Working with batch and serial numbers
Serial numbers identify individual products and have many uses, such as deterring theft and counterfeit products. They are valuable in quality control, as once a defect is found in the production of a particular batch of product, the serial or batch number will identify which units are affected.
Prerequisites
Users will need the Inventory: Products and families permission in order to select or change a costing method.
Validation of unique serial or batch numbers
Cin7 Core does not check or enforce uniqueness of serial or batch numbers, and it is possible to enter duplicate serial numbers into the system. For example, products bought from different suppliers could happen to have been assigned the same serial number due to different supplier numbering systems.
Please be aware that Cin7 Core does not validate the uniqueness of a serial number when carrying out inventory operations such as stock receiving, stock adjustment, stocktake, etc.
Batch costing methods
Costing methods affect the order in which stocks are picked and how the total value of the inventory is calculated in accounting records. Three costing methods allow batch numbers:
FIFO (Batch): Batch numbered stocks are picked according to first in, first out.
FEFO (Batch) Batch numbered stocks are picked according to first expired, first out. It is mandatory to specify an expiry date for a product with this costing method.
Special (Batch) Batch numbered stocks are picked according to first in, first out, but no order is enforced. You can change the batch to another batch during picking.
The costing method is selected during product creation. Products must have a batch costing method assigned to enable entering batch numbers when receiving stock or picking stock.
Batch costing methods can be changed to other batch costing methods or FIFO, but cannot be changed to a serialized costing method. To do this, you must create a new SKU with a serialized costing method.
Serialized costing methods
Costing methods affect the order in which stocks are picked and how the total value of the inventory is calculated in accounting records. Three costing methods allow serial numbers:
FIFO (Serial) Serially numbered stocks are picked according to first in, first out.
FEFO (Serial) Serially numbered stocks are picked according to first expired, first out. It is mandatory to specify an expiry date for a product with this costing method.
Special (Serial): Serially numbered stocks are picked according to user selection, no order is enforced.
The costing method is selected during product creation. Products must have a serialized costing method assigned to enable entering serial numbers when receiving stock or picking stock.
Serialized costing methods can be changed to another serialized costing method, e.g. FIFO (Serial) to Special (Serial). However, non-serialized costing methods cannot be changed to a serialized costing method.
Receive a purchase with serial or batch numbers
Serial or batch numbers are input for purchased stock during the Stock received step. Each serial or batch number must be entered individually before authorizing the stock received. The system does not allow duplicate serial numbers to be entered in one stock receiving action.
Serial numbers can also be entered when using the WMS app for receiving purchases. See Serial Numbers and Batch Numbers in Cin7 Core WMS - Receiving Inventory.
Pick a sale with serial or batch numbers
During a sale, product serial numbers are shown during the Pick stage.
If the product costing method is FIFO (Serial) or FIFO (Batch), the product units will be picked automatically from your inventory by first in. You cannot select a different numbered product.
If the product costing method is FEFO (Serial) or FEFO (Batch), the product units will be picked automatically from your inventory by first expire. You cannot select a different numbered product.
If the product's costing method is Special (Serial) or Special (Batch), the serial-numbered or batch-numbered product units will be picked automatically from your inventory according to first in. Clicking the serial number field will allow you to select a different numbered unit from available stock.
Serial numbers can also be entered when using the WMS app for picking sales. See Serial Numbers and Batch Numbers in Cin7 Core WMS - Picking Inventory.
Manufacturing with serial numbers
Assembled products (products with an assembly BOM made using an assembly order) are automatically assigned a serial number by the system. You cannot manually assign a serial number to an assembled product.
Production finished goods (products with a production BOM made using a production order) can be manually assigned a serial number.
Serial numbered products can be added as components to both assembly and production bill of materials.
During assembly or production, product serial numbers are shown during the Pick stage.
If the product costing method is FIFO (Serial) or FEFO (Serial), the serial-numbered product units will be picked automatically from your inventory by first in or first expire. In this case it will not be possible to select a different serial-numbered product.
If the product's costing method is Special (Serial), the serial-numbered product units will be picked automatically from your inventory according to first in. Clicking the serial number field will allow you to select a different serial-numbered unit from available stock.
Assign serial numbers to manufactured products
Serial numbers can be assigned to a manufactured product during a production run. If you do not input a serial number for the manufactured product, Cin7 Core will generate one automatically. The product being manufactured must have a serialized costing method.
See Managing production orders for detailed information on carrying out production orders in Cin7 Core. Production orders require an Advanced Manufacturing module subscription.
Assign serial numbers to a product from the Output tab of a production run. This is possible at any point after a production order is released and a production run is created, until the finished product is put away. Serial numbers cannot be edited after an output product has been sold, transferred, or adjusted.