Originally published on April 25, 2021
Last updated on March 6, 2026
Barcode serial and batch number scanner | Finale Inventory
If you operate a business in which you are buying and reselling items with serial numbers or lot numbers, you may have looked into barcode scanning as a method of recording shipments or stock takes more efficiently and with less chance of human error. If you searched on the internet for “barcode scanners for serial numbers,” you […]
If you operate a business in which you are buying and reselling items with serial numbers or lot numbers, you may have looked into barcode scanning as a method of recording shipments or stock takes more efficiently and with less chance of human error.
If you searched on the internet for “barcode scanners for serial numbers,” you probably discovered it is easy to buy a barcode scanner but astonishingly difficult to get information about how to use it for keeping track of serial numbers or batch numbers. We’ve encountered the same thing.
As far as we can tell, the reason this information is hard to come by is that for anything other than the simplest of barcode tasks — and this includes serial numbers and batch numbers — most solutions require some custom programming on the scanner itself or some custom adaptation of the inventory management software.
“Out of the box” solutions are not the predominant model in which complex barcode scanning solutions are sold. That means internet quests for information usually end up at consultants and system integrators who have the expertise to program the components and put together a somewhat custom system. If you are looking for an affordable system to buy and deploy on your own, you are left out in the cold.
Additionally, barcode tasks are sometimes difficult because of factors like these:
Outdated operating systems: Many barcoding solutions come with outdated operating systems that impede performance. They may limit your barcoding functionality and make it impossible for you to refine your batch and serial number scanning. Or, they may perform sluggishly, dragging your productivity and efficiency down.
Minimal ability to associate data: Some barcoding systems, for instance, may not be able to pull up the correct stock-keeping unit (SKU) when you scan a related batch number. This scenario can lead to excessive scanning requirements and delays.
Limited flexibility and scalability: Some barcoding solutions perform well under specific, limited circumstances. They perform a fixed set of tasks, for instance, or handle small to medium-sized inventories. These solutions might work well when a business purchases them. As companies grow, however, they may begin to require additional functionalities or expanded capabilities the original system cannot provide.
We’ve tried to solve these problems in Finale Inventory, and we’ve succeeded for a large class of companies. We’ll explain what we’ve done below, and hopefully, you’ll either find our solution applicable or at least end up with a better understanding of the issues.
Intro to Barcode Scanning — Use and Benefits
Barcode scanning services enable your business to enhance many of its processes by using each barcode number as a product finder. Barcode scanning helps you optimize tasks like these:
Receiving orders: Receiving shipments is easy with our user-friendly barcode app. Your employees can use a scanner to scan the barcode on the shipment order and then scan the barcodes on each product, save the data in the scanner and sync the information over Wi-Fi. Automatic notifications alert staff members of incorrect scans and missing items, and you can usually use our scanners as product barcode scanners or batch code scanners depending on what barcodes the products have.
Picking orders: As your employees pick orders, they can use the barcoding system to see exactly which items to select. As they scan each product they pull, the barcode number scanner will automatically update your system’s inventory record.
Performing stock takes: When it’s time to count inventory, you can use scanners and inventory software to make the process run more smoothly. The scanners have separate modes for cycle counts and audit cycle counts that require zero-counting items, and you can use the software’s built-in reporting tools to collect and analyze stock data over time.
Moving stock: When you need to transfer stock, using a barcode number scanner makes the process fast and effortless. You’ll merely scan the shipping location, receiving location and products and then confidently send your shipment on its way.
Fast, scalable and highly adaptable warehouse barcoding solutions offer tremendous benefits for your business. They make your work more efficient, save you money, conserve paper and enable you to train employees more quickly and easily.
How Finale Inventory Can Help
Finale Inventory is particularly useful in the way it streamlines using the different types of identifying numbers and IDs.
The fundamental difference between serial numbers and batch numbers and SKUs or Product IDs is that serial and batch numbers can be different for items of the same kind, whereas Product IDs — and for the most part, SKUs — are the same for items of the same kind. The Product ID identifies what kind of product an item is — serial numbers identify each item individually.
This difference explains why barcode scanning is more complex if you are keeping track of serial or batch numbers. If you receive a shipment of items or you pack or transfer goods, you can’t simply scan the Product ID and type in a quantity because that wouldn’t tell you which items you are receiving, shipping, packing or transferring.
In most cases, the first time you see the specific barcodes of items is when you receive products in a shipment. At that point in time, you need to scan in or select two pieces of information for each item: what kind of product it is — identified by the Product ID — and which product it is, identified by serial number or batch.
In a common scenario, if each item has a single barcode representing the serial number or batch number, then you can scan in that barcode and select the Product ID in the user interface of the inventory management system rather than scanning it. If there’s a second barcode representing the Product ID, you can also scan that. If you receive a box of items of the same type, then you’d select the Product ID only once and scan in each barcode once per item if they are serial numbers.
