Getting Started with Serial Number Tracking

What Is Serial Number Tracking?

Serial number tracking assigns a unique identifier to each individual unit of a product. Instead of just tracking that you have 10 laptops in stock, serial tracking lets you track which 10 laptops you have — by their unique serial numbers.

Every unit gets its own record with a full history: when it was received, where it is, who bought it, and whether it has been returned, transferred, or sent for repair.

Who Benefits from Serial Tracking?

Serial number tracking is ideal for businesses that need to follow individual units through their lifecycle:

• Electronics retailers — track laptops, phones, tablets, and other devices by serial number for warranty and return purposes
• Equipment dealers — follow individual machines and tools from purchase through sale and service
• Appliance stores — track refrigerators, washers, and other appliances for delivery confirmation and warranty claims
• Firearms dealers — maintain legally required serial number records for every firearm
• Medical device suppliers — track devices individually for compliance, recall readiness, and audit trails
• Any business that needs to track individual units for warranty, recall, or accountability purposes

How Serial Tracking Differs from Regular Stock Tracking

Regular inventory tracking counts quantity. You know you have 10 units of an item, and when you sell one, the count drops to 9. That is all the detail you get.

Serial number tracking follows each unit individually through its entire lifecycle. You know exactly which units you have, where each one is located, who purchased each one, and the complete history of every individual unit.

The Serial Lifecycle

Every serialized unit follows a lifecycle in AccuArk:

1. Received — The serial enters your system through a purchase order or manual entry
2. In Stock — The serial is available for sale at a specific location
3. Sold — The serial is sold through the POS or an invoice and linked to the customer
4. Returned — If the customer returns the unit, the serial moves back to available stock
5. Transferred — The serial is moved from one location to another
6. Repair — The serial is sent out for warranty service or internal repair

AccuArk records every status change so you always have a complete audit trail for each unit.

Quick Start: Enabling Serial Tracking

To start tracking serials on an inventory item:

1. Open the inventory item in AccuArk
2. Find the Item Settings section on the item form
3. Check the Track Serials checkbox
4. Save the item

Once saved, a Serials tab appears on the item form where you can view and manage all serial numbers for that item.

What Changes When You Enable Serial Tracking

Enabling serial tracking on an item activates several features across AccuArk:

• Serials tab — A new tab appears on the inventory item form showing all serial records
• POS serial capture — When selling the item at the Point of Sale, a dialog prompts the cashier to select or scan the specific serial being sold
• Invoice serial capture — Invoices that include the item require serial numbers to be captured before completion
• Purchase order receiving — When receiving the item on a purchase order, you are prompted to enter serial numbers for each unit received

Serial tracking works alongside your existing quantity tracking. Enabling it does not change how stock counts or reorder points work — it adds an additional layer of individual unit tracking on top of your existing inventory management.