Understanding how serial number scan works

Understanding how serial number scan works

For consumer electronics companies and other retailers that require a record of which product was sent to which customer, a unique identification code or a serial number needs to be associated with every product.

Eshopbox offers serial number scanning, at the unit level while packing an order or receiving a return. This facilitates various business processes like product activation, recalls, quality control measurements on different production batches, warranty claims, repairs and more.

Which items can have a serial number

  • Electronic items like mobile phones, laptops, TV, etc.

  • Consumer appliances like refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, etc.

  • Automobile vehicles like cars and motorcycles.

In this article, you will learn:

  • How to enable serial number scan?

  • How to locate items using the serial number?

  • How to use the serial number to restock returns?

Enabling serial number scan

To enable serial number scan for an individual product,

  • Navigate to All Products and click on Create. Select requires serial scan in the Describe step. Learn here how to create a product on the Eshopbox workspace.

  • To enable serial number scan for products in bulk, navigate to All Products and click on Import. In the CSV file enter Yes under requires serial number column. Learn here how to create products in bulk using the import feature.

When you enable serial number scan for your products, you will be prompted to scan the serial number associated with it at the time of packing the order at your location.

Note: Do not enter any other value like EAN or UPC instead of the serial number while packing the order.

Locating the serial number associated with an order

Once the serial number scan is enabled on your workspace, you can track the products using the serial number. It is important to locate the serial number of an order

  • to check which item was processed against which order

  • for warranty, repairs, or claim purposes.

You can locate the serial number of a product used to fulfil an order on the invoice or by exporting the sales order report.

(a.) Getting the serial number on the invoice: The serial number of a product is mentioned on the invoice when an order is shipped out via Eshopbox shipping.

You can download the invoice from your workspace by following the below-given steps:

  • Navigate to Orders.

  • Search the order for which you want to download the invoice.

  • Click on the download icon present beside the Invoice number.

                                                                                         

In the case of marketplace orders, whether the serial number is to be mentioned on the invoice or not depends on the marketplace.

​Marketplaces that mention the serial number on the invoice

  • Amazon

  • Flipkart

  • Shopify

Marketplaces that do not mention the serial number on the invoice

  • Tata Cliq

  • Myntra

(b.) Getting the serial number via the Sales report: The serial number of the product used to fulfil an order can be checked from the Sales report accessible on the Orders page.

To export this, follow the below-given steps:

  • Navigate to Orders.

  • Click on Export.

  • Select Sales report.

  • Select the fields which you want to export.

  • Click on Export CSV. You can also schedule this report as per your requirement. Learn here how to schedule a report.

The serial number will be present in the exported CSV file.

Using the serial number to restock returns

Based on the serial number of a product, you can manage the product returns at your location. You will be prompted to scan the serial number of the product at the time of receiving the return.

                                                                                                                    

In case you are using an Eshopbox fulfilment location, Eshopbox will mark the return as quarantined or restocked based on the serial number.

                                  

The units will be quarantined if the serial number doesn’t match the one captured during the packing of the order. You can check the return rejection reason on your workspace for a product marked as quarantined. The return rejection reason will be mentioned as Serial number is not matching.

                                                                                                  

Note: You can also use the Serial number as a parameter for Doorstep Quality Check at the time of return pickup to ensure the correct product is being returned.

Limitations of serial number scan feature

As of now, we only support serial number scanning only in case of order processing, shipping, and receiving returns from customers and not at the time of receiving the product at the fulfilment location.