You use serial numbers to keep track of serviceable materials during repairs processing.

To be able to maintain serial numbers for a serviceable material in a repair order, you must define a serial number profile in the material master record for the serviceable material. You can use dummy material master records for serviceable materials that do not have a material master record in your system (for example, products from another manufacturer).

If you want the system to check that serial numbers have been maintained for the serviceable materials when you save the repair order, you must include the serial number field (VBAP-ANZSN) in the incompletion procedure for the relevant item category.

When you receive the serviceable materials from the customer, you record the serial numbers in the returns delivery item. They are later copied into the repair item.

After performing the technical check, the technician reports his findings for each serial number back to the repair order. This means that the correct serial numbers are assigned to the actions that are created as a result of the technical check.

When the technician completes a service order for a repair item, he also reports back the serial numbers of the items he has repaired.