Serienummer

Serienummer is a unique identifier assigned to a single item, device, or piece of equipment. It is used to distinguish that specific unit from every other unit of the same product line. The serienummer supports traceability, maintenance, warranty administration, authentication, and recalls, helping manufacturers, suppliers, and customers track a product's history over time. The term is used in several languages, such as Dutch, Norwegian, and Swedish, to denote a serial number.

Serial numbers differ from other identifiers such as model numbers or batch/lot numbers. A serial number is intended to be unique to one individual item, whereas a model number identifies a product variant and a lot number groups items manufactured in the same production run. This uniqueness enables precise tracking and historical records for each unit.

Common uses include inventory management, service history logging, warranty validation, and anti-counterfeiting. In addition, many items carry serial numbers to enable returns, repair, recalls, and resale checks. Digital goods and software often rely on serial numbers or activation codes to verify licensing, restricting use to authorized users or devices.

Formats vary by manufacturer and industry. Serial numbers may be numeric, alphanumeric, or mixed, sometimes including date or location codes. Some widely used examples include vehicle identification numbers (VINs) for cars and trucks, and IMEI numbers for mobile devices. In retail and manufacturing, serialized products can be tracked in internal systems and distributed data networks, frequently linked to barcodes or QR codes for rapid checking.

Privacy and security considerations surround serienummer data when linked to owners or purchase histories. Proper handling and secure storage of serial-number records help prevent fraud and unauthorized access to service information.