Quick summary
Create a controlled warehouse receiving process that records shortages, damage, over-delivery and accepted quantities. This guide gives you a clear, practical explanation before you use the related online tool.
Prepare before arrival
Make the purchase order and expected delivery information available to receiving staff without revealing unnecessary price data when blind receiving is required.
Identify the shipment
Confirm supplier, delivery note, vehicle or carrier reference, purchase order and receiving location.
Count and inspect
Count physical units, confirm pack sizes and inspect damage, expiry, batch or serial information where relevant.
Record exceptions immediately
Separate ordered, delivered, accepted and rejected quantities. Add reason codes and photographs or notes according to company procedure.
Create the goods receipt
Post only accepted quantity. A goods receipt should reflect what entered usable inventory, not merely what appeared on the supplier document.
Communicate discrepancies
Send a structured discrepancy report to procurement or the supplier and hold affected invoice lines until resolution.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a goods receipt note?
It records goods received and accepted against a delivery or purchase order.
Should damaged stock be included?
It should be recorded separately and excluded from usable accepted quantity unless policy says otherwise.
What is blind receiving?
Receiving staff count goods without seeing expected quantity, reducing confirmation bias.
Why does goods receipt matter for invoice matching?
It provides evidence of the quantity actually accepted.
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