How to Configure Serial No Control in iDempiere

The Serial No Control window in iDempiere defines the rule set used to auto-generate serial numbers for products that require individual tracking.

It is used in Material Management, applying to products with serial number attributes referenced during Sales Orders, Shipments, and Physical Inventory.

This configuration ensures consistent, non-duplicate serial sequences, supporting traceability, warranty tracking, and accurate inventory reporting.

Process Flow Diagram

Business Rules

• Active Serial No Control records are the only ones available for assignment to Attribute Set.
• Current Next automatically increments each time a serial number is generated.
• Increment value sets the gap between two consecutively generated serial numbers.
• Prefix and Suffix values are appended automatically to every generated serial number.
• Start No applies only to the first serial number issued under the sequence.
• Exclude tab entries prevent this rule from applying to selected tables or transactions.
• Organization scope determines which business unit can use this Serial No Control record.

Prerequisites

• Organization configured.
• Product or Product Category requiring serial number tracking identified.
• Role and window access rights configured for Serial No Control.
• Sales Transaction document types identified, if exclusion rules are needed.

Navigation

Opening this window displays the Serial No Control header with Name, Start No, Current Next, Increment, Prefix, and Suffix fields, along with an Exclude tab for restricting the rule from specific tables or Sales Transactions.

Configuration Steps

Step 1: Define the Serial No Control Header

This step identifies the serial numbering rule so it can be selected later from products or related transactions.

Enter a unique Name and optional Description. Keep the Active checkbox enabled so the record is available for selection during transaction entry.

Field	Sample Value	Description
Name	SN-WARRANTY-01	Unique identifier for this serial numbering rule
Description	Warranty item serial rule	Optional explanatory text
Active	Checked	Controls whether the rule is available for use

Step 2: Set the Starting Sequence Values

The starting values determine where the serial number sequence begins and where the next number will be issued from.

Enter Start No as the first serial number in the sequence. Current Next initializes to the same value and updates automatically after each number is issued.

Field	Sample Value	Description
Start No	100	First serial number in the sequence
Current Next	100	Next serial number to be issued; auto-updates

Step 3: Configure Increment and Formatting

Increment controls sequence spacing, while Prefix and Suffix format the serial number for readability or classification.

Set Increment to the desired step value. Enter Prefix or Suffix text if the serial number must include fixed identifiers, such as a location or product code.

Field	Sample Value	Description
Increment	1	Value added to Current Next after each serial number is issued
Prefix	SN-	Fixed text added before the generated number
Suffix	-CDC	Fixed text added after the generated number

Step 4: Exclude Specific Tables or Transactions

The Exclude tab restricts this Serial No Control rule from applying to selected tables or Sales Transaction document types.

Open the Exclude tab, add a new line, select the Table to exclude, and enable Sales Transaction if the exclusion applies only to sales documents.

Field	Sample Value	Description
Organization	CDC	Organization scope for the exclusion rule
Table	M_InOutLine	Table excluded from this serial number rule
Sales Transaction	Checked	Limits exclusion to sales-side transactions

Common Issues and Resolutions

Issue	Cause	Resolution
Serial number not incrementing	Increment value left at 0	Set Increment to 1 or the required step value
Duplicate serial numbers generated	Start No overlaps existing issued numbers	Set Start No higher than the last issued serial number
Serial No Control not available for selection	Record is not Active	Enable the Active checkbox and save
Prefix or Suffix missing on generated numbers	Fields left blank during setup	Enter the required Prefix or Suffix values
Rule applies to unintended Organization	Record created under the wrong Organization	Recreate the record under the correct Organization or use Global (*)
Exclude rule not taking effect	Table or Sales Transaction not set correctly	Verify the correct Table is selected and the flag is enabled
Users cannot access the window	Role lacks window or table access	Grant Serial No Control window access to the required Role

Next Steps

• Configure the Product window to link products to this Serial No Control record.
• Verify Attribute Set Instance setup for products requiring serial tracking.
• Test serial number generation through a Sales Order or Shipment transaction.