An Epicor® White Paper

ERP Part Numbering

Standards for
Manufacturing
 ERP Part Numbering Standards for Manufacturing

Table of Contents
Epicor Recommendations: Part Numbering................................................1

Summary of Part Numbering Options........................................................2

Standards for your Customers, Suppliers, and Manufacturers............2

Why Have Your Own Numbering System?..........................................3

Exceptions and Disclaimers..................................................................3

Summary of Options...........................................................................3

Part Numbering Rules..........................................................................4

Conclusion: Part Number Formatting.........................................................6

Appendix A: Example – Part Numbering Scheme......................................8

General Format...................................................................................8

Appendix B: Controlling Your Part Numbers............................................10

 ERP Part Numbering Standards for Manufacturing

Epicor Recommendations:
Part Numbering
Introduction
There are many opinions on the subject of “proper” part numbering systems
within the manufacturing world. This document is meant to be used as a
guideline for developing and using good part numbering techniques within a
manufacturing company.
Many companies fall into what can be called an “accidental” part numbering
scheme. This means that there is no thought put into an intelligent design. Still
others fall into over-thinking their designs, which makes their part numbering
scheme unmanageable and even unusable by other ERP systems.

Definition
The first thing to note is that a part number is generally NOT a description of the
part…there are separate fields for holding the actual description, as well
as part class and product group. An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
application may also support additional fields that define whether a part is
purchased or manufactured, its Unit of Measure (UOM), material analysis codes,
etc. For this reason, it is highly suggested that the part number NOT try to be
everything for everybody.
For example, it is not recommended that part numbers define whether a part
is purchased or manufactured, as this can change over time. Anything that can
change should not be embedded into the part number.

Part Number (Stocking)

Every Part in Epicor ERP has a “Part Number,” which is also the primary index
for the Part table. In other systems, this may also be called an “Item Number”
or a “Stock Keeping Unit” (SKU). This is the central part number for which this
document is created. All other part numbers are secondary to this part number,
and point to or reference this part number.
There should be one and only one part number set up for each item that is kept
in stock. The only reason for having a different part number is if the “Fit/Form/
Function” of that part is different from the previous version. Note that this “Fit/
Form/Function” argument is also used as a reason for creating a new revision of
a part, but that would be a completely different discussion not covered in this
document. Here we assume that each part number represents a specific item,
and there are no duplicate items in stock under a different part number.

Manufacturer Part Number

This scheme is how manufacturers number their parts. Since you may have
multiple manufacturers for any one part number, it is possible to have multiple
manufacturers and multiple manufacturer part numbers assigned to any one of
your part numbers.
Example: You may have a standard “Bolt” that you stock as part number B1001,
which is made by two manufacturers, ABCMetals and AcmeMachining. They both

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have their own part numbering systems: ABCMetals labels this part
1234-12, and AcmeMachining labels this part ABC-100. The system can store
this cross-reference.
Usage: if properly tied together, the MFG Part number will be displayed and
printed on POs and other paperwork.

Supplier Part Number

A supplier part number is the number that your supplier/vendor labels your part.
Your supplier may be a manufacturer, or they may be a distributor for another
manufacturer. Since they may reference their part number differently than the
manufacturer, you can create a three-way tie between your part, the manufacturer
part, and the supplier part.
Example: Again, using the “Bolt” part number B1001 above, you can purchase
the bolt from two distribution companies. One of them, Global Hardware,
labels this bolt GH-1001. It turns out that Global Hardware also distributes both
manufacturers (ABCMetals and ACMEMachining) under the same part number.
You can specify this three-way tie. Note that you may also have multiple suppliers
and multiple supplier part numbers called out against your part B1001, even if
there is only one manufacturer.
Usage: by tying together, you can accept a quote from your supplier, and it can
point to a specific supplier part number and a specific manufacturer in the quote.
When a PO is generated, the PO can reference all three part numbers.

Customer Part Number

The ERP system can also have a customer part number cross-reference. This is
to handle those times when the customer’s part number is different than your
part number. Since multiple customers can purchase the same part, there can be
multiple customer part numbers that reference your part. Customer part numbers
can also have their own description.
Usage: customer part numbers are referenced and displayed in the sales order
entry and acknowledgment.

Internal Part Cross-reference

This final part number option is to create an internal, secondary method of calling
out a part number. The internal number can be used as a shortcut to a longer part
number, or it can modify any serial numbering methodologies for the base part. It
is also possible to have multiple internal cross-references.

