The X12 name for the 856 is ship notice/manifest. It is built as a hierarchy of HL segments: the shipment at the top, with carrier, tracking and ship date; then the orders in it; then pallets and cartons; then the items and quantities in each. Cartons and pallets are usually identified by an SSCC printed on a GS1-128 label, so the receiver can scan the label and match it to the ASN.
The ASN is sent after the PO acknowledgment, once goods are packed, typically when they leave the dock and always before they arrive. It lets the receiver plan dock appointments and labor, receive by scanning instead of counting, and update inventory quickly. The invoice usually follows, and received quantities feed the three-way match against the purchase order.
Because receiving depends on it, the ASN is one of the most closely audited documents in retail vendor compliance programs. An ASN that doesn’t match the truck forces the receiver back to manual counting, slows putaway and delays payment. Common problems that lead to chargebacks include:
- ASNs sent late, after the truck arrives, or not at all
- Carton contents or quantities that don’t match the physical shipment
- Labels whose SSCC doesn’t match the ASN
- Wrong PO numbers, item identifiers or ship-to locations