Serial Numbers and Serialization Guide

Use this guide to set up serial-tracked items, add or select serial numbers, sell serial items from invoices, sales receipts, and POS, process returns, and trace each unit after the sale.

What Serialization Means

Serialization means that each physical unit of an item has its own unique serial number. Instead of tracking only the total quantity of an item, QBM can track exactly which unit was purchased, sold, returned, damaged, adjusted, or transferred.

Simple rule: one serial number represents one physical unit. If the document line quantity is 3, QBM expects 3 serial numbers for that line.
Tracking Type Meaning Example
Normal item QBM tracks only the item quantity. Office paper, cables, stationery.
Serial item QBM tracks each individual unit by serial number. Laptops, phones, printers, appliances, machines.
Lot item QBM tracks batches of the same item by lot number and quantity. Medicine, food batches, chemicals, dated stock.

Where to find it

Path: Inventory > Item List, then open the item and use serial number settings; transaction lines also open serial selection when required.

Use this path from the main QBM window. If the command is not visible, confirm that the user has access to the related module and permission for that screen.

When To Use Serial Numbers

Use serial tracking when the business must identify each unit after purchase or sale. Serialization is useful when customers may ask which exact unit they bought, when warranty follow-up is required, or when the item has a manufacturer serial number printed on it.

Use Serial Tracking When Do Not Use It When
The item has a unique serial number from the supplier or manufacturer. The item is sold in bulk and individual units do not need separate identity.
Warranty, service, replacement, or return history must be traced by unit. The business only needs total stock quantity.
Support needs to confirm which unit was sold on a specific invoice or POS receipt. The item is better managed as a batch or expiry item. Use product lots instead.

Before You Start

Serial features appear only when the company, edition, and user security allow item tracking and serial numbers.

Check What To Confirm
Company inventory options Serial numbers must be enabled in inventory options.
Edition The QBM edition must include item tracking.
User security The user must have permission to open item details, serial lists, sales documents, or POS as needed.
Item setup The item must be saved with Track set to Serial.
If the serial menus or tabs are missing, first confirm that serials are enabled, then check the user's security group and the item tracking setting.

Create A Serial Item

Serial tracking starts from the item record. Existing normal items should be reviewed carefully before changing their tracking type, especially if they already have stock movement.

  1. Open the item list and create a new item, or open the item that should be tracked by serial number.
  2. On the General tab, enter the item name, code, UPC/SKU, lookup code, unit, and the normal sales or purchase information required by your company.
  3. In the item tracking area, set Track to Serial.
  4. If warranty tracking is used, enter the warranty period in the warranty days field.
  5. Save the item. After saving, the Serials tab becomes available on the item record.
Important: do not use serial tracking for items that are normally sold by weight, length, loose quantity, or batch. Use normal inventory or product lots instead.

Add Or Generate Serials

Serial numbers can be entered manually, pasted from a supplier list, or generated when the serial format is sequential.

Area What Users Can Do
Serials tab on Item Details Review serials for the selected item, filter by status, and open serial details.
Serial collector Add serials one by one, paste multiple serials, remove selected serials, clear the list, or generate serials from a start value and quantity.
Expiry date Enter an expiry date when the serial number also needs a dated validity or expiry record.
Warrantor Record the party responsible for warranty or support, if your company uses this field.
Custom fields Use the serial custom fields when your company has defined additional serial information in preferences.
Good practice: enter serial numbers exactly as printed by the supplier or manufacturer. Extra spaces, missing characters, or different punctuation can make searching and warranty follow-up harder.

Use Serials On Sales Documents

Serial numbers are selected from the document line. QBM checks that the number of selected serials matches the item quantity before saving.

  1. Create or open a Customer Invoice or Sales Receipt.
  2. Add the serial-tracked item to the document line.
  3. Set the quantity being sold.
  4. Open the line menu or right-click the line and choose Serials....
  5. Select the available serial numbers for that sale, then choose OK.
  6. Save the document. QBM records the selected serials as sold against that document.
Sales Area Serial Behavior
Customer Invoice Serials must match the line quantity. The invoice can also print serial details when Print Serials is selected.
Sales Receipt Serials must match the line quantity. The receipt can also print serial details when Print Serials is selected.
Duplicate protection QBM prevents the same serial from being selected twice for the same item on the same document.

Use Serials In POS

POS follows the same business rule as invoices and sales receipts: a serial-tracked item must have the correct number of serial numbers before the receipt is completed.

  1. Add or scan the serial-tracked item in POS.
  2. Open the line menu for the item and choose Serials....
  3. Select the serial numbers being sold.
  4. Confirm the selection. If the selected serial count changes the line quantity, review the quantity before completing the sale.
  5. Complete the POS sale. QBM records the serials against the POS receipt.
If the cashier scans a serial number and QBM can identify it as valid for the item, POS can attach that serial to the sale automatically. If the serial cannot be matched, select it manually from the serial screen.

Returns And Refunds

When a customer returns a serial-tracked item, QBM needs to know which exact unit is coming back. This protects the stock record and keeps warranty or service history correct.

  1. Create the refund, return, or credit document according to your normal workflow.
  2. Add the serial-tracked item being returned.
  3. Open Serials... from the line menu.
  4. Select the sold serial number that is being returned.
  5. Save the document. QBM records the serial as returned through the sales return workflow.
If the serial does not appear for return, confirm that the item is the correct item and that the serial was previously sold.

Review And Trace Serials

Use serial review screens and reports when support, warehouse, or management need to trace a specific unit.

Screen Or Report Use It To
Serials tab on Item Details Review serials for one item and filter by status.
Inventory > Serials Open the general serial list and search across serial numbers.
Serial Numbers Info Search for a serial number and review its current status and related item.
Serials History / Serials Ledger Review serial movement and transaction history for audit or support follow-up.

Important Fields

Field Meaning For Users
Serial The unique number for one physical unit.
Status Shows where the serial currently is, such as available, sold, returned, damaged, adjusted, or related to a purchase or refund.
Expiration Date An optional date connected to the serial number when the unit has a validity or expiry date.
Date Changed The last date the serial record or status changed.
Item The item connected to the serial number.
Warrantor The party responsible for warranty or service, if used by the company.
Custom 1 to Custom 5 Optional fields that can be named by the company for extra serial information.

Troubleshooting

Message Or Issue What It Usually Means What To Do
The serial menu is missing. Serials may not be enabled, the edition may not include item tracking, or the user may not have permission. Check inventory options, edition, and security group permissions.
The Serials tab is missing on the item. The item may not be saved yet, or Track is not set to Serial. Save the item, then confirm the Track field is set to Serial.
QBM says the correct number of serials is not specified. The number of selected serials does not match the line quantity. Open Serials... and select exactly one serial per unit.
A serial cannot be selected for sale. The serial may not be available for sale, may belong to another item, or may already be selected on the same document. Search the serial list and confirm its item and status.
A returned serial does not appear. The return workflow normally expects a serial that was previously sold. Confirm the original sale and select the correct item and serial.

Best Practices

  • Use serial tracking only when the business truly needs unit-level traceability.
  • Enter serial numbers exactly as received from the supplier or manufacturer.
  • Do not reuse the same serial number for different physical units of the same item.
  • Train cashiers to select serials before completing POS receipts.
  • Use serial reports when handling warranty, returns, or customer support questions.
  • Keep serial custom fields consistent if your company uses them for warranty, model, color, location, or service notes.