Search Results serial_number_generation




Overview
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Overview

The concurrent program Serial number generation (internal short name SERIAL_NUMBER_GENERATION) is an Oracle Inventory (INV) utility used to automatically generate serial numbers in Oracle E-Business Suite. It is owned by the Inventory module and is delivered enabled in the standard application, meaning no manual activation or setup step is required to make it available in the concurrent manager.

The program supports serial-controlled inventory environments in which individual item instances must be uniquely identified for tracking, traceability, and transactional control. Rather than requiring users to enter each serial number manually during receiving, material transactions, or work in process completions, the program creates serials in bulk according to the naming conventions defined in the system. This is particularly valuable in high-volume operations — electronics assembly, telecommunications equipment, regulated medical devices, and government or aerospace supply chains — where manual assignment would be impractical and error-prone. The generated serials are then available to be associated with on-hand balances and subsequent transactions.

Execution Details

The documented metadata from ETRM 12.2.2 specifies the following runtime characteristics:

  • Product / Module: INV – Inventory
  • Enabled: Yes
  • Execution Method: PL/SQL Stored Procedure
  • Argument Method: Standard
  • Executable: SERIAL (short name)
  • Execution File: INV_SERIAL_NUMBER_PUB.GENERATE_SERIALS

Because the execution method is a PL/SQL stored procedure rather than a Host or Java concurrent program, the program runs directly inside the database tier of the EBS application. The entry point INV_SERIAL_NUMBER_PUB.GENERATE_SERIALS is part of the public Inventory serial number API package, which means the same logic can be invoked programmatically as well as through the concurrent manager. The Standard argument method indicates that parameters are passed using the conventional Oracle Reports/Concurrent Program argument mechanism defined at the concurrent program definition level.

These values are consistent between EBS 12.1.1 and 12.2.2; the executable name, package, and procedure did not change across those releases, so customizations or personalizations built against the 12.1.1 definition remain valid after an upgrade to 12.2.2.

How to Run

Users submit the program through the standard Submit Request (SRS) window, typically navigated via Inventory > Reports, Requests > Run, or via the generic View > Requests > Submit a New Request path. Because the argument method is Standard, the program presents its parameters in the standard parameters form. Users should review the naming convention definition (prefix, starting number, suffix, and increment) established for the target organization before submission, since the generated serials derive from that setup rather than from values entered at submission time.

General guidance for running the program:

  • Confirm the correct Inventory organization and item are in context, as serial generation is organization-specific.
  • Verify the starting serial number and quantity to avoid gaps or duplication against existing serials.
  • Run the request when concurrent processing load is low, as bulk serial creation can generate a large volume of rows.
  • Review the log file for any rows that were rejected due to existing serial numbers or invalid attribute values.

Related Objects

The program operates on the core Inventory serial tables and is closely associated with the following objects:

  • INV_SERIAL_NUMBER_PUB — the public API package containing GENERATE_SERIALS, used for programmatic generation.
  • MTL_SERIAL_NUMBERS — the base table that stores generated serial numbers and their current status.
  • MTL_SYSTEM_ITEMS_B — item master, where the serial generation control and starting serial number attributes are defined.
  • MTL_PARAMETERS — organization-level defaults influencing serial control behavior.
  • Receiving and material transaction processes that consume the generated serials when instances are received or issued.
  • Serial number inquiry and reporting functions used to verify generated values after the request completes.

Because the same package is exposed to both the concurrent program and external calls, integration developers commonly invoke INV_SERIAL_NUMBER_PUB.GENERATE_SERIALS directly from custom PL/SQL rather than submitting the concurrent request.