Summary of Part Numbering Options

Standards for your Customers, Suppliers,
and Manufacturers
This section discusses the base part numbering. It may not be within your
control to change the part numbering methodologies of your suppliers,
manufacturers or customers. It is, however, possible to have your own part
numbers for all of the above.

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Why Have Your Own Numbering System?

This is a great question. Why not use your supplier or customer part numbers for
numbering your own parts?
1. Consistency: Just as you have multiple customers, your customers will have
multiple part numbering standards. For proper inventory control, it is best if all
your part numbers internally are consistent.
2. Elimination of Duplicates: What if two of your suppliers, or two of your
customers, happen to both use the same part number to call out two different
items? Now you have to come up with some method for eliminating these
accidental collisions of data. This is one of the biggest reasons for coming up with
your own system, so that you do not have confusion of data.

Exceptions and Disclaimers

In some cases, where manufacturing companies are doing subcontract work,
it may be more complicated to define your own part number to the part than
it is worth. This needs to be taken into account when making part numbering
decisions. But even in these cases, it is still possible to use your own numbering
system for internal part number control, and have those part numbers
reference the customer part number in their drawings, documentation, sales
orders, POs, etc.

Summary of Options
There are several numbering options outlined below. As noted, this document
recommends the third, “semi-meaningful” numbering system for most companies.

Meaningful Part Numbering

This is where the digits of the part number each have a specific meaning, resulting
in the ability for a knowledgeable user to know what a part number translates
into. This can be very useful if there are many similar parts with specific variations.
However, having a completely meaningful system makes for a very complicated
structure, and necessitates a strong engineering organization to control the part
number assignment. Also, if there are many different types of components, it can
be prohibitive to define this completely. Some companies choose to only use a
fully meaningful part numbering system on their finished goods.

Non-Meaningful Part Numbering

In this case, the part number itself does not mean anything significant. This could
be a sequentially assigned number, or can appear to be random. Consider a
company that manufactures tractors. Part number 10001 could be a Bolt, 10002
= Steering Wheel, 10003 = Tractor, 10004 = Rear View Mirror. This apparent
randomness can cause confusion. Also, sorting inventory by part number is totally
meaningless. When searching by part number, you MUST know what you want.

Semi-Meaningful Part Numbering (Recommended)

This is a system where there is some meaning in the part number—defining the
type of part, but not down to every final detail. The initial segment of the part
number would classify the part’s type, color, size, etc. This will cause all similar
parts to be together when sorting inventory by part number. Not all attributes of

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the part are defined. At some point, there become too many attributes to track
in the part, so a sequential number is assigned to differentiate from other similar
parts. The actual description and differences are stored in the part description, as
well as the part’s drawing.

Part Numbering Rules

What Digits Are “Allowed”?
Best practice dictates that the list of allowed digits should be limited. In general,
all numbers and letters are always allowed. Also typically allowed and endorsed
would be a dash. This includes the 37 digits:
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ-1234567890
Some other potential characters (not recommended) include:
$%./+ Code-39
In general, if you limit your part number to letters,
numbers and a dash, you will be compatible with
most systems out there.

Support for Bar Coding

The table to the right shows the allowed character
set for “Code-39” bar coding. This is just one of
many bar coding systems. Note that this is a limited
set. There are an asterisk and space included in the
bar code, but these are not recommended as part
of the numbering system (see below). Note that
backslash, double and single quotes are all missing
and should not be used if you are doing any bar
coding of your parts.

Always Disallow a Space

Like many ERP systems, Epicor “allows” a space in a
part number, but this practice is highly discouraged.
For example, the system allows a space at the
beginning of the part number, it allows a space at the From Wikimedia Commons, attributed to
end of a part number, and it allows multiple spaces in Mcprescott at en.wikipedia
the middle of the part number. Each of these options is treated as a different part
number, even though they “look” the same to the naked eye. See the examples
below. Note that when printed on a report, you would not be able to see the
difference in many of these seven different part numbers (i.e., if the quote symbols
were not there, you would not be able to see all the spaces).
“ ABC 123” (one space at the beginning, one in the middle)
“ABC123 “ (one space at the end)
“ ABC 123 “ (one space at the beginning, one in the middle, one at the end)
“ABC 123” (two spaces in the middle)
“ABC 123” (one space in the middle)
“ABC123” (no spaces)

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ALSO, there are some bar coding systems (e.g., UPC-A) that prohibit a space in the
bar code translation. This is reason enough to set this rule!

What Digits Should Not Be “Allowed”?

