Serial numbers

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Introduction

Serial numbers are a key feature in Odoo for identifying and tracking individual units of a product. This feature is especially useful in managing product traceability across the supply chain—from manufacturing to delivery, including support and recalls.

What is a Serial Number?

 

A serial number is a unique identifier assigned to an individual product, making it distinguishable from others in the same product line. It can include numbers, letters, or a mix of both.

 

Use case: Serial numbers are commonly used for warranty claims, recall processes, product registrations, and service tracking.

Enabling Serial Numbers in Odoo 18

 

To start using serial numbers, you must enable the Lots & Serial Numbers feature and configure relevant operation types.

 

1) Enable Traceability in Settings

  • Navigate to: Inventory app → Configuration → Settings
  • Under Traceability, enable Lots & Serial Numbers
  • Click Save

2) Enable Serial Numbers by Operation Type

  • Go to: Inventory → Configuration → Operation Types
  • Select an operation (e.g., Receipts, Delivery Orders, or Manufacturing)
  • In the Lots/Serial Numbers section, select:
    • Create New (to assign new serials on receipts)
    • Use Existing (to restrict to predefined serials)

 

Configure Products for Serial Tracking

 

Once the feature is enabled, serial tracking can be set up for individual products:

  • Go to: Inventory → Products → Products
  • Select a product
  • Under the Inventory tab, enable Track Inventory
  • Set tracking to By Unique Serial Number
  • Click Save

 

Assigning Serial Numbers

 

You can assign serial numbers in several workflows:

 

1) For Products Already in Stock

  • Go to: Inventory → Products → Lots/Serial Numbers
  • Click New
  • Assign the product and edit the generated serial number if needed
  • Optionally fill in Internal Reference, On Hand Quantity, and Company
  • Click Save

Tip: Use the Internal Reference field for SKUs or additional traceability codes.

 

2) During Stock Receipts or Deliveries

  • Navigate to: Inventory → Operations → Receipts or Deliveries
  • Open a record and click the (list) icon next to a product line
  • Use the Open: Stock Move pop-up to:
    • Add a line manually
    • Generate Serials/Lots by pattern and quantity
    • Import Serials/Lots from clipboard or file

Generate Serials/Lots

  • Set the First SN and Number of SN
  • Check or uncheck Keep Current Lines
  • Click Generate

Import Serials/Lots

  • Paste one serial number per line
  • Optionally keep or overwrite existing lines
  • Click Generate

Viewing and Printing Serial Numbers

 

1) View on Delivery Orders

  • Go to: Inventory → Operations → Delivery Orders
  • Open a delivery
  • In the Operations tab, click the ⚙️ icon and enable Serial Numbers column

2) Print on Delivery Slips

  • Enable from: Inventory → Settings → Traceability
    • Check Display Lots & Serial Numbers on Delivery Slips
    • Click Save
  • After validating a delivery:
    • Click Actions → Print → Delivery Slip
    • Serial numbers will appear next to products

Traceability & Reporting

 

1) Lots/Serial Numbers Dashboard

  • Go to: Inventory → Products → Lots/Serial Numbers
  • View all lots/serials for each product
  • Click the 🔽 icon to expand and view quantities

2) Custom Grouping & Filters

  • Clear filters, then:
    • Click the ⚙️ dropdown → Add Custom Group
    • Select Lot/Serial Number → Apply

Click a serial number line to access its form with Location and Traceability buttons.

 

Accessing Detailed Operations

  • Open any receipt or delivery order
  • Click the Moves smart button
  • Enter or select serial numbers in the Lot/Serial Number column
  • Click Save to apply changes

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