Delnummer

Delnummer, or part number, is a unique identifier assigned by a manufacturer to a specific spare part or component for use in catalogs, purchasing, and inventory management. The term is common in Scandinavia and parts of Europe, though the concept exists globally under "part number" or "item number." A delnummer distinguishes a component from other parts and helps link the item to descriptions, specifications, compatible models, and availability. It is not the same as a serial number, which identifies a single manufactured unit, nor necessarily the same as a model number, which may refer to a family of products rather than a specific component.

The format of a delnummer varies by company and industry. It can be purely numeric, alphanumeric, or include hyphens and revision suffixes (for example ABC-1234 or 12-34-RevA). The number itself may encode information about the part category, product family, or variant, but in many cases the code is an arbitrary identifier chosen for internal systems.

In practice, delnummer are used in catalogs, ERP and purchasing systems, bill of materials, and service parts catalogs. They are often cross-referenced to external identifiers such as GTIN/UPC codes, supplier part numbers, or OEM cross-refs to facilitate ordering and compatibility checks. When a part is updated or replaced, manufacturers may retire the old delnummer and issue a new one or retain multiple delnummer that map to the same component.

See also: part number, SKU, bill of materials, serial number, GTIN.