Deprecating Lot Number Text

This is a process that was started at the CPM quarter at the San Antonio WGM January 2012 to explore how to manage the recording of "lot numbers" correctly, without using the lotNumberText attribute - which is noted in the CPM as being deprecated.

In CPM there is representation of an instance of a product, using R_ProductInstance (POCP_RM020100UV). The text for the instance says: A product instance is (a) an individual product instance, i.e., an individually identified thing with a serial number; (b) a product lot, i.e., a set of things of the same kind (e.g., 1000 for expressing a number of tablets) or an amorphous mass (e.g., 100 L of a liquid raw material), or (c) any subset, member, or portion of a product lot. The distinction between an individual thing and a lot is made in the quantity attribute, which is set to 1 (one) for individual items, or any number e.g., 1000 or amount 100 L for sets of things or amorphous masses respectively.

The entity that represents the product instance has the attribute lotNumberText, but this has the following design comments: <<DEPRECATED: The lot number for this instance. It identifies an amount of the product that has been produced or otherwise processed together. This attribute should NOT be used any more, as a product lot is represented as an instance of itself, and the individual (serialized) items, or sub-portions of the lot are represented as "members" of the lot instance.>>

The main business requirement is to be able to describe the lot number of an instance of a product - for example when a particular instance has caused an adverse reaction.