Serial Numbers

Advanced · 10 min · Inventory

Track individual units by serial number: which serials are in stock, which bill brought each one in and which invoice it went out on.

Open this screen in Stockivio →

Serial Numbers

Screen layout sketch — the screenshot will appear here once it is added.

Why and when you use it

For products like pumps, motors, appliances and electronics, customers claim warranty by serial number. If you do not know which serial went to which customer, you cannot check a warranty claim or trace a faulty batch. Serial Numbers ties each unit to its purchase bill and sales invoice. Store keepers and service teams use it most.

Before you start

Add the products in Inventory
Have the list of serial numbers you currently hold in stock

Step by step

Choose products to trackOpen 🔢 Serial Numbers and go to Products to track. Tick the products that need serials and press Save rules.
Add serials already in stockGo to Add / import serials. Under Add serials already in stock (opening stock), choose the Product and Warehouse / branch, and type or scan the Serial numbers (one per line, or scan one after another). Use Fill a range for continuous numbers, then press Add serials.
Import a long listFor many serials, use Import from a CSV file. Download the Sample file, fill it, and press Import.
Add serials on bills and invoicesGo to Bills & invoices. Press Show documents missing serials to see saved purchase bills or invoices without serials, and add or fix them there.
See what is in stockSerials in stock lists every serial you hold. Tick Only tracked products to narrow the list, and use Download CSV to export it.
Match with stockUse Match with stock to compare the number of serials with the stock quantity in Inventory, so you can spot missing or extra serials. Press Refresh after changes.
Find a serialIn Find a serial, type or scan a serial number and press Find to see where it came from and where it went.

Worked example

Patel Engineering Works, Rajkot, makes 1 HP water pumps with serials PEW-1001 onwards. On 1 Nov 2026 it has 25 pumps in stock, PEW-1001 to PEW-1025. In March 2027 a customer brings in pump PEW-1012 under warranty.

Products to track: tick Water Pump 1 HP, Save rules.
Add / import serials: Product Water Pump 1 HP, Warehouse / branch Rajkot factory, Fill a range PEW-1001 to PEW-1025, Add serials.
Match with stock: 25 serials, Inventory stock 25. No difference.
On 15 Nov 2026 an invoice sells 4 pumps; their serials are added in Bills & invoices.
In March 2027, Find a serial: PEW-1012, Find. It shows the invoice dated 15 Nov 2026 and the customer.

Result: The service team confirms the pump is within its warranty period, and Serials in stock shows the 21 pumps still on hand with their exact numbers.

💡 Tips

Scan serials with a barcode scanner instead of typing; one wrong digit makes a serial impossible to find later.
Run Show documents missing serials every week so gaps do not pile up.
Use Match with stock before an audit or stock count.

⚠️ Common mistakes

Saving invoices without serials and forgetting to add them later. Fix them from Bills & invoices.
Adding opening serials for the wrong Warehouse / branch, so Match with stock shows differences at both places.

सवाल

Do I need serials for every product?

No. Track only products where you need to know each unit, usually for warranty or high value. Others work normally.

🎬 Video walkthrough (script — recording coming soon)

Scene 1: The tabs: Find a serial, Bills & invoices, Serials in stock, Match with stock, Products to track, Add / import serials.
Scene 2: Tick the pump in Products to track and Save rules.
Scene 3: Fill a range of opening serials and Add serials.
Scene 4: Show documents missing serials on Bills & invoices.
Scene 5: Match with stock shows no difference.
Scene 6: Find a serial for a warranty claim.