A pallet arrives with five gas stove cartons. The advance shipment notice also lists five. The pallet label scans, but one carton contains a different stove model from the one the warehouse expected. Posting the pallet as complete would put stock on the wrong item and leave a real shortage hidden behind a matching carton total.
For gas stove pallet receiving, compare the order, the shipment notice and the physical cases before confirming stock. If they disagree, record the difference by item and unit of measure. Keep confirmed, held and missing quantities separate so the supplier and warehouse can resolve the exception without losing the original count.
Use the scan to find the shipment
The purchase order (PO) says what the buyer expects. The advance shipment notice (ASN), also called a despatch advice, says what the supplier reports sending on that shipment. The physical count says what reached the dock. Preserve those as three observations. If the supplier sends an amended ASN, keep its revision alongside the one the receiver originally saw.
In a GS1 workflow, a Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) identifies an individual logistics unit, such as a particular loaded pallet. The receiving system can use it to find the shipment data linked to that pallet. A GTIN, where used, identifies a trade item at the relevant packaging level. When a pallet is mixed and is itself only a logistics unit, the GS1 Logistic Label Guideline describes linking the item detail electronically to the SSCC. The GS1 overview of logistics unit identification explains the same distinction from the scan side.
Ask the receiver what happens after scanning. In one setup the scan opens an ASN for inspection. In another it can trigger receipt, depending on the system and the supplier agreement. The GS1 guideline describes both acceptance from shipment data and checks against actual contents, especially where a load contains multiple products. Test the actual workflow before the first shipment. If the supplier and warehouse use a shared pallet reference outside a GS1 workflow, agree how to look up the right manifest and how to flag a previously received pallet.
Work the mismatch by model and by case
ECOBRIDGE lists Model 6002LB at eight units per master carton and Model 6052 at four. Both are two-burner cookers. A warehouse item called “two-burner stove” could therefore collapse two different receiving conversions. Use the full model and the approved case count for the actual PO. These are published reference counts. This example makes no assumption about whether the two cartons can share a physical pallet safely.
Fictional receiving exercise. The supplier and receiver have agreed to accept mixed pallets. The PO and ASN for pallet P07 call for three cases of 6002LB and two cases of 6052. Counting the model marks on the five intact cases instead shows two cases of 6002LB and three of 6052. The case counts below use the two published pack quantities solely to demonstrate the reconciliation.
| Model | Eaches per case | PO and ASN | At dock | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6002LB | 8 | 3 cases / 24 eaches | 2 cases / 16 eaches | 1 case / 8 eaches short |
| 6052 | 4 | 2 cases / 8 eaches | 3 cases / 12 eaches | 1 case / 4 eaches over |
| Total | Varies | 5 cases / 32 eaches | 5 cases / 28 eaches | Case count matches. Item balances do not. |
The useful report is “6002LB short by eight, 6052 over by four.” A single net shortage of four conceals which inventory is missing and which is extra. If case contents or labels are uncertain, record the cases as observed and the appliance quantity as pending confirmation. Use the agreed inspection process before treating a carton calculation as a verified piece count.
What can be posted? If the warehouse can split the receipt and the buyer authorizes it, the exercise allows two eligible cases of each model: 16 units of 6002LB and eight of 6052. Hold the extra 6052 case separately and keep eight 6002LB units open against the order. If the receiver cannot split a receipt without posting the full ASN, hold the affected pallet and escalate the exception. For a second scan of P07, check the receipt history before creating another transaction.
Agree the exception path before dispatch
- Ask the supplier for one shipment breakdown. Tie each pallet reference to the shipment ID, PO lines, exact buyer item and supplier model, case count and units per case. For the agreed GS1 workflow, supply the SSCC-to-contents link in the ASN. An attached load map can help identify carton positions, as described in the pallet planning guide.
- Give the receiver a matching rule. Agree what can be accepted from a scan alone and when to open an exception. Include mixed loads, unknown pallet references, duplicate scans and missing ASNs. Record which team may approve an amended notice or post a partial receipt.
- Test with a clean and an exception pallet. In the receiver’s test workflow, scan a valid pallet and confirm the resulting item quantities. Repeat the scan and confirm a second receipt is prevented or flagged for review. Then use a test manifest with the same total case count but different item counts. Check that the operator can record the variance and avoid booking the whole planned load.
GS1’s wholesaler fulfilment example shows the order of the handoff: assign the pallet identity after picking and packing, then send the ASN and use the warehouse system for inventory and delivery records. That example comes from foodservice. For an appliance shipment, use the sequence to test when the contents record becomes final and what happens if the load changes after that point.
Copy this receiving exception record
| Field | Record |
|---|---|
| Shipment reference | PO, ASN and revision, supplier, dock, receipt date and time |
| Pallet identity | SSCC or agreed pallet reference, label photo, scanned ASN match, previous receipt check |
| One line per item | Buyer item, exact supplier model, PO cases, ASN cases, observed cases, approved eaches per case, verified piece count if available |
| Disposition | Quantity posted, quantity physically held, quantity still open, receipt or hold reference |
| Close the exception | Buyer or supplier decision, person approving it, corrected record or ASN revision, follow-up owner and due date |
Send the affected lines, pallet reference and label photos to the supplier. Keep the original and corrected data connected so a second operator can explain what was received and what remains open. If the discrepancy includes damaged goods, collect the separate evidence described in the arrival evidence guide. For an ECOBRIDGE order, share the full model, approved carton quantity and receiving instructions with the supply team before shipment.
Sources
- GS1 Logistic Label Guideline, sections on trade item information and receiving.
- GS1 logistics unit identification overview, scope of SSCC.
- GS1 wholesaler fulfilment workflow, foodservice example.
- ECOBRIDGE product specifications for 6002LB and 6052, reviewed November 9, 2026. Published pack counts only.