Epicor ERP prohibits very few characters. However, in order to maintain usability
with other systems, it is generally best practice to disallow certain values from
being used in the part number itself. The recommendations below are to help
maintain compatibility with other systems outside of Epicor, so as to keep the part
number usable.
1. Epicor ERP does not differentiate between upper and lower case letters. That
means that Part number “ABC-001” and “abc-001” would translate to the exact
same record in the system. Please note that this is not necessarily the same rule
as in other systems. Some ERP systems can distinguish between upper and lower
case when creating part numbers. For this reason, we suggest that if there are any
alpha characters, they should always be in either upper or lower case throughout
the entire dataset.
2. Special characters. These include (but are not limited to) the characters in the
list below:
a. Characters translated as “wildcard” characters. These are generally used in
searching for parts, and if you include a wildcard in the part number, then
it becomes impossible to search for and find the part number that includes
this wildcard. Wildcard characters include: * ? ~.
b. Inch and foot (double and single quote marks “ and ‘ ). Many times, these
can cause problems, especially when searching for a part number with a
quote. Systems generally create internal queries that say Part Number =
“ABC-123.” If you have a quote in the middle of the part number, this would
improperly translate to PartNumber = “abc-123”” (a double quote at the
end), and the system fails. As a best practice, do not use these symbols.
c. Other special characters that can also do nasty things in some systems:
~!@#^&()_={}[] |<>,
3. Weird combinations of regular characters:
a. 123E3 – The letter “E” happens to have a special numerical meaning to
some systems, especially Microsoft Excel®. For example, if you enter 123E3
into a cell in Excel, it automatically changes it to 123,000.00 for you,
because it believes that this is an exponential equation.
b. Do not use the number zero and the letter O in the same part numbering
scheme.
c. Do not use letter I (Upper Case “I”), the letter l (Lower Case “L”), and the
number 1 in the same system. This is for human readability reasons.
d. Sometimes the “Z” and number “2” can cause issues for readability, as well.
e. Microsoft Excel re-interprets the tilde-question mark “~?” as just a question
mark. This is a special combination so that you can search for a question
mark. This is yet another reason not to include these two characters in your
part numbering scheme.
f. The caret character ^ (also known as the up arrow; it is “Shift+ 6” on U.S.
keyboards). This character is also interpreted as an exponential when placed

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between two numbers in some systems; i.e., part number “3^2” would
convert to 9 (= 3 squared).

Additional Reasons for Suggested Restrictions

1. When exporting data from Epicor ERP, various software packages tend to
interpret and modify the results. For example, when Microsoft Excel imports data,
it interprets values such as quotation marks or spaces, and will make incorrect
decisions to strip or change those values.
2. All-numeric part numbers or all-numeric parts with a decimal number can also
be problematic, especially if there are leading or trailing zeroes. For example, part
number 000123.4500 can magically change to part 123.45 when another system
or program (Excel) sees an all-numeric value. (For this reason, we suggest that an
all-numeric format never start or end with zeroes.) The same part number with a
dash will translate correctly in Excel: 000123-4500.

Conclusion: Part Number Formatting

1. Length:
a. All part numbers in the part numbering scheme should be of a uniform
length. Pick a length and stick to it. Preferred length should be short
enough to be manageable and memorable, but long enough to handle all
the part numbers in your system now and in the future. I.e., 10-11 digits
should do it.
b. Be reasonable. Do not implement a 23-digit meaningful part numbering
system to control 1,000 part numbers. But also remember that you need
room for growth. Think ahead to determine what you will need in 10-20
years.
2. Format:
a. Recommended: an all-numeric format with a “dash” in the middle (and no
leading zero). This allows for enough variation, while breaking the number
into manageable, memorable segments (just as telephone numbers are
easier to remember when broken into their three segments).
b. Having a uniform length and format will allow for instant recognition of
your internal part number format by humans looking at a part number.
3. Numbers or Letters:
a. The preference would be for all numbers (with a dash), since numbers
are faster and easier to type on a keyboard. There is also less chance of
mistranslating numbers (e.g., letter G sometimes looks like the number 6).
4. Semi-meaningful:
a. A semi-meaningful part numbering system makes the part number
easier to remember for those that need to remember it, but not too
difficult to implement.
5. Part Numbering Format/Length Examples:
See preceding statement…pick one format and stick to it.
a. 12345-1234 - This 10 digit format - semi-meaningful part prefix with a
second 4-digit segment that allows for 9,999 variations.

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b. 11111-2222-33 - This 13-digit format is the same as above, but supports

a third segment that can be an additional sub-classification of a part. For
example, if part number 1234-1234-00 is painted black, but there is a
variant part that is painted red, it could have a new version created with
part number 12345-1234-01.
c. ABC-12345 - This 9-digit version is preceded with an alpha code that is the
semi-meaningful portion. The second segment is non-meaningful.

