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A serial number is a number that is assigned to a product in addition to the product number, to distinguish the individual piece from all other pieces. Serial numbers are relevant for the following applications in SAP Supply Network Collaboration (SAP SNC):

  • Processing of advanced shipping notifications (ASNs)

  • Processing of returns ASNs (RASNs)

  • Packing the products of an ASN or an RASN into handling units (HUs)

Using serial numbers, you can identify the individual products of an ASN item or an RASN item. The serial numbers are unique within an ASN item or an RASN item.

Serial numbers are visible on the SAP SNC Web user interface (Web UI) and are integrated in various XML messages. You can thus integrate serial numbers with the back-end system.

Note Note

Returns processing is only relevant for the business scenarios of service parts management (back-end system SAP Enterprise Core Component with activated service parts management). See also Returns.

End of the note.

Features

XML Messages with Serial Numbers

Serial numbers are integrated at item level and at handling unit (HU) level in the following XML messages:

  • DespatchedDeliveryNotification

  • DeliveryInformation

  • ReturnDeliveryInstructionNotification

Note Note

The XML messages DeliveryInformation and ReturnDeliveryInstructionNotification are only relevant for the business scenarios of service parts management (back-end system SAP Enterprise Core Component with activated service parts management).

End of the note.
Serial Numbers on the Web Screens for ASNs and RASNs

On the Web screens for the ASN and the RASN, you can call up the Serial Numbers screen area that displays serial numbers for the selected items. For an ASN, you can add and delete serial numbers in the Serial Numbers screen area.

To call the serial numbers for an ASN item or an RASN item, you select the item and choose Serial Numbers. Depending on which items you have selected, the Serial Numbers screen area displays the following serial numbers:

  • If you have only selected one item, the serial numbers of this item

  • If you have selected more than one item, the serial numbers of the item selected last

  • If you have deselected one of several selected items, the serial numbers of the selected item that has the lowest item number

Serial Numbers in the RMA Overview and in the RMA Due List

In returns processing, the supplier transfers serial numbers for RMAs from his or her back-end system to SAP SNC in the returns instruction (ReturnDeliveryInstructionNotification). In the RMA overview and in the RMA due list, you can display the serial numbers for an RMA by choosing RMA Details.

Packing with Serial Numbers

In the Serialized field on the packing screen, you can see whether the products of an item have been assigned serial numbers. The packing status of the serial number shows whether you have already packed the product into an HU. For more information, see Packing Screen.

If you manually pack a selected, serialized item into an empty HU using Pack, the system proposes the product with the lowest serial number that has not yet been packed.

During automatic packing, the system automatically packs products with serial numbers in random sequence.

Uniqueness of Serial Numbers

You can use the validation check SERIAL_ID_UNIQUE to ensure that the serial number within an ASN item or RASN item is unique.