Understanding ASNs
What are ASNs?
Advance Shipping Notices, or ASNs for short, are electronically-sent notifications which provide notification of a pending delivery.
Delivered via EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), ASNs carry detailed information and serve as a much more detailed version of a delivery note. What differentiates an ASN and a delivery note is that an ASN is sent in advance of delivery and carries specific information surrounding stock levels and locations.
An ASN will include:
- Delivery date and time
- Product information
- What products are in each box
- Which boxes are on each pallet
- Carrier’s information/mode of transportation
- Physical characteristics of shipment e.g. the type of packaging
How do they work?
The ASN is sent from a supplier through electronic data interchange (EDI). The message is received by the customer, the ASN information is then updated on the customers’ procurement system and made visible through their Warehouse Management System (WMS).
Where SSCCs (Serial Shipping Container Code) are used, scanning the barcode label can provide full details of the package contents with information such as goods type, quantity and batch/lot numbers and serial numbers with a high level of accuracy.
What are the benefits of ASNs for a customer?
Cost cutting
Reduce receiving costs by as much as 40%
Efficiency
Knowing what’s in each pallet before opening eradicating any needs for manual checking
Improves processes
Knowing how much manpower is needed to accept a delivery along with details around timing
Inventory management
Reduces the amount of stock held in a warehouse
What are the benefits of ASNs for a supplier?
Improved relationships
Meeting the needs of your customers and helping them run efficiently
Faster distribution
Knowing what’s going and when – deliveries are passed through distribution centres and received far quicker
Tracking
Shipments can be tracked en-route through the use of barcode scanning
Faster payments
Invoices can be automatically matched and approved against ASN delivery
Want to learn more?
Our team of in-house experts have hosted a FREE webinar explaining all things ASNs. Whether you’re a Trading Partner or Supplier, you’ll find out how ASNs can work for your business.
To watch this webinar, please click here.
