Serial Number Tracking | User Guide (2024)

FAQs

Can you track a device with a serial number? ›

The IMEI or MEID, together with the serial number, won't help directly track the device. The same thing goes for apps that claim they can get a phone location by number only.

Serial number tracking is the process of assigning serial numbers to your inventory as a way to keep an accurate count of it and its journey across the supply chain. It helps businesses with keeping track of their products throughout their entire lifecycle and providing valuable insights into: Product performance.

Serial Number Tracking is a system with which you can track individual units of an item right from its creation through to its sale. Each unit will possess a unique identification code which will help you find out which unit was sold to whom.

They are one-of-a-kind codes that match only one product. Usually, serial numbers are made in order and have different information sections. This information can be about where the product was made when it was made, and other data that might be useful during the product's life cycle.

Law Enforcement use serial numbers to track lost and stolen property that is reported to them, but over 95% of us don't record serial numbers which means over 95% of these items are never returned to their rightful owners.

Serial numbers and lot numbers are tracked using barcode technology and software. With barcoding, lot numbers can be recognized when received, shipped or both, enabling products to be tracked & traced throughout the supply chain.

Serial numbers are a powerful tool that can be used to streamline business processes and improve efficiency. Their ability to track and identify individual items makes them invaluable for inventory management, warranty services, and counterfeit detection.

Benefits of Serial Number Tracking

Enhanced Traceability: Serial number tracking facilitates traceability, enabling businesses to quickly identify the source of a product or component in the event of defects, recalls, or warranty claims.

The encoding can vary from company to company, but you can commonly use a product's serial number to identify its model number, date of manufacture, and even manufacture location.

Both the serial and model numbers potentially open you up to warranty fraud. Basically, someone with both these numbers might be able to put in a fake warranty claim. They could order replacement parts under your warranty, potentially using it up if there are limits.

Can stolen items be tracked? ›

Police departments are short staffed to address property crimes, including equipment theft. By leveraging GPS trackers for equipment tracking, you not only increase your chances of recovery, you get additional insights that help you manage your equipment inventory more efficiently.

Overall, serial numbers are a valuable tool for organizations to manage, trace, and identify products throughout their lifecycle, providing information throughout manufacturing, inventory management, customer service, and supply chain operations.

Armed with a serial number, law enforcement can enter your stolen property into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) stolen items database. The NCIC database was created in 1967 to aid law enforcement in recovering stolen property, finding wanted individuals, and locating missing persons.

Someone can get access or track your live location using your device's IMEI number. Anyone can use your IMEI number and manipulate it to blacklist it from your phone. Hackers can also use your IMEI number to commit fraud or illegal activities and put the blame on you.

A serial number is a unique number assigned by the manufacturer (like Samsung) to help identify an individual device, like a phone, tablet, TV, and so on. For example, your phone's serial number will be different from every other phone Samsung has made.

While someone who gains access to your device's serial number could potentially use it for fraudulent purposes like claiming warranty service under false pretenses, they wouldn't be able to use it directly to steal your personal information like passwords or financial data.

Serial numbers are like IDs for electronic devices. They are unique for each laptop. Consequently, they can be used to track and determine if a device has been reported as stolen.

The wireless carriers generally only locate phones through the IMEI as part of the search for a missing person. The serial number can only be used to check if an already-recovered iPhone is yours.