Serial number tracking, one unit at a time
Some products must be followed as individual units: a phone, a power tool, anything under warranty. NextStock records each serial at receiving, requires one scan per unit at picking, and ships the order with those serials attached. If the concept is new, start with our definition of serial number tracking.
Highlights
Serials captured at receiving
Scan, type or parse serials from GS1 barcodes. A serial that is already in stock can't be received a second time.
One scan per unit picked
For serial-tracked SKUs, a pick can't be confirmed until one serial is scanned for each unit.
Serials travel with the order
Serials are recorded on each movement, so the order shows exactly which units left the building.
Unit-level returns
Returned units are graded one by one, so each serial gets its own disposition.
When you need serial numbers, not just lots
A lot groups many units made together; a serial identifies one unit. Lots answer 'which batch was this?' Serials answer 'is this the exact unit we shipped?' That second question matters for warranty claims, high-value goods and returns, where a customer might send back a different unit from the one they received.
Many operations need both. A phone case can be lot-tracked and a phone serial-tracked in the same warehouse. NextStock handles them side by side; see lot and expiry tracking for the batch side.
How serial capture works at receiving
You mark a SKU as serial-tracked in the catalog. At the dock, receiving then asks for one serial per unit: receive 20 units, scan 20 serials.
- Serials can come from a plain barcode or from GS1 application identifier (21) on a GS1-128 or DataMatrix label
- A serial already in stock is rejected, which catches duplicate labels and double scans
- Serial-tracked units can also carry a lot and sit on a license plate
Picking and shipping serialized stock
Allocation reserves quantity, not specific serials, so any unit in the right bin can fill the order. The serial is captured when the picker scans it. For a serial-tracked SKU, the pick needs one serial scan per unit before it can be confirmed.
At packing, a scanned serial has to belong to the stock picked for that order. When the order ships, the serials go with it, and each unit is marked as shipped rather than in stock.
Returns, recalls and traceability
Because the serial is recorded on each movement, a unit's history is readable: when it arrived, where it was stored, which order it left on. That is what makes warranty checks and fraud checks on returns practical.
Returns management grades returned units individually, so one serial can go back to stock while another goes to damaged. Recalls show exposure by stage and by customer, which narrows a notification list to the people who actually received affected units.
Who serial number tracking is for
Electronics, power tools, appliances, medical devices, auto parts and anything sold with a warranty. Brands use serials to verify warranty claims. 3PLs handle serialized goods for clients who require unit-level records. Distributors of equipment use them to answer dealer questions about specific units.
If your products only carry a batch code, you probably need lots, not serials.
Tips for rolling out serial tracking
Serial tracking adds a scan for every unit, so apply it only where the unit identity matters. Serializing low-value consumables slows picking for no benefit.
- Check that supplier labels carry a scannable serial before switching a SKU on
- Plan for sealed cases: every unit inside still needs its serial scanned when picked
- Bring serialized opening stock in through receiving before go-live, so every serial is scanned
- Test a return end to end before relying on unit-level grading
Built for
Frequently asked questions
Short, direct answers to the questions warehouse teams ask most.
What is the difference between a lot and a serial number?
A lot identifies a group of units produced together, like a batch of serum. A serial identifies one unit, like one phone. Recalls usually work by lot; warranty and returns usually work by serial. A SKU can use both, so each unit carries its own serial and belongs to a lot.
Do I have to scan serials when receiving?
Yes, for SKUs marked serial-tracked. Receiving asks for one serial per unit and rejects any serial already in stock. Serials can be scanned from a plain barcode, typed, or read from a GS1 label that includes application identifier (21). Non-serialized SKUs skip this step entirely.
Does the system reserve specific serials for an order?
No. Allocation reserves a quantity in a location, and the serial is captured when the picker scans the unit. That keeps allocation flexible and makes the serial record reflect the unit that was physically picked, not the one the system guessed.
Can serial tracking work with license plates?
Yes. Serialized units can sit on a license plate such as a pallet or carton, and each serial stays recorded against the stock on it. Picking a serial-tracked SKU still needs one serial scan per unit, whether the pick takes part of a plate or all of it.
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