Assigning Serial Numbers and Batch Numbers on Sales Orders or Sales Shipments
Follow
George Sutton
Updated : Created :
This feature enables you to assign serial numbers and batch numbers to serialized products on Sales Orders or Sales Shipments. You can also assign selected serial and batch numbers to sales invoices. This is particularly useful when customers need a reference that they can use, i.e. for warranty purposes.
- Serial Number Statuses
- Assigning Serial Numbers on a Sales Order
- Select Serial Numbers from a list showing those that are available and those that are assigned elsewhere
- Select Serial Numbers for a Sales Order that has a partial shipment
- Select Serial Numbers on multiple Sales Orders
Serial Numbers on a Sales Shipment
- No Serial Numbers assigned on Sales Order
- Serial Numbers assigned on Sales Order
- Selecting Serial Numbers assigned elsewhere
Assigning Serial Numbers on both a Sales Order and Sales Shipment
Assigning Batch Numbers on a Sales Order
- Batch Numbers assigned on Sales Order
- Assigning Batch Numbers on a Sales Order that has a partial shipment
Assigning Batch Numbers on a Sales Shipment
Assigning Batch Numbers on both a Sales Order and Sales Shipment
Serial and Batch Numbers of Invoices
- Invoice created from Sales Order with batch numbers that were not dispatched
- Partial Invoice created from Sales Order
Serial Number Assignment
Serial Number Statuses
Serial Numbers have a status of AVAILABLE, UNAVAILABLE or DELETED.
A serial number is AVAILABLE until it is DISPATCHED. Therefore, a serial number can be assigned to more than one open Sales Order (i.e. not COMPLETED) or open Sales Shipment (i.e. not DISPATCHED).
Once a serial number has been DISPATCHED, its status will become UNAVAILABLE.
A serial number can be DELETED and will therefore no longer be available.
Assigning Serial Numbers on a Sales Order
If your business process requires serial numbers to be assigned at the Sales Order stage, clicking in the "Serial" column on the Sales Order Lines will show you:
-
which serial numbers are available
-
which serial numbers are available but have been assigned elsewhere, and,
-
if particular serial numbers on your order has already been dispatched
Scenario: Select Serial Numbers from a list showing those that are available and those that are assigned elsewhere
The following screenshot illustrates how serial numbers are presented on a Sales Order page if some of the serial numbers are assigned on other Sales Orders or Shipments.
Note the warning icon with the message “This serial number is already allocated elsewhere. Click this icon to run a report and obtain more information”
Click the warning icon to run the Serial Numbers Enquiry report to tell you where that serial number is currently being used.
If you choose to select a serial number that has been assigned elsewhere, the information message "One or more selected serial numbers are already allocated elsewhere." will display on your Sales Order:
Scenario: Select Serial Numbers for a Sales Order that has a partial shipment
The following screenshot illustrates how serial numbers are presented on a Sales Order if some of the serial numbers for this Sales Order have already been dispatched (partial shipment).
Scenario: Select Serial Numbers on multiple Sales Orders and COMPLETE one of the Sales Orders
If you have selected the same serial numbers on different Sales Orders and COMPLETED one of the Sales Orders, you will be warned on the open Sales Order with the message “One or more selected serial numbers are unavailable and need to be unassigned from the product.”
Selecting the serial column will present the serial numbers previously allocated to the Sales Order Line with an error alongside any serial numbers that are no longer available. The message “This serial number is unavailable and needs to be unassigned from the product. Click the icon to run a report and obtain more information.” will display. By clicking the message, you will be directed to the Serial Number Enquiry report.
Assigning Serial Numbers on a Sales Shipment
If your business process requires serial numbers to be assigned at the Sales Shipment stage, clicking in the "Serial" column on the Sales Shipment Lines will show you which serial numbers are available and which serial numbers have been assigned elsewhere.
Scenario: No Serial Numbers assigned on Sales Order
The following screenshot illustrates how serial numbers are presented on a Sales Shipment when no serial numbers have been assigned at the Sales Order stage.
Note: if serial numbers have been assigned to other Sales Orders or Sales Shipments, the warning icon will display, and clicking the icon will run the Serial Number Enquiry report.
Scenario: Serial Numbers assigned on Sales Order
The following screenshot illustrates the Shipment option when serial numbers are selected at the Sales Order stage. Only those numbers previously selected are shown in the list with a tick alongside them:
When it comes to the shipment, if, for any reason, one or more of the selected serial numbers are unavailable for shipping, select "All Available Serials", untick the previously selected serial numbers and choose the appropriate serial number(s) to ship.
