FAQ: Auto-Codes
Common questions about document numbering, prefixes, and sequence management.
FAQ: Auto-Codes
Q: Can I change a document number after creating it?
A: No. Once a document is created and assigned a number, that number is locked. Changing it would break accounting records, audit trails, and customer communications. If you made a mistake, contact your administrator—they may be able to delete the document and let you recreate it with the correct information.
Q: What happens if two people create documents at the exact same time?
A: Usystems prevents duplicates. Each document receives a unique number even if created simultaneously. The system uses a database lock to ensure the counter increments safely, so no two documents will ever get the same number.
Q: Can I skip numbers (e.g., INV-0001, INV-0003, INV-0005)?
A: Not in the normal auto-increment flow—the system always assigns the next sequential number. However, if you enable manual codes and manually enter specific numbers, the system will allow gaps. This is useful for importing old documents or special numbering schemes, but it can confuse audit trails. Use it sparingly and only with your administrator's approval.
Q: What if I want different numbering for different locations or departments?
A: Usystems does not currently support multiple independent sequences per location out of the box. Your options are:
- Use a prefix to distinguish documents (e.g., "STORE1-INV-0001" and "STORE2-INV-0001" are possible if configured separately).
- Ask your administrator about advanced configuration or custom development.
The simplest approach is to include location codes in the prefix when you set up numbering.
Q: If I change the prefix, will old documents be renumbered?
A: No. Changing the prefix only affects new documents created after the change. All existing documents keep their original numbers. For example, if your old invoices are INV-0001 through INV-0100 and you change the prefix to "2026-INV-", the next new invoice will be 2026-INV-0101, but the old ones still show as INV-0001.
Q: What if I run out of numbers (e.g., all 9999 slots filled)?
A: This is extremely rare. If you set length to 4 (0001–9999), you can create 10,000 documents before hitting the limit. If you approach this, contact your administrator to increase the length to 5 or 6 (100,000+ numbers).
Q: Why does my manual code keep getting rejected?
A: If manual codes are enabled but "require sequential" is on, your custom code must follow the configured prefix and length. For example:
- Prefix: "INV-"
- Length: 4
- Valid: INV-0001, INV-0050, INV-9999
- Invalid: INV-1, INV-A, inv-0001 (case mismatch)
Check with your administrator about the exact rules in your system.
Q: Can I use the same number for different document types?
A: Yes, and this is expected. Invoices and bills are separate sequences—your Invoice #1 and Bill #1 can both exist. They don't conflict because Usystems tracks the sequence counter separately for each document type. For example:
- Invoice #INV-0001
- Bill #B-0001 (same number, different prefix = different document)
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