Or, if they are all from the same batch, you’d scan the batch barcode once for the whole box and simply type in a quantity for the number of items received having that batch. This step is where customization is often required. Now, I’ve rattled through some “common scenario” paths. Finale Inventory has a user interface that works excellently for most companies. If your requirements are similar to these, Finale Inventory’s solution probably has you covered.
The good news is that after you’ve scanned in the serial number or batch numbers of the items received and scanned or selected the associated Product IDs, Finale Inventory remembers the associations in a lookup table. For all subsequent operations like transfers, packing, stock changes or shipping, you only have to scan a single piece of information — the serial number or batch number — and Finale looks up the associated Product ID in the lookup table.
Thus, for all these operations, the barcode scanning process is as simple as scanning each item or entering a quantity for items of the same batch.
The kind of barcode scanner you buy will depend on whether a computer will be nearby or attached to the scanner while doing the operation, or whether you are scanning in batch mode while disconnected from a computer. In most circumstances, Finale Inventory’s general-purpose user interface will accommodate a company’s needs without customization for both kinds of scanners.
In the cases requiring customization, the key to understanding what personalization you need is to have a clear idea of the information represented by the barcodes and the information required for the inventory operation you are recording.
Make Finale Inventory Your Trusted Source for Barcode Scanner Solutions
When your business needs to simplify and streamline its inventory management, work with Finale Inventory for turnkey mobile barcode scanner solutions.
Our barcode inventory system options provide the freedom and flexibility your business needs to thrive. They help you speed up your processes, boost productivity and automatically update your counts so everyone has the most up-to-date information.
You won’t incur setup or startup costs with our services, so you can optimize your warehouse inventory management while sticking to your budget. We also include training and consulting with your trial and offer them free with each paid plan, so you can get the help you need if questions arise.
“The core of maturity, that I see, is starting with a unified view of inventory. I’ve got to be able to accurately represent what do I have, make sure that I know where it’s located so I can get it to my customers quickly.”
— Troy Graham, Descartes
What is the first thing I should fix if I want to scale operations?
Start with a unified view of inventory. The core of maturity starts with being able to accurately represent what you do have and make sure that you know where it’s located to get it to customers quickly. Without a unified view across your warehouses, 3PLs, and vendors, you cannot make the best decisions because you don’t have the best information at hand.
With Inventory Visibility, Businesses Can Make Smarter Allocation Decisions
Once inventory is centralized, businesses can move from reactive updates to intentional allocation. They can decide how much inventory to expose to each channel, when to use buffers, which marketplaces need extra protection, and how seasonality or campaign performance influence availability.
Once I know what inventory I have, how should I decide where to make it available?
Inventory allocation should reflect where orders are coming from, where marketing is working, and which channels carry the most risk. Once you know what you have and where it is located, you can think more strategically using centralized inventory to make prioritization happen automatically. One fertilizer company lost a little over 5,000 orders in one weekend because someone manually uploaded the wrong available inventory to Amazon.
Better Inventory Data Improves Planning, Purchasing, and Growth Bets
Better visibility turns inventory data into a planning tool. With insight into sales velocity, inventory levels, vendors, and channel performance, businesses can make more informed replenishment decisions, avoid overbuying, and test new product lines or vendor-supplied inventory without taking on unnecessary risk.
“You have to have unified inventory to know how to price your products just at that basic level. I can’t price my products if I don’t know the true cost to get it.”
— Mike Bernico, Flxpoint
How does better inventory data help me make smarter buying decisions?
It lets you measure whether your plan is working before you commit more capital. A key question becomes: “Did my plan work? Am I overleveraged in one place or another?” Centralized systems can also help businesses test new product lines or vendor relationships by looking at sales velocity by channel, allowing them to take risks in a calculated and measured way.
Intelligent Order Routing Turns Inventory Complexity Into Automation
Once inventory and supplier data are reliable, businesses can automate fulfillment decisions. Orders can be routed based on cost, speed, margin, location, warehouse priority, vendor fallback, split-shipment rules, or customer expectations. This helps hybrid fulfillment scale because every order does not need a manual review.
How do I decide the best way to fulfill each order?
There is no single answer, which is why order routing needs to account for the context of each order. Intelligent order routing is not just sending an order to someone who has stock; it is taking each and every order and treating it like its own unique use case. Depending on the order, the business may prioritize speed, margin, an internal warehouse, vendor fallback, or preventing split shipments.
Supplier Inventory Sync Extends Inventory Beyond the Four Walls
For hybrid fulfillment to work, supplier inventory needs to become part of the operating model. Supplier sync does not always require advanced technology; it can happen through automated files, FTP, email, APIs, EDI, or ecommerce storefront integrations. The key is replacing manual updates with automated, reliable supplier data.
