Serial numbers

Certain items such as machines, weapons, cars, televisions, etc. bear a unique identifier, the so-called serial number —or nominal number of the numbering is not serial. Serial numbers allow for detailed item tracing throughout the lifespan of the item. Typical Point Of Sale software will show you the purchase history, transfers from one storage location to another, sales history and service history. Often, serial numbers are linked to a batch or lot number that can be use to check warranty dates and related units of the same product.

Some types of items require various serial numbers. Mobile phones are an example of such an item: just as any other electronic device they come with a regular serial number supplied by the manufacturer. Furthermore they have an IMEI or ESN number which is used to identify the device on the telephone network. Check carefully whether your EPOS software supports multiple serial numbers if you are dealing with such items.

A good POS system will request the S/N for each item when totalizing a sale and some even present a list with serial numbers on stock to choose from. From that moment on, that serial number is linked to the customer record and maintained in your system for future reference.