Preassigning Serial Numbers

You can preassign serial numbers for items when you create a purchase order, a transfer order line, or a job. Then when the PO or transfer order line is received, or the job completes, the system assigns one of the preassigned serial numbers to each item in the line or job.

Initial Steps

Use these initial steps to preassign serials for items in POs, transfer orders, or jobs:

On the Items form, specify that the item to be used in the PO, transfer or job is S/N Tracked.
(Optional) If you want to use serial number prefixes for this item, click S/N Definition and define the prefix to use. Alternatively, a global prefix can be defined on the Inventory Parameters form.

Preassign Serial Numbers for a Purchase Order

Use these steps to preassign serials for an item in a PO:

Follow the initial steps above.
Create the purchase order using the Purchase Orders form. (The Preassign feature is not available on the Purchase Orders Quick Entry form.)
On the Purchase Order Lines or Purchase Order Blanket Lines/Releases form, for each line item that will use a preassigned serial, select Preassign Serials.
NOTE: If Preassign Serials is already selected by default for the item on the Items form, you cannot change it here. If this field was not selected on the Items form, and if Qty Shipped is zero, you can select it here.
On the Purchase Order Lines or Purchase Order Blanket Releases form, select the Serials tab. The amount of serial numbers to generate displays automatically, based upon the Qty Ordered for the purchase order line item.
Click Generate Serial. The next sequential serials available for this item are listed. (The Generate Serial button is enabled only if the Expand S/N field is selected in the Inventory Parameters form. If the button is disabled, specify the new serial numbers in the grid.)
Select the ones you want to use for this PO.
Save the PO line/release record.

Preassign Serial Numbers for a Transfer Order

Use these steps to preassign serials for an item in a transfer order:

NOTE: In order to preassign serial numbers for a transfer order, the item must be serial tracked in the "To" site and not serial tracked in the "From" site.

Follow the initial steps above.
Create the transfer order using the Transfer Orders form. (The Preassign feature is not available on the Transfer Orders Quick Entry form.)
On the Transfer Order Lines form, for each line item that will use a preassigned serial, select Preassign Serials.
NOTES:
- If Preassign Serials is already selected by default for the item on the Items form, you cannot change it here. If this field was not selected on the Items form, and if Qty Shipped is zero, you can select it here.
- Creating preassigned serial numbers is only permitted at the "To" site.
- Preassigned serial numbers are allowed for transfer orders only when one of these conditions is true:
  - The Use Existing Serials flag on the Inventory Parameters form is not selected, or
  - The "from" site is not serial-tracking an item and the "to" site is serial-tracking an item.
On the Transfer Order Lines form, select the Serials tab. The amount of serial numbers to generate displays automatically, based upon the Qty Ordered for the transfer order line item.
Click Generate Serial. The next sequential serials available for this item are listed. (The Generate Serial button is enabled only if the Expand S/N field is selected in the Inventory Parameters form. If the button is disabled, specify the new serial numbers in the grid.)
Select the ones you want to use for this transfer order.
Save the transfer order line record.

Use this chart to understand when the Preassign Serials fields are enabled, and how the default value is set:

From Site		To Site			Preassigned Serials Check Box
Use Existing Serials?	Serial Tracked?	Serial Tracked?	Preassigned?	Ship Qty	Enabled?	Value
Yes	--	--	--	--	No	Not Selected
No	Yes	--	--	--	No	Not Selected
No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Not Selected
No	No	Yes	No	< > 0	No	Not Selected
No	No	Yes	Yes	--	No	Selected

Preassign Serial Numbers for a Job

Use these steps to preassign serials for an item when you create a job that includes the item:

Follow the initial steps above.
Create the job using the Job Orders form.
For each item that will use a preassigned serial, select Preassign Serials.
NOTE: If Preassign Serials is already selected by default for the item on the Items form, you cannot change it here. If this field was not selected on the Items form, you can select it here. When the Job status is no longer Firm, this field is disabled.
Select the Serials tab. The amount of serial numbers to generate displays automatically, based upon the Qty Released for the job.
Click Generate Serial. The next sequential serial numbers available for this item are listed. (The Generate Serial button is enabled only if the Expand S/N field is selected in the Inventory Parameters form. If the button is disabled, specify the new serial numbers in the grid.)
Select the ones you want to use for this transfer order.
Save the job order.

If you rework a job, the preassigned serial fields are disabled. See Creating a Rework Order for more information.

Printing Preassigned Serial Number Labels

To print preassigned serial number labels so that you can have them ready to attach when the items are created or received, use the Preassigned Serial Labels Report form.

Data Collection Transactions and Preassigned Serial Numbers

If you are populating the data collection tables with transactions that use preassigned serial numbers:

When you print a report for a specific type of DC transaction (for example, PO Receiving List), select the option to print preassigned serial numbers where appropriate.
Use the document to scan (or manually enter) the preassigned serial numbers. At the time the data collection transactions are entered , you can choose to enter a value other than the preassigned serial number.

What Happens to Unused Preassigned Serial Numbers?

Preassigned serial numbers are allocated and cannot be reused until the PO line, job or transfer order line status is set to Complete.

If, for example, you preassign 10 serial numbers to a purchase order, then when you receive items against the purchase order, all 10 serial numbers are listed in the Serial Numbers tab for the transaction. If you only receive 8 of the item and then close the purchase order, the remaining 2 serial numbers go back into the "pool" and can be assigned to another PO if the prefix matches. However, as long as the PO stays open, the serial numbers cannot be reused.