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# Seed numbers

The seed numbers form is used to change the automatically assigned serial / "seed" numbers (displayed in forms as the "Number" field) of Purchase orders, work orders, quotes and preventive maintenance orders.

## Authorization Roles required

Many roles can select this object on other records where approriate. Editing or viewing this object in detail is only available to Users with the following roles:

Full access

- Business administration

Read only access

- Business administration - restricted

## How to access Seed numbers

From the `Administration` navigation drawer Global settings form in the `Business` section of the form click on the `Set next seed number` button.

## How seed numbers work

AyaNova works with the PostgreSQL database server to automatically assign serial numbers to AyaNova objects and this setting allows you to change the starting ("seed") number that will be applied to the next record made for that type of object.

The value you see in the seed number form for each type of object is the next number that will be assigned to that object automatically.

### Why change the seed?

It is not necessary to change the seed, however there may be some valid reasons to do so:

Existing numbers - in cases where a manual system or other system was in use it may be helpful to start the new numbers higher than any existing ones to avoid confusion.

No existing numbers / marketing - in cases where there are no prior numbers some companies, particularly new ones, may prefer to start their customer-visible numbers for objects such as quotes to a higher starting number than 1 as they may feel that low numbers could imply that the company is inexperienced.

Reset - over many years the numbers may just become so large that it is more practical to reset them again to a lower starting number. If the number 100 was used 5 years ago it may not matter that it is then re-used as there is no confusion likely.

### Duplicates allowed

AyaNova allows duplicate serial numbers and does not skip existing numbers when generating new ones so if you set it lower than the highest existing record you will end up with multiple objects with the same serial.

### Fixing duplicates / changing object serial numbers

A user with a management level role is allowed to edit the serial numbers on existing objects and change them in their edit forms.

### Allowed number range

Seed numbers must be greater than 0 and less than 3 billion.

### Before you change the seed

The seed numbers displayed in the form are the next seed number that will be assigned in that moment in time that you opened the seed number form. It will not update if more serial numbers are consumed by other users since the form was opened.

Therefore it is important to ensure that no other users are creating those types of objects when you make an ajustment to the starting seed in order to avoid duplicates.