Business· Help center

Help center › Stock

How to track units by serial number

Switch on serial tracking for an item, receive units by scanning them in, and find any unit by its serial or MAC.

Updated 2026-10-17

For equipment where each one matters, such as TVs, projectors or network switches, Otto can keep every unit separately: its serial number, where it is, which job it is on and when its warranty ends. It is part of Operations → Stock.

Switch on tracking for an item

  1. Open Stock and open the item.
  2. Switch on Track by serial number. Only someone who manages the business can change this.

The item's row now has a Units button.

Receive units

  1. Press Units on the item, then Receive units.
  2. Scan or type the Serial numbers, one per line or separated by commas. A MAC address may follow a serial after a space.
  3. Choose where they go under Into, the Warranty from today (None, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years or 5 years), and if you like the Supplier or distributor, Purchase reference and Cost each.
  4. Press Receive (it shows how many, for example Receive 12). Each new unit is In stock, and the item's quantity goes up by the number received.

A serial already recorded for the item is listed as a duplicate and not added twice. Up to 500 serials can be received at a time.

Scan to find a unit

Once any item is tracked, a Scan button appears on the Stock page.

  1. Press Scan.
  2. Press Scan with the camera and point it at the barcode, or type the serial or MAC, or use a handheld scanner.
  3. Press Find. The unit opens with its status, location, MAC, warranty and history.

Good to know

  • A unit never changes a quantity on its own: receiving, installing, moving and selling each write the matching stock record, so the quantity and the units always agree.
  • Cost each is money, so only positions that see money can see or set it.

If it doesn't work

  • "This browser cannot read barcodes from the camera. Type the serial, or use a handheld scanner" — the camera button is off in that browser.
  • "Scan or type at least one serial number."
  • "… is not tracked by serial number. Switch that on for the item first."
  • "… is archived. Bring it back before receiving stock."
  • "No unit has the serial or MAC …" — check the number, or receive the unit first.