Serial Numbers
Serial Numbers is the catalog of unique identifiers you register per individual unit of an item, so every inventory movement can identify exactly which unit was received, moved or sold. It works much like a Lot or a Customs Declaration: the system tracks each unit one by one, from the moment it enters your warehouse until it leaves, and requires you to pick a serial on transactions for items that need it.
What is it and what is it for?
A Serial Number record is a Serial Number (a unique code) and the Item it belongs to, plus optional Notes and custom fields. Unlike a quantity-based Lot, each serial always represents exactly one unit of the item — it's the individual "ID tag" you later select on inventory transactions so you always know which specific unit moved.
It works together with the Serializable field on the item (on the Items screen). Only items flagged as Serializable can have serial numbers created and selected for them. This traceability is useful for high-value or individually-tracked goods — electronics, equipment, appliances — where you need to know, at any moment, exactly which unit a customer has, which unit is still in stock, or which unit a warranty claim refers to.
How to use it
- Check "Serializable" on each Item that needs to be tracked unit by unit. Only items with this option checked will show up in the serial's Item lookup.
- Create the serial from this catalog (Create button), specifying its Serial Number and the Item it belongs to, plus any Notes or custom fields you use. You can also type it straight into any inventory transaction line: when you save the document, the system automatically creates here any serial that didn't exist yet, under that line's item.
- Select the serial on each line of the inventory transactions that move that item (receptions, dispatches, sales, transfers and similar documents), the same way you'd pick a Lot.
- View or edit a serial from the list or its Details screen. You can update its Notes and custom fields, but not its Serial Number or its Item.
- Delete a serial only if it has no transactions recorded against it yet; otherwise the system shows you which documents are using it.
Key capabilities
- Each Serial Number is unique across your entire company, not just per item. If your operation needs the same number on different items, turn on the company preference Allow Same Serial In Different Items.
- Fast autocomplete lookup of serials by name, filterable by Item, both in this catalog and inside transactions.
- Custom fields on serials, if your plan has Custom Fields enabled, to capture extra data such as warranty date or color.
- Security log on the Details screen, showing who created, edited or deleted the serial and, if enabled, the exact field changes.
- Deletion is blocked once a serial already has inventory movements recorded against it.
- Serials mentioned on any inventory transaction are added to this catalog automatically when the document is saved, so you don't have to create them up front.
- List column customization (show, hide and sort) just like the other catalogs.
Key fields
| Field | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Serial Number | The unique code identifying this specific unit. Required, and can't be changed once created. |
| Item | The Serializable item this unit belongs to. Required, and can't be changed once created. |
| Notes | Optional free text, editable at any time (for example, where the unit came from). |
| Custom fields | Any extra fields your company defined for serials, shown only if you have Custom Fields available. |
Validations on save
- Serial Number is required and must be unique — it can't already exist on another serial.
- Item is required and must have "Serializable" checked; otherwise the system rejects creating or editing the serial.
- The Serial Number and the Item on an existing serial can't be changed — both fields become read-only once the record is created, so the traceability of past transactions never breaks.
- A serial with inventory movements attached can't be deleted; the system shows you which document(s) are using it.
- The same serial number can't be used on two different items. When you save a transaction, if the number is already registered under another item the system rejects the document and tells you which item holds it. You can turn this validation off with the company preference Allow Same Serial In Different Items (Preferences → Inventory): with it on, the number only has to be unique within each item, both when you create it in this catalog and when it is created automatically from a transaction. This helps when a returned unit is received back under a different item code (a new unit that is resold as used) keeping its serial number.
- If you register a serial under the wrong item, you have to fix the document that created it. The serial is registered under that item, and neither the item nor the serial number can be changed afterwards. The serial can't be deleted either while it has movements. Correct or delete the document where it was keyed in, then delete the serial from this catalog.
Availability
- Browsing, creating, editing and deleting Serial Numbers requires the "Serials" permission on your user group, with separate levels for each action.
- The feature requires the Enterprise plan with the Advanced Inventory module active; on other plans, the Serials screen isn't available.
- Creating or editing a serial also requires your company to have at least one Warehouse configured.
- Custom fields on serials are only available if your plan includes Custom Fields.
- The field-change detail in the security log only shows if your company has that audit feature enabled.
Tips and common mistakes
"This item is not configured as serializable": shown when you try to create a serial for an item that doesn't have "Serializable" checked. Turn that option on for the item first, if that's the intent.
"Can't delete record because there are dependent records": means the serial is already referenced by one or more transactions. Review the listed documents; if the serial truly shouldn't exist, you'll need to correct or void those documents first.
You don't need to create the serial before keying in the transaction. Type it on the line and the system will register it in this catalog when you save, whatever the transaction is. In practice that happens on the goods receipt, because a dispatch (sale, issue, transfer) also requires the serial to be in stock. Creating it up front from this catalog is still useful if you want to record notes or custom fields from the start.
Check the item before saving a new serial number. Automatic registration ties the number to that line's item, and that assignment can't be edited. If the number ends up under the wrong item, you won't be able to register it under the right one until you fix the document that created it. Be especially careful if your company has the Validate Serials Stock preference turned off: with it on, a dispatch for a serial that isn't in stock is rejected before it can create the serial.
Remember the Serial Number and the Item are permanent once saved. If you made a typo, the safest fix — if the serial hasn't been used in any transaction yet — is to delete it and create it again correctly.