Serial numbers
A serial number identifies one individual unit. Where a lot tracks a batch, a serial number tracks a single item through its whole life.
Turning it on
Serial tracking is per part. Open the part, go to Settings, and switch on Enable serial number.
Once it is on, the screens that move stock change: assign and relocate ask you to pick the exact units rather than typing a quantity.
What a serial number records
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Serial number | The identifier for this unit |
| Status | Where the unit stands |
| Location | Where this particular unit sits |
| Last maintenance | When it was last serviced |
| Condition | What state it is in |
| Usage hours | How long it has been in service |
| Custom | Whether the number was entered by hand rather than generated |
Maintenance, condition and usage hours are what make serial tracking worth the effort for tooling and equipment: the unit carries its own history rather than being one of a pile.
Moving serialised stock
Because each unit is identified, quantity stops being something you type. In the assign and relocate dialogs you pick serial numbers from a list, and the quantity follows from how many you picked.
This is a feature, not friction
It means the system always knows which physical unit went where. The trade is that moving fifty serialised units takes longer than moving fifty loose ones, which is why serial tracking suits high value items rather than fasteners.
Custom numbers
A serial number is either generated by Partix or typed in by hand. The Custom column tells you which of the two it was.
That matters when a supplier has already labelled the units. You record their numbers instead of issuing your own, and this column is how you tell those apart later.
When numbers and stock disagree
If the serial numbers recorded do not match the stock figures, the Location tab offers Sync Serial Numbers to Stock. See Syncing serial numbers.