Course Codes

Hello, 

I'm looking for suggestions for creating and tracking course codes. My organization is getting ready to implement an LMS that requires course codes.  My team will be responsible for issuing them so I want to set us up for success. 

I'm thinking of using something simple like a 3-4 letter code for the department and then a 4 digit number (like COMP1123) and tracking it with an Excel spreadsheet.  

Is anyone else doing something like this?  How are you creating and tracking course codes?