Allocate batch and serial numbers
Serial and batch numbers are inventory dimensions. Therefore, assign them only to items that have tracking dimension groups where these dimensions are active. You can assign serial or batch numbers manually or automatically, depending on whether the item has a serial number that can be scanned into Supply Chain Management, or whether the serial number should be assigned based on a serial number group.
Scenario
A company manufactures bicycles by welding aluminum tubes into bicycle frames. They receive aluminum tubes from a supplier who casts the tubes in batches. Each delivery of tubes to the bicycle manufacturer is marked with the supplier’s batch number. The bicycle manufacturer creates a bicycle frame and wants to track each frame as it moves through the manufacturing and assembly process. To track the parts, the company does the following:
- Creates a number group for aluminum batches that allows for manual allocation of a number.
- Manually enters supplier batch numbers in inventory transactions for aluminum tubes.
- Creates a number group for bicycle frames that disallows manual allocation.
- Enables Supply Chain Management to automatically assign a serial number for each bicycle frame inventory transaction.