Serial Numbers - Date Codes

thainglo · Post by **thainglo** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 7:24 am

Got a question for the group - when Shopsmith transitioned from true serial numbers to date codes for identification on their headstocks, does that mean they were only producing one finished unit per day? Seems incredibly low, but I've been scratching my head on how they could track product history if all units produced in a single day had the same serial number.

I work for an office furniture manufacturer, we keep serial number history for the life of the product, helps identify potential quality risks, history of multiple failures, etc.

Anyone know the story behind the date-for-serial code?

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:55 am

thainglo wrote:Got a question for the group - when Shopsmith transitioned from true serial numbers to date codes for identification on their headstocks, does that mean they were only producing one finished unit per day? Seems incredibly low, but I've been scratching my head on how they could track product history if all units produced in a single day had the same serial number.

I work for an office furniture manufacturer, we keep serial number history for the life of the product, helps identify potential quality risks, history of multiple failures, etc.

Anyone know the story behind the date-for-serial code?

Can knot say I "know the story", but I will stick my neck out and ask what difference does it make to differentiate the units made on the same day as long as they know when they were made? It is knot medication or food that might spoil. I am sure that on some days they made more then one.

thainglo · Post by **thainglo** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 11:17 am

Tim - you're probably right, maybe too much detail depending on the business model it supports. For example, with a serial number, our customer service team not only knows the date and time produced, but which distribution center it shipped through, the carrier used to deliver the product, was it reboxed due to carton damage in the distribution area, etc. We also have multiple facilities making the same product, which wouldn't be an issue for SS.

Just curious, more than anything else.