Managing receiving orders¶

Create, review, and track the receiving orders that inbound shipments are processed against.

What a receiving order is¶

A receiving order is the record an inbound shipment is checked in against. It names the warehouse, the products and quantities you expect, and the carrier and equipment bringing them. As staff receive against it, it fills up with what actually arrived.

Opening the receiving page¶

In the sidebar, open Shipping & Receiving → Receiving.

The page lists every receiving order for the warehouse you are working in. Choose New Order to create one.

Finding an order¶

The list only shows the warehouse selected in the header.

What each row shows¶

Creating a receiving order¶

On the Receiving page, choose New Order.

1. Fill in the basics¶

2. Add the carrier and equipment details¶

All of these are optional, but the seal number and carrier reference are worth entering — they are what you check against when the truck turns up.

3. Assign it and add notes¶

Assigned To hands the order to a particular clerk. Notes is where you put handling instructions, expected discrepancies, or anything specific to this customer.

4. Add the line items¶

Search for each product by name, SKU, or barcode, then set the Expected Quantity. That quantity is what receiving progress and variance are measured against.

Each line also takes these optional fields:

5. Create it¶

Check the details, make sure there is at least one line item, then choose Create Receiving Order.

The platform checks the required fields, generates a receiving order number, sets the status to Pending, and returns you to the list.

Creating orders in bulk¶

Rather than entering orders one at a time, you can create them from a file:

• Upload a spreadsheet to create many receiving orders and their lines at once.
• Download a pre-formatted template so your columns match what the importer expects.
• Import from a source document. Receiving orders are the only entity type that supports this, rather than needing a structured spreadsheet.

See Bulk upload for the procedure, validation, and error handling.

Reading a receiving order¶

Click any row on the Receiving page to open the order. It is grouped into sections:

Edit is only available while the order is Pending.

Receiving a shipment¶

When the truck arrives¶

1. Check the carrier reference and equipment type against the order.
2. Inspect the seal and record its number.
3. Check the paperwork — bill of lading (BOL) and packing slip.
4. Open the receiving order, which records the arrival time.

Verifying the seal¶

1. Choose Receive on a pending order.

   The expected seal number from the order appears.

2. Inspect the seal physically on the shipment.

3. Enter the actual seal number.

4. Choose Confirm & Start Receiving.

   The order moves to In Progress.

Choosing how to receive¶

Checking the products in¶

1. Scan each product barcode, or search by SKU.
2. Enter the quantity that actually arrived and compare it to what was expected.
3. Record any shortage, overage, or damage as you find it — not afterwards.
4. Look the stock over for damage, check the packaging, and confirm lot numbers and expiry dates.
5. Capture serial numbers for any serial-tracked products.
6. Assign a storage location (Direct to Location) or build the items onto an LPN (Build to LPN).

7. Confirm the receipt.

   Line item statuses update, putaway tasks are generated, and stock levels go up. The order moves to Completed.

Receiving something you weren't expecting¶

Stock always has to be checked in against a receiving order, so a shipment that turns up unannounced needs one creating before you can receive it.

1. Create a receiving order for what has arrived, naming the supplier.
2. Add the products and the quantities you can see.
3. Receive against it as normal.
4. Tell your supervisor the shipment arrived without notice, so the paperwork can be chased.

Sending stock straight back out¶

Some stock never needs putting away. If it is already spoken for, you can route it from the inbound dock to an outbound shipment instead of storing it first:

Spot the candidates during check-in, so the stock goes to the right place the first time rather than being put away and picked again an hour later.

Receiving order statuses¶

Statuses change as you work; you don't set them by hand:

Tracked products, containers, and discrepancies¶

These come up while a shipment is being received. The step-by-step instructions live with the floor procedure — this section is what an order manager needs to know about them.

Serial and lot tracked products¶

Products set up for serial or lot tracking need their identifiers captured as the shipment is received. Serial numbers are checked for uniqueness. Lot numbers carry an optional expiry date, which drives FEFO allocation later.

One receiving order can record several lots of the same product, each with its own quantity and expiry date.

For the capture procedure, see Receiving shipments — handle serial and lot tracked items. For the full lifecycle, see Serial and lot tracking.

LPN receiving¶

Stock can be received onto License Plate Numbers — containers or pallets that hold several products and move as one unit through putaway and picking.

See LPN container management for building and managing containers, and Receiving shipments — putaway for putting an LPN away.

Discrepancies¶

When what arrives doesn't match what was expected, the receipt records a discrepancy against the order:

You can attach photos to a discrepancy, so the evidence sits on the receiving order instead of on someone's phone.

Quality control locations¶

Warehouses can define locations typed as Quality Control. Stock put there is left out of automatic allocation, so it won't be picked for an order until someone moves it. You can still allocate from it by hand when you mean to.

This is a location type, not a guided inspection workflow — there is no inspection checklist and no accept/reject step in the platform. See Location management.

Getting it right¶

Before the truck arrives, create the receiving orders ahead of time (use bulk import if there are many), agree arrival times with the carrier, make sure staff and equipment are free, and check whether anything on the load is hazmat, temperature-sensitive, or fragile.

While you're receiving, always check and record the seal number, scan rather than counting by eye, record discrepancies the moment you find them, and photograph any damage.

On quality, spot-check a representative sample rather than everything, confirm expiry dates leave enough shelf life, look for packaging damage, and move anything questionable to a Quarantine location so it can't be picked.

On putaway, group similar items into one trip, and put fast-moving stock where it's easy to reach.

Troubleshooting¶

Still stuck? Contact your warehouse supervisor or receiving manager with the receiving order number and the exact error message.

Things worth knowing¶

• A receiving order belongs to one warehouse and can't be moved. Stock lands in that warehouse, and putaway tasks are generated there.
• Creating an order needs standard user permissions. Running a receipt needs warehouse operator permissions, and cancelling may need a supervisor.
• Receiving orders update live across every session, and stock levels rise the moment a receipt completes.
• Putaway tasks are generated automatically when receiving finishes.

Related guides¶

• Receiving shipments SOP - Processing a shipment on the floor, step by step
• Mobile receiving workflow - Receiving on a phone
• Bulk upload - Creating receiving orders in bulk
• Serial and lot tracking - How tracked products behave end to end
• LPN container management - Building and moving containers
• Inventory management - Where stock goes once it's received