ASN

What an ASN contains

An ASN describes one shipment. A useful one includes:

• The shipper, the receiving warehouse, and the expected arrival date and time.
• A reference to the purchase order, transfer or client order behind the shipment.
• Each SKU and quantity, and the pack it arrives in (units, cases or pallets).
• Lot numbers, expiry dates or serial numbers where the goods are tracked.
• Pallet or carton identifiers, such as SSCC codes, with the contents of each.
• Carrier and trailer or container details.

How ASNs speed up receiving

Without an ASN, the receiver opens each pallet, identifies the goods and keys everything in. With one, the system already knows what should be on the truck. A supplier ships four pallets of olive oil, each with an SSCC label. The receiver scans a pallet label, the expected contents appear, and they confirm the count and check the lot instead of typing it.

Differences surface immediately: a missing pallet, a short case or an unexpected lot. The warehouse can also plan labor and dock doors in advance, because it knows the volume before the truck arrives.

ASN vs purchase order vs packing slip

A purchase order says what you asked to buy. The ASN says what the supplier actually shipped, which may be less, split across several trucks, or from a different lot than expected. A packing slip travels with the goods and lists what is in the box or on the pallet. Receiving compares all three: what was ordered, what was announced, and what physically arrived.

How ASNs are sent

In large retail supply chains, ASNs are often exchanged by EDI, where the standard message is known as the 856. Smaller suppliers and many 3PL clients send them by email, spreadsheet, a supplier portal or an API call. The format matters less than the discipline: sent before arrival, complete, and matching the physical labels.

How NextStock handles ASNs

In NextStock, ASNs can be created in the office app, imported from CSV with a mapping template, or created through the REST API. Receiving is checked against the ASN, over, short, damage and shelf-life variances go to approval, and holds can be scoped to an ASN. EDI is not offered. See receiving and putaway and the warehouse receiving process guide.