Document Numbering#

Every transactional document in Neriyam has a code — PO/2026-27/00042, SO/2026-27/00100, GRN/2026-27/00231. The code is generated from a single format template per series. You decide what placeholders the format uses, what literal characters sit between them, and when the code gets assigned to a record.

The format template#

Each series has a single Format field — a template string that mixes placeholders with literal characters. Anything inside {...} is a placeholder; everything else (slashes, dashes, letters) is taken literally and appears as-is in the generated code.

The standard format is {DOC_ID}/{FY_START,4}-{FY_END,2}/{SEQ,5}, which produces SO/2026-27/00042 for sales order #42 in fiscal year 2026-27.

The number after the comma is the minimum width / padding length. Drop the comma to use the default width — for example, {SEQ} yields 42 instead of 00042.

Your admin configures the format in Settings › Document Numbering. A live preview shows the next generated code as you type.

Draft ref vs. real code#

When you first create a transactional document (sales order, purchase order, etc.), it is in Draft status. At that point Neriyam does not burn a real code on it yet — it assigns a temporary draft ref instead, like SO-DRAFT-1, PO-DRAFT-42, or SE-DRAFT-27. The format is the document type, the literal DRAFT, and a sequence — so abandoned drafts never use up real serial numbers.

The real code is assigned later — either on Create, Submit for Approval, or Approve, depending on how the series is configured.

When the code is assigned#

Each series has an Assign On setting with three options:

• On Create — code assigned immediately. No draft ref appears; the draft gets a real code right away.
• On Submit — code assigned when you click "Submit for Approval". Draft ref is replaced at that moment.
• On Approve — code assigned when the approver clicks "Approve". Draft ref stays until approval.

flowchart LR
  Create([Create record]) --> A{Assign On?}
  A -->|On Create| RC[Real code now]
  A -->|On Submit| DR1[Draft ref]
  A -->|On Approve| DR2[Draft ref]
  DR1 --> Sub([Submit]) --> RC2[Real code now]
  DR2 --> Sub2([Submit]) --> Pen[Pending Approval still draft ref]
  Pen --> App([Approve]) --> RC3[Real code now]

Series management#

A series is a numbering sequence with its own counter and rules. Most organizations need only one series per document type — a single PO series, a single SO series, etc. — but Neriyam supports multiple series per document type if you need them (for example, separate branches or separate companies inside one organization).

Each series has these settings:

• Identifier — a short code for the series, used as the {DOC_ID} placeholder (e.g., PO, PO-EXPORT)
• Name — human-friendly label (e.g., "Purchase Orders — Domestic 2026")
• Format — the template string described above
• Auto Numbering — generate automatically, or let users enter the code manually
• Allow Override — let users override the generated code (for importing historical data, for example)
• Assign On — On Creation / On Submit / On Approval (see above)
• Reset Frequency — when the serial counter resets: Never, Fiscal Year, Calendar Year, Quarterly, Monthly, Weekly, or Daily

Reset frequency#

The serial counter can reset on a schedule. The most common choice is Fiscal Yearly — on April 1 (or whatever your FY start is), the counter goes back to 1 and the fiscal-year portion of the code rolls to the new year.

What gets numbered#

The following document types use configurable numbering series:

• Masters — Items, Item Categories, Customers, Suppliers, Warehouses
• Sales — Sales Orders, Sales Delivery Notes, Sales Returns
• Purchase — Purchase Requisitions, Purchase Orders, Goods Receipt Notes, Purchase Returns
• Inventory — Opening Stock, Stock Transfer, Stock Adjustment
• Manufacturing — Production Entries, Scrap Entries
• Job Work (planned) — Job Work Receipts, Job Work Deliveries, Job Work Returns
• Subcontracting (planned) — Subcontract Deliveries, Subcontract Receipts, Subcontract Returns

Your admin can see the full list in Settings › Document Numbering › Document Types.

Job Work and Subcontracting transactions are planned for an upcoming release. The numbering series are pre-configured so they're ready when the modules ship.

Stock-entry transaction types#

Inventory, Manufacturing, Purchase-stock, Sales-stock, and the planned Job Work / Subcontracting transactions are all stock entries under the hood, and each has a short code that appears in the API and in the system audit fields. The codes show up in error messages and ledger filters; the friendly labels show up in the UI.

All planned series use the standard format {DOC_ID}/{FY_START,4}-{FY_END,2}/{SEQ,5} and reset on fiscal-year change. Active series can use any format your admin configures.

Planned Job Work and Subcontract series — default code prefixes#

Manual override#

If Allow Override is on for a series, you can type your own code when creating a record (instead of letting Neriyam generate one). This is useful when:

• Importing historical data that already has codes you want to keep
• Matching an external document number (an email from a customer requesting "Please use your code ABC-2026-001")

Related#

• Approval workflow — when codes get assigned depends on the approval step
• Settings › Document Numbering — full admin walk-through