Allocate batch and serial numbers
Serial and batch numbers are inventory dimensions. Therefore, only assign them to items that have tracking dimension groups where these dimensions are active. You can assign serial or batch numbers manually or automatically, depending on whether the item has a serial number that you can scan into Supply Chain Management or whether the system should assign the serial number based on a serial number group.
Scenario
A company manufactures bicycles by welding aluminum tubes into bicycle frames. They receive aluminum tubes from a supplier who casts the tubes in batches. Each delivery of tubes to the bicycle manufacturer is marked with the supplier's batch number. The bicycle manufacturer creates a bicycle frame and wants to track each frame as it moves through the manufacturing and assembly process. To track the parts, the company completes the following tasks:
Create a number group for aluminum batches that allows for manual allocation of a number.
Enter supplier batch numbers manually in inventory transactions for aluminum tubes.
Create a number group for bicycle frames that disallows manual allocation.
Turn on Supply Chain Management to automatically assign a serial number for each bicycle frame inventory transaction.