Scenario: Selecting Serial Numbers assigned elsewhere
There could be an occasion where you need to ship serial numbers that are already assigned elsewhere. Tick the serial numbers and ship them:
Assigning Serial Numbers on both a Sales Order and Sales Shipment
Scenario: Selecting Serial Numbers on a Sales Order and dispatching others on the Shipment
A Sales Order is created for 3 dining tables and the oldest 3 serial numbers selected.
When it comes to the shipment, one of the dining tables is damaged so that dining table’s serial number is unselected and a different serial number is selected to ship.
The result of this will be an overallocation of serial numbers on the Sales Order 4/3:
When the Shipment is dispatched, the Sales Order will still show the serial number that was originally selected:
Completing the Sales Order will unselect the un-shipped serial number:
Note: You can also manually deselect the serial number that was found to be damaged and save the Sales Order.
Batch Number Assignment
This feature is available if you have the Batch Tracked option activated on the Product.
Batch Number Statuses
Batch Numbers, like Serial Numbers, have statuses of AVAILABLE, UNAVAILABLE, or DELETED.
A batch number is AVAILABLE until all quantities are DISPATCHED. Those quantities that are available are labeled “UNALLOCATED” when selecting quantities on an order or shipment.
A batch number can be DELETED and will therefore no longer be available.
Assigning Batch Numbers on a Sales Order
Scenario: Batch Numbers assigned on Sales Order
If only a single batch was selected, only that batch is displayed.
Scenario: Assigning Batch Numbers on a Sales Order that has a partial shipment
When assigning batch number quantities at the Sales Order stage, clicking in the "Batch" column on the Sales Order Lines will show you (where applicable):
-
which batch numbers are available
-
the unallocated quantities per batch
-
the quantities dispatched
-
the quantities assigned on the Sales Shipment
Assigning Batch Numbers on a Sales Shipment
Scenario: No Batch Numbers assigned on Sales Order
If no batch numbers are assigned via the Sales Order, all available batch numbers and available quantities are displayed on the Sales Shipment.
Assigning Batch Numbers on both a Sales Order and Sales Shipment
Scenario: Selecting Batch Numbers on a Sales Order and dispatching others
In this example, 10 quantities were ordered and assigned over 3 different batch numbers at the Sales Order stage.
At the Shipment stage, a change is required and all 5 quantities are assigned from a single batch number, setting the other batch number to zero:
The Sales Shipment was DISPATCHED.
Returning to the Sales Order, there is now an over allocation of 7 quantities:
Click on the Batch column - you will see the previously assigned quantities from the other batches still present. If you COMPLETE the Sales Order, these quantities and batches will be deallocated from the Sales Order, since all 10 of the quantities have been shipped.
Or you can manually reset the quantities to zero.
The previously allocated quantities will be returned to the unallocated quantities.
BEFORE Completing:
After COMPLETING:
Serial and Batch Numbers on Invoices
Scenario: Invoice created from Sales Order with serial numbers that were not dispatched
You have created a Sales Order and a Sales Invoice based on a selection of Serial Numbers. When it comes to the Shipment, a different set of Serial Numbers are dispatched.
The Sales Invoice selection will now show as follows but can still be edited and resent to your Customer:
Note that once you COMPLETE the Sales Order, the Invoice will tidy itself up and show only 3/3 of the Serial Numbers.
Scenario: 50% Partial Invoice created from Sales Order with 5 serial numbers that were subsequently dispatched
A 50% deposit is required prior to shipping 5 items. Once the deposit is received and the 5 items shipped, return to the Invoice and select the serial numbers.
Note: With partial invoicing, you will need to complete the invoicing of the batch quantities before you can COMPLETE the Sales Order.
Scenario: Invoice created from Sales Order with batch numbers that were not dispatched
You have created a Sales Order and a Sales Invoice based on a Batch Number. When it comes to the Shipment, a different Batch Number was dispatched.
The Sales Invoice selection will now show as overallocated, but can be edited.
Note that once you COMPLETE the Sales Order, the Invoice will tidy itself up and show only the actual dispatched Batch Numbers.
Scenario: 50% Partial Invoice created from Sales Order with Batch Numbers that were subsequently dispatched
A 50% deposit is required prior to shipping 4 quantities of a Batch. A partial invoice is created for 2 quantities. A second invoice will need to be generated by selecting the remaining 2 quantities of that batch.
FAQs
Auto assigning of Serial and Batch numbers will no longer occur when you save or print a Sales Shipment if you have no Serial or Batch numbers selected on the Shipment page.