ASN Best Practices and Common Mistakes to Avoid

Advanced Shipping Notices (ASNs) are powerful tools for inbound logistics, but their value depends on quality and timeliness. This article highlights proven best practices that make ASNs effective, and it explains frequent mistakes that cause receiving headaches and how to correct them. The tone is friendly and practical, aimed at beginners who want actionable guidance.

Best practices for accurate, useful ASNs

• Send ASNs promptly: Transmit the ASN as soon as shipment contents and transport details are confirmed. Too-early ASNs risk changes, but late ASNs deny the receiver planning time. Aim for a window agreed with your partner—commonly 24–72 hours prior to arrival for domestic shipments.
• Include complete PO and item-level data: Always reference the correct PO numbers and include SKU/GTIN for every item. Item-level quantities and packaging hierarchy help receivers match what arrives to expected receipts.
• Use standardized identifiers: Adopt SSCC for pallets, GTIN/UPC for products and your partner's SKU mapping if provided. Standards reduce mapping errors and speed automated matching.
• Provide accurate weights and dimensions: Correct weights and dimensions prevent dock congestion and help plan forklifts and storage allocation. They also avoid carrier billing disputes.
• Communicate lot, serial and expiry data: For regulated, perishable or serialized products, include batch, lot and expiry information to support traceability and quality control.
• Label shipments to match the ASN: Use pallet and carton labels containing SSCCs, PO references and barcodes that match ASN data. Scannable labels make verification fast and reliable.
• Update ASNs on change: If quantities, carrier or ETA change after transmission, send a corrected ASN immediately. Receivers need the latest information to allocate dock space and staff properly.
• Test and validate with partners: Before going live, run test transmissions and verify that fields map correctly into the receiver's WMS or ERP. Use acknowledgments and error reports to confirm successful exchanges.
• Automate where possible: Integrate ASN generation with your order management, packing and shipping systems so ASNs are created automatically from the source of truth and reduce manual entry errors.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced shippers make errors. Here are common pitfalls and practical fixes:

• Late or missing ASNs: Problem: The receiver has no advance notice and cannot schedule receiving. Fix: Establish clear SLA for ASN timing and automate ASN creation tied to shipment confirmation or carrier pickup.
• Mismatched quantities and packaging hierarchy: Problem: ASNs list different carton or pallet counts than actually shipped, causing time-consuming reconciliations. Fix: Generate ASNs after packing and scanning each logistic unit so counts are accurate. Use SSCCs at pallet level and include carton-level breakdowns.
• Wrong identifiers or SKU mismatches: Problem: The receiver can't match ASN items to their expected SKUs. Fix: Maintain a synchronized item master with trading partners or include both vendor SKU and receiver SKU/GTIN where possible. Agree on identifier formats early.
• No updates for changes: Problem: Shipments change en route (shortages, overages, carrier swaps) and the ASN remains outdated. Fix: Create a process to send amended ASNs when any critical data changes and confirm receipt of the update.
• Poor label practices: Problem: Labels on pallets/cartons don't match the ASN, slowing scanning and validation. Fix: Use label templates tied to ASN fields so label content is generated and printed from the same source.
• Relying solely on manual methods: Problem: Manual entry of ASN data via email or PDF leads to typos and delays. Fix: Move to structured formats—EDI, XML or API—when feasible, and use portal uploads as an intermediate step.

Metrics to track ASN performance

Measuring ASN effectiveness helps identify problems and demonstrate improvements. Useful metrics include:

• ASN accuracy rate: Percentage of ASNs that match physical receipts without exceptions.
• ASN timeliness: Average lead time between ASN transmission and actual arrival.
• Receiving cycle time: Time from truck arrival to inventory available for use or sale; ASNs should reduce this.
• Exception rate: Percentage of receipts that require investigation due to ASN mismatches.

How to get buy-in across partners

Successful ASN programs often require collaboration across suppliers, carriers and receivers. Start by agreeing on a minimal set of required fields, transmission timing and label formats. Offer training materials and testing support for suppliers who are new to ASNs. For high-volume or strategic suppliers, consider investing in integrations or EDI/API onboarding assistance.

Practical example of fixing a recurring ASN issue

A 3PL noticed frequent exceptions from one vendor because their ASNs listed carton counts but not pallet SSCCs; receiving had to manually reassign cartons to pallets. The 3PL provided a one-page template showing required SSCC and pallet-level counts, ran a quick training session, and added a validation rule to reject ASNs missing SSCCs. Within a month the supplier's ASN exception rate dropped sharply and dock throughput improved.

Final thoughts



High-quality ASNs save time, cut costs and reduce disputes. For beginners, focus on accuracy, clear identifiers, timely transmission and alignment with your trading partners. Automate what you can and measure outcomes—small improvements in ASN discipline lead to outsized benefits in receiving efficiency and inventory reliability.