SERIAL NUMBER IN MATERIAL MASTER

Definition: Number which is assigned apart from the material number in SAP MM in order to differentiate
between individual pieces and other material items. The combination of material number and serial number
is unique.
Serialized inventory is the tracking of individual units using unique serial numbers. Serial numbers are
different from SKU numbers. SKU numbers identify a type of product while serial numbers identify one
specific item or a part of an item.

Example: Let us consider mobile phone for this. Each unit of mobile will be having its own serial number.
In this scenario serial number here has uses such as:
1) Check warranty details during mobile service.
2) To check if your mobile is counterfeit.
3) Help in finding your mobile if lost or stolen.

Types of Inventory Management

Inventory Management Plant Storage Location Quantity
Normal TAGS L001 1000
Batch 1 400
Batch Management TAGS L001 1000
Batch 2 600
A1 1
A2 1
Serialized TAGS L001 4
A3 1
A4 1

Configuration Steps:
1. Serial number profile configuration. (OIS2)
2. Assign serial number profile to material master (MM01/MM02) under plant data /
storage location 2 view.
SERIAL NUMBER PROFILE CONFIGURATION
Path: (SPRO → SAP Ref IMG → Materials Management → Purchasing) or OLME → Serial Numbers →
Determine serial number profiles

You can use existing serial number profile or create new and add serializing procedure under that profile as
per business requirement.

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Important Settings in serial number profile configuration
➢ Serial Number Existence Requirement: Indicator that determines whether the serial numbers
entered for a business transaction need to be created first as a master record in the system.
Use:
• If the indicator is set, the serial numbers must be created first as a master record in the system.
• If the indicator is not set, the serial numbers are created during a business transaction.

➢ Equipment category: It is used to categorise your equipment according to broad criteria, such as we
have used it as Electrical equipment, Mechanical equipment, Instrumentation equipment, PRT
(production resources tool), Vehicles, also some category where material serial no. functionality is
used.

➢ Stock Check for Serial Numbers: This indicator states whether the system should perform a stock
check during serial number assignment. If it should, it also establishes with what type of notification
(warning or error) the system reacts in the event of stock inconsistencies with Inventory
Management.

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➢ IUID Compatible and Display UII
 IUID Compatible (Serial Number Profile Compatible with IUID)
Indicates that unique item identifiers (UII) can be created for materials with the relevant serial
number profile.
Dependencies
When you set this indicator, the system checks if the procedure 'MMSL' is assigned to the serial
number profile and if this procedure is set to '03' in the column SerUsage (Serial Number Usage).

 Displaying UII
Indicates that the column for UIIs (unique item identifier) will be displayed in relevant transaction
(for example, production order).

➢ Serializing Procedures
It is a four-digit identification code which describes a serialization procedure. Depending on the
business requirement you can set different scenarios for a serial number profile.

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 SerUsage (Serial number usage)
Indicator that determines for a business transaction, whether
▪ No serial numbers are assigned
▪ Serial numbers can be assigned
▪ Serial numbers must be assigned
▪ Serial numbers are assigned automatically

Dependencies
If the serial numbers are automatically assigned during a transaction, the dialog box for
creating serial numbers is not be displayed.

 EqReq (Equipment Requirement)

Entry that determines whether or not an equipment master record should be created for each
number when assigning serial numbers.

Use
▪ If you choose the indicator "Default: Without Equipment", the user can later decide
when assigning serial numbers in the dialog box, whether an equipment master record
should still be created.
▪ If you choose the indicator "With equipment" this is binding for the user. The indicator
cannot be reset.

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➢ Central Control Parameters for Serial Numbers
Path: (SPRO → SAP Ref IMG → Materials Management → Purchasing) or OLME → Serial Numbers →
Central Control Parameters for Serial Numbers

In this step, you define a central default equipment category for the serial number management.
This equipment category is proposed by the system if the system cannot find an equipment category in
the serial number profile for a serialization operation.

Note: If you create master records for serial numbers manually the system automatically proposes the
default equipment categories defined here. The internal number range of the equipment category you
selected is copied automatically.

 Serial number range (Internal Number Assignment)

Number that determines how documents are to be numbered by the system. It indicates
which number range is relevant for a document type.

The numbers assigned via this setting are irrelevant for actual serial number management,
since you work with serial numbers or material numbers in the application transactions. The
numbers assigned here, however, are keys for the equipment file, as a basic equipment
master record is created in the background for each serial number.

For this reason, the internal number range of the selected equipment category will be
proposed.

SERIAL NUMBER WITH EXAMPLE

Let us assume a scenario in which a charger is procured from a vendor and we want to serialize the charger
stock after we receive it i.e., during Goods receipt. Serial number can be given by us or sometimes vendor
gives us serial numbers.

During material master creation, enter the serial number profile in the plant / storage location view.

Material Number

50098

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Let us assume that purchase order (5500000154) has been sent to vendor (100600). Vendor has received
the PO and he supplies charger in quantity mentioned. Now we do the Goods Receipt when we receive the
material (charger).
Case 1: When SerUsage (Serial number usage) is maintained as 02 optional for goods receipt

When we do goods receipt, even though serial number tab is appearing in MIGO screen. It is not mandatory
to enter and we can do goods receipt without entering serial numbers for material (charger) received.
GR Number: 5000001476
Case 2: When SerUsage (Serial number usage) is maintained as 03 obligatory for goods receipt

Let us create another PO (5500000156) for same the same vendor (100600) for 10 quantities.
When we do goods receipt, serial number tab is appearing in MIGO screen. It is mandatory to enter it and
we can do goods receipt only after entering serial numbers for material (charger) received. If we try to post
without entering the serial number. We will get the below error.

In order to proceed we need to enter the serial numbers for 10 quantities manually as shown below.

GR Number: 5000001477

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Now in order to see the serialised stock go to MMBE, enter material and plant details. Select plant/storage
location/stock quantity and click on environment option at the top. Then click on equipment/serial number.

To check status of material with serial number → IQ03→ enter material (50098) and serial number (A1)

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Click on History

To know what green color represents click on Color Legend

So here green color represents Goods Receipt.

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