexibility. To prevent expired products from inadvertently making their way into surgical procedures while still allowing teams to audit, adjust, or return expired stock, ConnectSx Beacon dynamically alters expiration filter behavior based on the specific type of Event being conducted.
This update modernizes the inventory screening experience within the "Mark Used" screen by introducing context-aware filter visibility, unified day-range lookups, and intuitive expiration sorting.
Key Expiration Filtering Features
On event types where utilizing expired inventory poses a clinical or compliance risk, ConnectSx enforces an automated Clinical Safety Block.
Behavior: The "Show Expired" checkbox is completely hidden from the screening/selection view.
Why it matters: Eliminates human error in high-pressure clinical environments so expired devices cannot be accidentally selected or marked as implanted/used.
Applicable Event Types:
Case (Surgical cases)
Loan (Loaner set transfers/allocations)
Stocking Order (Facility stock allocations)
Trial (Clinical trials)
Clinical Safety Note: Because expired items cannot be added to clinical events, any expired inventory in your custody will be automatically excluded from search results when marking inventory in these event types.
2. Operational Flexibility (Non-Surgical Event Types)
While expired items must never enter a surgical case, back-office operations, warehouse audits, and field logistics frequently require handling expired stock.
Behavior: The "Show Expired" checkbox remains accessible in the filter panel (unchecked by default).
Why it matters: Provides full operational freedom to account for, quarantine, write off, or return expired inventory without administrative workarounds.
Applicable Event Types:
Sample (Promotional or demonstration items)
Damage (Quarantining or logging damaged/expired waste)
Return (Returning expired stock back to the organization/manufacturer)
Subscription (Recurring purchase)
Stock Adjustment (Cycle counts and inventory corrections)
Other (General non-clinical inventory movements)
3. Modernized Day-Range Filter & Expiration Sorting
Finding inventory that is approaching expiration (e.g., within 30, 60, or 90 days) has been modernized into a unified, shared Day-Range Filter.
Unified Day-Range Filter: Instead of relying on static status tags, users can search for inventory expiring within a specific custom window (e.g., 1 to 90 days out).
Expiration Sorting: Users can sort searched inventory by "Expiring First" to easily identify and prioritize First-In, First-Out (FIFO) stock rotation before items reach their expiration date.
Universal Availability: The day-range filter and expiration sorting tools remain fully active across all event types, including clinical events, allowing reps to proactively push near-dated stock into upcoming cases safely.
Event Behavior Matrix
Event Type | Event Category | "Show Expired" Checkbox | Day-Range Filter Available? | Sort by Expiration Available? |
Case | Surgical / Billing | ❌ Hidden | Yes | Yes |
Loan | Field Logistics | ❌ Hidden | Yes | Yes |
Stocking Order | Facility Direct Sale | ❌ Hidden | Yes | Yes |
Trial | Clinical Evaluation | ❌ Hidden | Yes | Yes |
Sample | Marketing / Demo | ✅ Available | Yes | Yes |
Damage | Waste / Quarantined | ✅ Available | Yes | Yes |
Return | Reverse Logistics | ✅ Available | Yes | Yes |
Subscription | Recurring | ✅ Available | Yes | Yes |
Stock Adjustment | Audit / Correction | ✅ Available | Yes | Yes |
Other | General Exception | ✅ Available | Yes | Yes |
How to Filter & Sort Expiring Inventory in an Event
Open your scheduled Event from the Events list.
Click Mark Used Inventory (or Mark Used on mobile).
Expand the Filters panel on the inventory selection screen.
To locate inventory near expiration:
Enter your target range into the Day-Range Filter (e.g., items expiring in the next 30 to 60 days).
Click Apply or press Enter.
To prioritize near-dated stock:
Select Sort by Expiration Date to view items expiring soonest at the top of the list.
To view already expired stock (Non-Surgical Events Only):
Check the Show Expired box (visible only on supported event types such as Stock Adjustment, Return, or Damage).
Best Practice Tip: To prevent inventory from expiring in the field, regularly review the Expirations by Custody widget on your Beacon Dashboard or run the Days of Inventory On Hand Report in the Reports section. Initiate a Return Event or Transfer to pull back near-dated stock 30–60 days prior to expiration.