Writing off spare parts with serial numbers in the "Repair" mode: how to avoid "hanging" of leftovers in the warehouse

For service centers and stores that provide warranty or post-warranty equipment servicing, accurate spare parts accounting is critically important. 

The «Repair» mode in the Torgsoft system allows you to control the entire lifecycle of a service request: from accepting the device to returning it to the customer. However, when expensive spare parts or components subject to strict warranty accounting are used, business owners often encounter accounting discrepancies. 

The answers to these questions lie in the correct configuration and understanding of how materials move through the software.

Why can spare part serial numbers remain «in limbo»?

The problem of serial numbers remaining «in limbo» occurs when a material is written off by quantity, but the system is not told which specific unique serial number was used. As a result, the part is deducted from the total stock, but the specific serial number remains listed in the warehouse as available. This makes further warranty tracking impossible and creates confusion in the records.

To avoid this, the «Repair» mode includes a complete serial number accounting mechanism for materials that are subject to warranty accounting. If a warranty period is specified for the product type (spare part) and serial number accounting is required, the software allows you to accurately record the serial numbers used during the repair.

How to correctly add and write off materials with serial numbers

The logic for writing off materials in the «Repair» mode is closely connected with the «Trade with Invoice Issuance» mode. When a technician adds a spare part to the «Repair Materials» tab, the software automatically creates or updates the invoice for this repair and reserves the item in the warehouse. The item is physically written off from the warehouse when a status corresponding to the completion of the repair is created — at this point, a goods issue note is generated based on the invoice, and the item is permanently deducted from stock.

To ensure that the serial number is correctly written off together with the item, follow this procedure:

To ensure that technicians do not forget to specify part serial numbers, open the settings of the «Repair» mode and enable the «Prompt for a serial number for the repair material» option.

With this option enabled, whenever a new repair material is added or its quantity is increased, the software will automatically open a window for scanning or manually entering the serial number.

If this setting is not enabled, you can enter the serial number manually: on the «Repair Material» tab, select the added spare part and click the «Serial Numbers» button.

The software strictly controls whether the quantity of spare parts matches the number of entered serial numbers. If the technician reduces the quantity of a material used in the repair, the system will prompt them to edit the list of serial numbers and remove the unnecessary ones.

If serial numbers need to be deleted while the spare part itself and its quantity remain unchanged, Torgsoft will display a warning that the quantity of goods does not match the number of entered serial numbers. The software will offer a choice: either retain the current quantity, in which case the serial numbers can be added later, or cancel the action — in this case, the material quantity will be reduced to match the number of serial numbers that remain. If all serial numbers are deleted, the material will be completely removed from the service request.

The problem of different accounting centers: the store accepts the device, while the workshop writes off the parts

Another common question concerns the location from which spare parts are written off. A device is often accepted for repair at one of the stores and then transferred to a service center, which is configured as a separate accounting center in the software. If the settings are incorrect, the technician adds a spare part, and the software attempts to write it off from the store where the device was accepted. As a result, a shortage occurs in the store, creating a negative warehouse balance, while the part remains unused in the service center as surplus stock.

To resolve this problem, Torgsoft allows you to select the accounting center directly for writing off materials.

• The accounting center from which spare parts will be written off can be specified either when the repair request is created by the receiving employee or later, when the technician physically writes off the material.

This function helps ensure that expensive spare parts with serial numbers are written off from the warehouse where they are physically stored and from which the technician actually took them.

Prohibiting write-off cancellation after the work is completed

To maintain financial and warehouse discipline, it is important to remember that after a repair is assigned the completed status and a goods issue note is created, the write-off of repair materials cannot be cancelled. If a user attempts to click the «Write Off Repair Materials» button or cancel the write-off for a repair that has already been closed, the software will display a message stating that there are no materials to write off or that the repair has already been completed, and will prevent the action. This protects the database against manipulation and accidental changes to closed financial documents.

Using the mechanisms described above allows service centers not only to prevent serial numbers from remaining «in limbo», but also to maintain a complete and transparent history for each spare part: from the moment it is received from the supplier until it is installed in a specific customer device.