Inventory of warranty goods by serial numbers

Inventory of products by serial numbers in Torgsoft: how to find and correct a mix-up

When selling electronics, household appliances, tools, and other equipment, it is not enough to control only the total quantity of products. You need to know exactly which device was received, where it is stored, who it was sold to, and whether its warranty is still valid.

For this type of accounting, Torgsoft offers the additional option «Warranty product accounting by serial numbers». It allows you to record the serial number or IMEI of each unit in goods receipt, sales, internal transfer, write-off, return, and supplier return documents.

During inventory, the program checks not only the quantity of products but also whether specific serial numbers match the actual stock. This helps identify situations where one serial number was specified in the sales document, while a different device was actually given to the customer.

How strict warranty accounting works

After activating the option, open Inventory Management → Product Type, select the required type, and choose one of the following modes in the «Accounting by serial numbers» field:

• Maintain warranty accounting — serial numbers can be registered, but the program does not apply strict checks during product movement;

• Maintain strict warranty accounting — a serial number is mandatory for every unit, and the program controls its movement;

• Without serial numbers — the warranty period is recorded, but serial numbers are not entered during product movement.

With strict warranty accounting, Torgsoft will not allow you to:

• receive a serial number that is already recorded in stock;

• specify fewer serial numbers than the number of product units in a goods receipt;

• sell a product with a serial number that is not available in the selected warehouse;

• accept a return from a customer with a serial number that is already recorded in warehouse stock.

This refers specifically to the serial number status in the warehouse. For example, if a product was previously returned to the supplier, the same serial number can be received again. Warranty product accounting by serial numbers.

How to perform inventory by serial numbers

For warranty products, a separate inventory statement must be created:

1. Open the inventory statement creation mode.

2. In the «Category» field, select «By serial numbers».

3. Add the products that need to be checked to the statement.

4. In the «Serial number» field, scan or enter the serial numbers of all units that are physically available in the warehouse.

  5.  After completing the count, check the serial numbers with shortages and surpluses.

In this type of inventory, each unit is identified by its own serial number. The same total quantity of products does not necessarily mean that the accounting is correct: the warehouse may physically contain devices different from those recorded in the program. Inventory by serial numbers

What to do if a serial number is not available in the warehouse in the program

First, determine which situation applies.

If the serial number is registered in the database but is not recorded in the current warehouse, it may have been:

• sold;

• transferred to another accounting center;

• returned to the supplier;

• written off;

• incorrectly specified in another outgoing document.

You can check the serial number movement through Warehouse → Warranty Accounting or by using the «Serial Number History» action in the inventory statement.

If the serial number is completely absent from Torgsoft history, check whether it was scanned correctly and review the receipt documents. Such a serial number should not be received through a regular inventory receipt without first determining its origin: the corresponding goods receipt document must first be found or corrected.

How a serial number mix-up occurs

A typical cause of a mix-up is when the salesperson specifies one serial number in the sale but physically gives the customer another one.

For example, before the sale there were two identical devices in stock:

• serial number A;

• serial number B.

The salesperson added serial number A to the sales document but gave the customer device B.

After the sale, the situation is as follows:

The total product quantity may match, but the serial number movement history will be incorrect. This may later cause problems with returns, warranty service, repairs, and determining the cost of a specific unit.

Why Torgsoft does not allow you to close the statement

A regular inventory adjusts the quantity by automatically creating a receipt for surpluses and a write-off for shortages. This method is not acceptable for serial numbers.

If you simply receive serial number A and write off serial number B, the program will lose the correct link between:

• the goods receipt document;

• the specific product unit;

• the sales document;

• the customer;

• the purchase price;

• the warranty period.

Therefore, Torgsoft does not allow the statement to be closed while it still contains unresolved serial number discrepancies.

How to replace a serial number

If the discrepancy was caused by an incorrectly specified serial number in an outgoing document:

1. In the statement, click «Replace Serial Number».

2. The «Replace Serial Number in Case of a Mix-up» window will open.

3. Select the serial number with a surplus and the corresponding serial number with a shortage.

4. Check the movement of both serial numbers in the lower part of the window.

5. Click «Replace Serial Number».

The program will find the latest outgoing document and replace the surplus serial number with the shortage serial number. In the example above, serial number B will be entered in the document instead of serial number A — the device that the customer actually received.

After all mix-up pairs have been corrected, the statement can be closed.

This action should not be used mechanically. If the serial number was transferred, returned to the supplier, or written off, first review its movement history and make sure that the error is actually in the latest outgoing document.

How to remove a serial number that was actually sold but is still recorded in stock

If another serial number of the same product is found at the same time, which is recorded as sold but physically remains in stock, this is a mix-up. It should be corrected using «Replace Serial Number».

If there is no corresponding pair:

1. Review the serial number history.

2. Check sales, internal transfers, write-offs, and supplier returns.

3. Find the missing or incorrect document.

4. Correct the operation that should have reflected the actual movement of the product.

You should not:

• change the product type from strict accounting to regular accounting;

• perform a regular inventory;

• create an arbitrary write-off instead of correcting the sale;

• delete the serial number from warehouse history.

Such actions may correct the quantity but leave the sales and warranty service history incorrect.

Why the program says the serial number is unavailable even though the product is in stock

With strict accounting, Torgsoft checks not the total quantity of a model but the availability of a specific serial number.

For example, there may be five identical phones in stock, but the serial number of the sixth phone has already been sold or transferred. The availability of the other five units does not allow you to sell a serial number that is not available in this warehouse.

Check:

• whether the serial number was scanned correctly;

• whether it belongs to the selected product;

• whether it was previously sold;

• whether it was transferred to another accounting center;

• whether a supplier return or write-off was processed;

• whether the correct warehouse is selected in the program.

The absence of a warranty period may affect warranty documents, but it does not explain a message stating that a specific serial number is unavailable in the warehouse.

A separate logic applies to product kits: a created kit should not use strict warranty accounting. Serial numbers are recorded for its components, while the kit itself should be assigned to a product type without strict accounting. Product assembly

How to process a warranty exchange

For the complete warranty exchange workflow, two options must be activated:

• «Warranty product accounting by serial numbers»;

• «Repair and warranty service».

The operation is performed through Document → Repair:

1. Accept the product from the customer for repair with the specified warranty number.

2. After receiving the conclusion, set the status to «Warranty product cannot be repaired».

3. Click «Product Exchange».

4. Enter the serial number of the new unit that is available in stock.

5. Click «Save».

Torgsoft will automatically create:

• a return of the old product from the customer;

• a return of the old serial number to the supplier;

• a sale of the new serial number to the customer.

No cash movement takes place during such an exchange. Repair and warranty service

How to maintain warranty accounting without serial numbers

If a product has a warranty but the manufacturer does not assign individual serial numbers, select «Without serial numbers» in the product type settings.

For such a product:

• the warranty period is specified in the product card;

• serial numbers are not entered during goods receipt, transfer, or sale;

• warranty card printing can be configured.

This is a separate mode and should not be confused with the «Do not maintain warranty accounting» setting.

How to print labels with serial numbers

Open Warehouse → Warranty Accounting → Warranty Product Stock, select the required items, and click «Print Labels».

You can print the serial number barcode on the label so that it can later be scanned during sales, transfers, returns, or inventory. Printing labels with serial numbers

Which licenses support the option

The «Warranty product accounting by serial numbers» option is compatible with the following licenses:

• Torgsoft Start;

• Torgsoft Ultra;

• Torgsoft Terminal.

Before purchasing, the «Warranty product accounting by serial numbers» option can be activated free of charge for 30 days so you can test its features in practice.