Serial Number Tracking Control

Application Overview

The following functions are featured in the Serial Number Tracking Control:

1.     Enter and display 10 serial numbers in the serial number window.

2.     Enter a range of serial numbers that begin with alphabetic characters.

3.     Cross reference multiple serial numbers by allowing the end-user to define literals such as carton number and bin number that the serial numbers will be referenced to.

 4.    Inquiry in serial number history for receipts and issues by serial number only or item number plus serial number.

5.     Enter an unlimited number of serial numbers for each COP order line item.

6.    Consolidate serial numbers when printing on various reports and documents.

7.      Check for the serial number integrity between the inventory serial lot transaction file and the

        inventory quantities on hand and allocated.

8.    Track Serial Numbers in PO Receiving Audit Trail File.

9.    Track Serial Numbers in Inventory Transaction Audit Trail File.

Run Instructions

Serial Tracking is only applicable if you have enabled Serialized Items in the I/M Setup process and are not using the Multi-Bin Vertical Package.

Go to Elliott Main Menu à Util-Setup à Global Setup à System à Serial No. Tacking Control 

Field Entry Descriptions

Field1. Enter Serial X-ref Information?

This is an option to cross reference serial numbers.  If you answer “Y”, then during the receiving of a serial number the system will prompt you for both the serial number and X-ref information. 

If you answer “Y”, you need to complete Fields 2 and 3.  

Field 2.            Serial X-ref Literal Name

If you answered “Y” to Field 1 “Enter Serial X-ref Information?”, then you need to define a literal for the X-ref.  For example, you might label the X-ref field as Bin-No or Carton ID.  As you receive serialized items, the system will prompt you for a Bin-No or Carton ID and this can be used for tracking purposes.

Field 3.            Create Serial X-ref File?

If you know the X-ref and would like to know the serial numbers associated with that X-ref, answer “Y” and the system will create a serial X-ref file for search purposes.  For example:

1.                   You specify the literal in Field 2 as “Carton”. 

2.                   During the time of receiving inventory, you enter the serial number and assign it to a unique carton number.  

3.                   In COP line entry or I/M Issues, you may simply specify the carton number to bring up all the serial numbers in that carton.

Field 4.            Duplicate Ser No. Checking Criteria?

This field will enable you to set up the duplicate checking criteria for your serial numbers.  There are three options: 

1.         <Space> = Serial No. Only,

2.         I = Serial No. and Item No. 

3.         W = Serial No. and Item No. With Warning message. 

Option 1.  You can only have one unique serial number regardless of the Item number. 

Option 2.  You can have duplicate serial numbers, as long as the item number is different.   

Option 3.  This option is similar to the second, but only warns you of duplicate serial

                              numbers.  You still receive the number if it goes to a different warehouse.

Field 5.            Validate Serial No When Issue?

Answer “Y” to ensure a serial number exists in inventory.  Answer “N” for no validation.  If you answered “N”, Field 6 should also be “N” to avoid inaccurate inventories.

Field 6.            Require Ser No For Receipt?

If you are not are not interested in tracking serial numbers in your inventory, answer “N”.

Field 7.            Auto Increase Serial No. By 1?

If you wish to let the system automatically increment the serial number by 1 during receiving to speed up data entry, then answer “Y” to this question.

Field 8.            Print Invoice & Pack List Serial # In Range?

This question is asking if you want to print the serial numbers in a range (i.e. serial 123 to 150), instead of printing every serial number on an invoice or pack list.  This will save printing space if most of your serial numbers are in consecutive sequence.

Field 9.            Print Serial No On Invoice?

This flag controls the printing of serial numbers on invoices.  Answer “Y” if you wish to print serial numbers on invoices or “N” to not print serial numbers on invoices.

Field 10.  BOMP Receiving Vendor No

For each inventory receiving of serial numbers, the system requires the vendor number for RMA tracking, auditing, or some other special tracking purpose.  If you produce a serial number through BOMP production processing, by default the system will use the vendor number you specify in this field.  For tracking purposes, this vendor number will normally be a dummy number so that BOMP will know where this serial number came from.

Field 11.  SFC Receiving Vendor No

Similar to the previous field  - This field is for serial numbers produced through SFC.

Field 12.  Serial No. Literal in Design Your Own Form

This is the literal that will be printed when using Design Your Own Form for each serial number.  Default value is “Serial #”.

