Advance Shipping Notice (ASN)

An Advance Shipping Notice (ASN) is an electronic notification sent from a shipper to a receiver that provides detailed information about a pending shipment before it arrives. This document is crucial for efficient receiving operations and inventory management.

What’s Included in an ASN

A typical ASN contains:

• Shipment details: Carrier, tracking number, ship date, expected arrival
• Contents: Item descriptions, quantities, SKUs, lot numbers
• Packaging: Number of cartons, pallet count, weights
• Purchase order reference: Links shipment to original order

Benefits of ASN

1. Faster receiving - Warehouse staff can prepare for incoming shipments
2. Reduced errors - Pre-validated data reduces manual entry mistakes
3. Better inventory visibility - Know what’s coming before it arrives
4. Cross-docking efficiency - Route items immediately upon arrival

ASN in EDI

In electronic data interchange (EDI), the ASN is transmitted as an EDI 856 document. This standardized format enables automated processing between trading partners without manual intervention.

Who Uses ASN

ASNs are most common in:

• Retail supply chains (required by major retailers like Walmart, Target)
• Manufacturing (just-in-time operations)
• 3PL and fulfillment operations
• B2B distribution