Setting Up Serial and Batch Management

Setting Up Serial and Batch Management

Introduction

Effective inventory management requires precise tracking of items, especially when dealing with high-value goods or perishable products. Serial and Batch Management in iVendNext allows businesses to track individual units (serial numbers) or groups of items (batch numbers) with ease. However, to leverage these features, proper setup is essential. This article provides a step-by-step guide to setting up Serial and Batch Management in iVendNext, ensuring that your inventory tracking is accurate and efficient.



Prerequisites for Enabling Serial and Batch Management

Before diving into the setup process, there are a few prerequisites that need to be in place:


  1. Item Creation:


  • Ensure that the items you want to track using serial or batch numbers are already created in the system. Items must exist in the Item Master before you can enable serial or batch tracking for them.


  1. Stock Settings Configuration:


  • Verify that the necessary settings for serial and batch management are enabled in the Stock Settings module. This includes enabling options like Allow Negative Stock (if applicable) and configuring valuation methods.


  1. User Permissions:


  • Ensure that the users responsible for managing serial and batch numbers have the appropriate permissions to access and modify these settings.



Step 1: Configuring Items for Serial and Batch Tracking

The first step in setting up Serial and Batch Management is configuring the items in the Item Master. Here’s how to do it:


1.1 Enabling Serial Number Tracking

  1. Navigate to Home > Stock > Items to access the Item Master.


  1. Select the item you want to enable for serial number tracking.


  1. In the item details, check the box for Has Serial No.


  1. If you want the system to automatically generate serial numbers, enter a Serial Number Series in the format PB2L.##### (or any custom format). This series will be used to generate unique serial numbers for each unit of the item.


  1. Save the changes.



1.2 Enabling Batch Number Tracking

  1. In the same Item Master, check the box for Has Batch No to enable batch tracking for the item.


  1. If you want the system to automatically create batches during stock transactions, check the box for Automatically Create New Batch.


  1. Optionally, you can set a Batch Number Series to define the format for batch numbers.


  1. Save the changes.



Step 2: Setting Up Serial and Batch Bundles

Serial and Batch Bundles are used to link multiple serial or batch numbers to a single stock transaction. This feature ensures that all relevant serial or batch numbers are tracked accurately during stock movements.


2.1 Auto Creation of Serial and Batch Bundles

  • For Inward Entries (e.g., Purchase Receipts or Stock Entries of type Material Receipt):


  • Ensure that the Serial Number Series and Batch Number Series are set in the Item Master.

  • When creating a Purchase Receipt or Stock Entry, the system will automatically generate the Serial and Batch Bundle upon submission.


  • For Outward Entries (e.g., Delivery Notes or Stock Entries of type Material Issue):


  • Enable the Auto Create Serial and Batch Bundle For Outward option in the Stock Settings.

  • The system will automatically create the bundle based on the selected method (FIFO, LIFO, or Expiry).


2.2 Manual Creation of Serial and Batch Bundles

  • If you prefer to create bundles manually, ensure that the serial or batch numbers already exist in the system.

  • Use the Serial and Batch Selector to pick the relevant serial or batch numbers for the bundle.

  • Link the bundle to the stock transaction during creation.



Step 3: Configuring Stock Settings for Serial and Batch Management

To ensure smooth operation, certain settings in the Stock Settings module need to be configured:


  1. Valuation Method:


  • Choose between FIFO (First In, First Out) or Moving Average as the valuation method for items. This setting impacts how the cost of serialized or batched items is calculated.


  1. Serial and Batch Selector:


  • If you want to disable the popup selector for serial and batch numbers, enable the Disable Serial No And Batch Selector option in the Stock Settings.


  1. Update Serial/Batch on Auto Bundle Creation:


  • To automatically update serial or batch numbers in the transaction fields when a bundle is created, disable the Do Not Update Serial / Batch on Creation of Auto Bundle option.



Step 4: Managing Serial and Batch Numbers in Stock Transactions

Once the setup is complete, you can start using serial and batch numbers in your stock transactions. Here’s how:


4.1 Purchase Receipts

  • When receiving goods, enter the serial or batch numbers in the Serial Nos or Batch No fields.

  • If the item is configured for auto-creation, the system will generate the serial or batch numbers automatically.


4.2 Delivery Notes

  • During sales, assign the relevant serial or batch numbers to ensure that the correct items are delivered to customers.

  • The system will update the status of the serial numbers to Delivered once the transaction is completed.


4.3 Stock Entries

  • For internal stock movements, such as transfers between warehouses, include the serial or batch numbers to maintain accurate tracking.



Step 5: Testing and Validation

After setting up Serial and Batch Management, it’s important to test the system to ensure everything is working as expected:


  1. Create Test Transactions:


  • Perform a few test transactions, such as Purchase Receipts and Delivery Notes, to verify that serial and batch numbers are being tracked correctly.


  1. Check Reports:


  • Generate the Serial No Ledger and Batch-wise Stock Balance reports to validate the accuracy of the data.


  1. Review Status Updates:


  • Ensure that the status of serial numbers (e.g., Available, Delivered) and batch numbers (e.g., Expired) is updating correctly.



Conclusion

Setting up Serial and Batch Management in iVendNext is a straightforward process, but it requires careful configuration of items, stock settings, and transaction workflows. By following the steps outlined in this article, businesses can ensure that their inventory tracking is accurate, compliant, and efficient. Whether you are managing serialized items like electronics or batched items like pharmaceuticals, iVendNext provides the tools you need to stay in control of your inventory.



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