Can supplier inventory really be treated like part of my own inventory?
Yes, but the goal is not necessarily to force every supplier into a complex integration. Real-time supplier sync can be defined as any way to get an automated update from a supplier, such as Google Sheets, email, FTP, API, EDI, or ecommerce storefront connections. The key is that accurate supplier stock is foundational. If you don’t have an accurate view of what is in stock with your suppliers, you cannot tell your sales channel accurately what’s available.
Exception-Based Workflows Keep Humans Focused Where They Matter
Automation does not remove people from the process. Mature operations let technology handle the routine majority while humans focus on exceptions, such as high-value orders, fraud risk, compliance requirements, restricted products, export rules, or unusual fulfillment scenarios.
If my business has special cases, can automation still work?
Yes. The point is not to automate every possible decision; it is to automate the routine work and surface the exceptions. Businesses should not have to look at every single order. Instead, technology can highlight high-value orders, risky locations, or compliance requirements. The goal is to take care of the 80% of workflows that are obvious while still allowing human review when specific exceptions arise.
The Right Inventory Technology Should Fit the Business, Not Overwhelm It
Software decisions should be based on business fit, not popularity, feature volume, or broad “all-in-one” promises. Growing ecommerce businesses should identify their highest-impact bottleneck, prioritize what matters now, and choose technology that is right-sized but flexible enough to support future phases of growth.
How should I choose software without overbuying or picking the wrong system?
Start with your priorities, not the biggest feature list. Avoid an all-in-one system that claims to “do everything under the sun” and look for a “best of breed approach” with systems that can scale as you add channels or vendors. The practical advice is to stack rank what matters now, make sure the system can support future phases, and choose technology that fits your business rather than overwhelming it.
How to Scale Ecommerce Operations Beyond Spreadsheets
For many growing ecommerce businesses, Finale and Flxpoint work together as a practical answer to these challenges. Finale helps centralize and manage internal inventory, purchasing, warehouse operations, and stock visibility, while Flxpoint helps connect vendor inventory, automate supplier sync, and route orders across hybrid fulfillment networks. Together, they give businesses a best-of-breed way to improve inventory accuracy, reduce spreadsheet work, and scale fulfillment without forcing every process into a one-size-fits-all system.
Ecommerce Fulfillment Operations FAQ
What Is Ecommerce Fulfillment Operations?
Ecommerce fulfillment operations are the processes that move an online order from purchase to delivery. This includes managing inventory, syncing product availability across channels, routing orders to the right warehouse, 3PL, supplier, or vendor, and making sure the customer receives the right product on time. As discussed in the webinar, fulfillment is no longer limited to “what’s in my warehouse these days”; growing businesses may rely on internal warehouses, 3PLs, marketplace fulfillment services, and supplier inventory at the same time.
What Are Ecommerce Fulfillment Operation Examples?
Examples of ecommerce fulfillment operations include updating inventory across Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, and other sales channels; allocating inventory to specific marketplaces; sending orders to an internal warehouse, 3PL, or vendor; syncing supplier inventory through files, APIs, EDI, email, or FTP; replenishing warehouse stock based on sales velocity; and flagging exceptions such as high-value orders, compliance requirements, or restricted products. In the webinar, the speakers also discussed hybrid fulfillment examples where a business may fulfill some products from its own warehouse and use vendors as a fallback or extension of available inventory.
How Can I Track My Inventory at an Ecommerce Fulfillment Center?
The best way to track inventory at an ecommerce fulfillment center is to create a unified inventory view that shows what is available, where it is located, and how that inventory connects to each sales channel. That means tracking inventory across internal warehouses, fulfillment centers, 3PLs, marketplace fulfillment programs, and supplier locations instead of relying on disconnected spreadsheets. The webinar emphasized that businesses need to “accurately represent” what they have and know where it is located so they can get products to customers quickly.
How Can I Connect My Inventory to My Supplier?
You can connect supplier inventory through several methods, depending on what the supplier supports. The webinar discussed low-tech and advanced options, including automated Excel or CSV files, Google Sheets, email updates, FTP servers, APIs, EDI, and direct connections to ecommerce storefronts such as Shopify, BigCommerce, or Magento. The key is to ask suppliers how they share inventory today, then use a system that can automate that data flow instead of manually copying supplier inventory into spreadsheets.
What Is Ecommerce Order Routing?
Ecommerce order routing is the process of deciding where an order is fulfilled from after a customer buys. In a simple operation, every order may go to one warehouse. In a more complex or hybrid fulfillment model, the best fulfillment source may depend on inventory availability, shipping speed, cost, margin, customer location, warehouse priority, vendor fallback rules, or whether the order should be split. The webinar described intelligent order routing as treating each order like its own use case, so businesses can automate the best fulfillment decision without manually reviewing every order.