Using Serial Number Tracking

The features and functions of Serial Number Tracking are implemented in PO, IM, COP, BOMP, & SF.

P/O Receiving

The following example shows how this function works in PO Receiving (Figure 1I.2).

Figure 1I.2 shows PO 1670 being received.

Figure 1I.2 shows the Serial Numbers entry window.  At the top of the window, you will see the item number (CHAR-GEN), total qty (5), and qty to serialize (5).  In the middle of the window, the system prompts you for the serial number and carton #.  The carton #, as mentioned in the setup section of this enhancement, is an optional feature.  The literal “Carton #” was defined under the enhancement setup (refer to Figure 1I.1).

Many companies receive their merchandise in bins or cartons and would like to enter this information in addition to the serial numbers as shown in Figure 1I.3.  If you do not want to enter the carton #, press <Enter> to leave it blank.  In our example, we have entered the number 6 for carton #.  This information can later be utilized to perform X-ref searches during the issue of serial numbers for this particular item.  As you will notice, you will only need to enter the serial number and carton # once.  The system will automatically increment the serial number by one after a hard return <Enter>.  The carton # will remain the same.  The system will also let you enter an alphanumeric serial number.

Figure 1I.3.  shows the entry of carton # with serial numbers.

If you do not want to press <Enter> to assign the serial numbers, then press [F3] to Enter a Range.  Enter the beginning serial number and press <Enter>.  You will notice that the system will automatically assign the remaining serial numbers.  You can then assign the carton #. 

If you had answered “Y” to Track Serial Numbers in PO Receivings Audit Trail File, then after posting your transaction, the system will update this file with serial numbers.  When you print the report, it will display the serial numbers received (Figure 1I.4).

Figure 1I.4 shows the PO Receiving Audit Trail File.

Inventory Management

Serial/Lot Stock Status Inquiry (Stocked Items Only)

Figure 1I.5 shows the Serial/Lot Stock Status Inquiry (Stocked Items Only) screen.  If you are using Elliott’s original function, you are forced to enter or select an item no.  With the Serial Number Plus Enhancement, the system will allow you to press <Enter> for all.  You can then enter the starting serial number as shown in Figure 1I.5.  The screen also displays the carton # column.

Figure 1I.5 shows the Serial/Lot Stock Status Inquiry (Stocked Items Only).

Serial/Lot Stock Status Inquiry (Issued or Stocked Items)

This is a standard Elliott function.  However, we have modified the inquiry screen to include the carton # as shown in Figure 1I.6.

Figure 1I.6 shows the Serial/Lot Stock Status Inquiry (Issued or Stocked Items).  Note the “Carton #” column. 

Serial/Lot Stock Status Report

The Serial/Lot Stock Status Report shows the serialized items in stock (refer to Figure 1I.7).  We have modified this report to include the literal “Carton #” based on the enhancement setup.  Figure 1I.8 shows the Invoice History Serial/Lot Report.  This report is only available with the Serial Number Plus Enhancement.  It keeps detail information on the issuing and receiving of serialized items, which you will later see.  This can be very helpful when you need to track serialized items.  We will later compare this report with Elliott’s Serial/Lot Issue History Report.

Figure 1I.7 shows the Serial/Lot Stock Status Report.

To print the Invoice History Serial/Lot Report:

Customer order processing                 Reports                Invoice history reports          invoice history Serial/lot report       

Figure 1I.8 shows the Invoice History Serial/Lot Report.

Serial/Lot Processing - Process

Another area that has changed due to the Serial Number Tracking is the Serial/Lot Processing.  Elliott’s original processing only included “Change Serial/Lot Issues” and “Change Serial/Lot File".  We have added additional functions to the Serial/Lot Processing as shown in Figure 1I.9.

Figure 1I.9 shows the modified Serial/Lot Processing Screen.

We have added an additional function to check the serial file quantity on-hand as shown in Figure 1I.9.   Figures 1I.10 shows that we are checking the serial number integrity between the inventory serial lot transaction file and the inventory quantity on hand and allocated.  Figure 1I.11 shows the Serial Qty Integrity Checking Report.

Figure 1I.10 shows the interface screen for the Serial File Qty OH Integrity Checking.

Here we are checking on the serialized item “CHAR-GEN".

Figure 1I.11 shows the Serial Qty Integrity Checking.

Serial/Lot Processing - Generate

Two more functions have been added, generate serial number reference file and generate carton number cross reference file.  These are shown in Figure 1I.12.