Odoo ERP · Inventory
Odoo for High-Value Goods Tracked by Serial Number
· Updated · 2 min read
A high-value unit that is only a quantity will be sold twice or lost once. If you already identify the piece — a serial, a tag, a certificate — Odoo should identify it the same way.
Serial on the units that justify it
Turn serial tracking on for the product you must trace to a customer. Leave consumables and packaging as quantities. Serialising the whole catalogue makes every receipt a data-entry project and the counter will stop doing it.
Each serial lives in one location. The invoice that sells it should be the document that moves it. A side register of certificates that is not the stock move will drift within a month.
Receiving is the control
The serial is captured when the unit arrives, not when a customer asks for a receipt. A purchase receipt without the serial is how the expensive piece becomes anonymous. Cycle counts then check serials, not just a total. See cycle counting.
A POS sale of a serialised item has to select the piece. That is a short extra step and it is the point. The retail setup is in POS for retail.
Start with one category
One high-value category, received and sold with serials, is often a 4–8 week or 2–4 month scope. The whole store on day one is not. India implementation typically costs ₹2–15 lakhs for the project this sits inside.
Bring the way you tag a piece today to a free audit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can two shops hold the same serial?+
No. A serial is in one place. Transfer it. Do not copy it.
What about a certificate or hallmark number?+
Store it on the serial if that is how you already identify the piece. Do not keep a second list that can disagree.
Do repairs create a new serial?+
Usually no. A repair is a document on the same serial. A new serial is for a new piece.