Importing Serial Numbers

Serial Numbers is a Tier 2 (First Week) data type. Use this import to bulk-load serial number records for items that have serial tracking enabled. This is especially useful when you are first setting up serial tracking in AccuArk and need to register a large number of existing serial numbers.

Before You Begin

Items Must Have Track Serials Enabled

Before you can import serial numbers for an item, the item must have the Track Serials option enabled. This setting is found on the item form in AccuArk. If you attempt to import a serial number for an item that does not have serial tracking enabled, that row will fail validation.

To enable serial tracking on an item:

1. Open the item in AccuArk from the Inventory menu
2. Locate the Track Serials checkbox on the item form
3. Check the box and save the item

You can also enable serial tracking during the initial Inventory Items import by including a "Track Serials" column set to "true".

Each Serial Number Must Be Unique

Serial numbers are unique identifiers. AccuArk enforces uniqueness both within the import file and against existing records in the database:

• If two rows in your CSV contain the same serial number, the duplicate row will fail validation
• If a serial number in your CSV already exists in AccuArk, that row will fail validation

This ensures that every serial number in the system is unique and can be traced to exactly one physical unit.

Select a Location

The serial number import is location-aware. Before importing, you select a target location from the dropdown in Step 1. All serial numbers in the file are registered at that location. If you have serial-tracked items at multiple locations, run a separate import for each location.

Step-by-Step Import

1. Open the Data Exchange Center from the Business menu
2. Click Import on the Serial Numbers card
3. Select the Location where the serial numbers should be registered
4. Click Browse and select your CSV file
5. Click Next to proceed to column mapping
6. Ensure the following required fields are mapped:
   • Serial Number — the unique serial number for each unit
   • Item SKU or Item Name — the item this serial number belongs to
7. Optionally map the Status field (defaults to "Available" if not mapped)
8. Click Next to validate
9. Review the validation results carefully — check for duplicate serial numbers and items without serial tracking enabled
10. Click Import to create the serial number records
11. Review the summary when complete

Available Fields

* At least one of Item SKU or Item Name must be provided for each row.

How the Import Works

Unlike some other imports, the serial number import always inserts new records. It does not support upsert (update-or-insert) behavior. This is because serial numbers are unique identifiers — each one represents a distinct physical unit, and updating an existing serial record through import could cause tracking errors.

For each valid row in the CSV, AccuArk:

1. Verifies the serial number does not already exist in the database
2. Looks up the item by SKU (first) or by name (fallback)
3. Verifies the item has Track Serials enabled
4. Creates a new serial number record at the selected location
5. Logs a serial event entry recording the creation of the serial record

The serial record is assigned the status you provide in the Status column, or "Available" if no status is specified.

Serial Number Status Values

The Status field accepts text values that correspond to the serial statuses configured in your AccuArk system. The most common statuses are:

• Available — The unit is in stock and available for sale or assignment
• Sold — The unit has been sold to a customer
• In Repair — The unit is currently being serviced or repaired
• Retired — The unit has been permanently removed from service

If the status value you provide does not match any configured status, the import defaults to "Available".

Common Issues

"Duplicate serial number" Error

The serial number already exists either in the import file (another row has the same value) or in the AccuArk database. Every serial number must be unique. Check your CSV for duplicate entries and verify the serial does not already exist in the system.

"Item does not have serial tracking enabled" Error

The item referenced by the row does not have the Track Serials option enabled. Open the item in AccuArk, enable the Track Serials checkbox, and save. Then try the import again.

"Item not found" Error

The SKU or item name in your CSV does not match any existing inventory item. Verify the item exists and check for typos in the SKU or name.

Tips

• Enable serial tracking first — Before importing serial numbers, make sure all items that need serial tracking have the Track Serials checkbox enabled on their item form.
• Use SKU for reliability — Always include the item SKU in your CSV. SKUs are more precise than item names and reduce the chance of lookup failures.
• One location at a time — If you have serialized items at multiple locations, prepare a separate CSV for each location and run the import once per location.
• Verify after import — After importing, open a few items and check their serial number list to confirm the records were created correctly.
• Plan for large imports — If you have thousands of serial numbers to import, consider splitting them into smaller files (a few hundred rows each) to make validation review more manageable.