When you receive serialized items from vendors in Purchase Orders, the program prompts you to assign serial numbers.
Note: Serial numbers are used for tracking stock from the point of receipt through to the point of sale, and can be used to track returned items from the customer and back to the vendor.
You use the same procedure when entering a vendor invoice, except you start with the Invoice Entry window instead of the Receipt Entry window.
You can assign serial numbers when you receive serialized items, or when you create the invoice for the items, provided the item does not use the serial costing method and the Allow Serial Quantity To Be Different From The Quantity In The Entries option is selected on the I/C Items screen.
Generally, there are not big differences in assigning numbers during receipt or invoicing. However, there can be an impact when using the Inventory Control Serial Inquiry report, because this report displays only the net change from the time of receipt to invoice, not the original receipt cost..
Example: If you enter the cost of a serialized item as two dollars during receipt entry, but you don't assign the serial number. Then, you use the P/O Invoice Entry window to enter the serial number, and you change the cost of the item to three dollars. The value that appears on the I/C Serial Number Inquiry for that transaction is one dollar.
To assign serial numbers when receiving serialized items:
- Purchase Orders > P/O Transactions > Receipt Entry.
- Process the receipt. For more information, see Entering Receipts.
- Do one of the following:
- Enter a value in the Quantity Received field, and then press either Enter or Tab.
- If the correct number already appears in the Quantity Received field, and you just want to change a serial number already assigned, click the Quantity Received column header.
Note: You cannot partially invoice receipts of serialized items.
The Serial Numbers Generation/Allocation window appears.
- Either accept or edit the default value that appears in the Next Serial Number field. The value in this field is the starting point for the serial numbers you will assign.
- Assign serial numbers in one of the following ways:
- Automatically. Click Auto-Gen. to generate serial numbers for the quantities you require, starting with the value in the Next Serial Number field.
- Manually. Click Add for each serial number you need to create. Edit the Next Serial Number value if you don't want to assign the next sequential number.
Note: In both cases, assigned serial numbers appear in the details table. You can select entries in the table to change serial numbers as required.
- Click Close.
Note: If the Remaining value is not zero, there are still serial numbers to assign. You cannot close the window until the Remaining value is zero.
After closing the Serial Numbers Generation/Allocation window, you can complete and post the transaction.