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Appendix A: Example – Part

Numbering Scheme
This is an example of a part numbering scheme using a semi-meaningful system.
Depending on the part type, there are some digits that have more meaning than
others. This example is not from any specific company, but incorporates multiple
company needs.

General Format
The general format of the part number is 12345-1234-00. The first five digits
are the semi-meaningful portion of the part number. In most cases, the second
segment of the part number is a sequential value. The last two positions are
to hold a “modifier” if required, but in most cases, will be equal to “00” as a
placeholder to make the part number length consistent.
In the example below, the first two digits always signify the type of product
or material. This allows for up to 90 material types (since 00 – 09 would be
disallowed because of the previously stated “no leading zeroes rule,” we can
only use 10 – 99).
Below are some examples of how this would be executed for specific types
of parts:

Wire
Wire has multiple, specific attributes that can be used to describe different parts.
In order to help with part numbering, and to eliminate duplicates, we can use the
digits to define those attributes.
1. Digits 1-2 “10” signifies the part as “WIRE”
2. Digit 3 signifies material type: 1 = copper, 2 = aluminum, 3 = steel,
9 = other
3. Digit 4 holds Insulation Type: 0 = None, 1 = Regular, 2 = Special, 0 = Other
4. Digit 5 holds color: 0 = None, 1= Natural, 2=Red, 3=Blue, 4=Yellow,
9=Other
5. Digit 6 a dash
6. Digits 7-8 holds the wire gauge (00 – 58 gauge)
7. Digit 9-10 sequential number
8. Digit 11 a dash
9. Digit 12-13 option modifier (starts with “00”, and options are 01, 02, etc.)
10112-2301-00 Wire, Copper, Regular Red Insulation, 23 gauge
10214-1201-00 Wire, Aluminum, Regular Yellow insulation, 12 gauge
10214-1201-01 Wire, Aluminum, Regular Yellow insulation, 12 gauge in a
twisted pair

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Bolt
Bolts have head type, material, length, and thread. Similar to above, we can set up
a system to account for these attributes:
1. Digit 1 “2” signifies bolt
2. Digit 2 signifies head type (1=Hex, 2=Phillips, 9=Other)
3. Digit 3-4 size
4. Digit 5 length

Finished Goods
Lest we forget, “Finished” product must also have an assigned number series,
as well. Sometimes this is marketing driven, which makes it difficult to have an
internal part number that is different from what the marketing department wants.
This gap can be filled by using an “Internal Part Cross-Reference.” You can create
a good part number system, and then marketing can create whatever system they
want, and reference your well-rounded system for internal stocking purposes.
By following the same system above, you would assign the first digit to specify
that the part number is a finished good, and the following digits can break the
parts down by product category.

Other Parts
You should always have an “Other” category to hold items that just do not fall
into any of your standard part numbering items.

What Not to Include in a Significant Numbering System

There are some attributes that at first glance might be considered good candidates
for incorporating into the part number structure, but that experience has shown
should not be included in the part number. The main theme here is, “If the
attribute can change, do not include it in the part number.” (As an extreme
example, nobody would ever consider putting the quantity on hand in the part
number.) With that in mind, here are some items to consider:
1. Make/Buy code – Some companies think it is a good idea to embed whether
the item is Purchased or Manufactured into the part number. Best practice
dictates against this. The reason is that over time, some companies convert a
manufactured part into a purchased part and vice versa. Typically, there is already a
field in the database for this, and it can change instead.
2. Vendor number or vendor part number – This can change, but your part number
remains the same. Your vendor may change their part number, the revision of
the part, their supplier, and even their name, but you still want to keep your part
number the same, especially if included in an approved Bill of Material.
3. Customer number or Customer part number – same as Vendor reason above.

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Appendix B: Controlling Your

Part Numbers
Epicor ERP supports tailoring your software through many options:
1. The user interface (UI) can be adjusted to perform data validations.
2. A Business Process Management (BPM) rule can be created to enforce your rules.
For example, you could add a BPM rule that fires off to validate every part number
that is added through the Part entry system before it is saved.
The validation can verify your company’s part number definition rules for all future
additions into the system. For example, this validation can make sure that:
1. There are no spaces in the part number.
2. The part number is the correct length.
3. The alpha digits are all the correct case (BPM can even fix this and force the letters
to upper or lower case).
4. There are dashes in correct positions.
By tailoring your software to enforce your part numbering scheme, you will keep
the database clean and prevent accidental additions and usage of invalid part
numbers now and into the future.

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 About Epicor
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