How to automate your goods delivery and receiving process harmonised GS1 standards

How to automate your goods
delivery and receiving process
Understand how the process can be automated using
harmonised GS1 standards
A typical goods delivery and receiving process depends on suppliers and retailers sharing information. For the process to work
efficiently, this information needs to be in a standard format, used by multiple retailers and all their suppliers.
The chart below shows this typical process. The chart overleaf shows which GS1 standards are used at each stage of the process.
SUPPLIER
RETAILER
Produce goods
Pack goods into cases
ORDER
Generate and send an order
Pick goods into pallets to create
the delivery
SHIPPING
ORDERING
Receive and process the ASN
(and check against the order)
RECEIVING
PRODUCTION
Receive and check the goods
(and check against the ASN)
Confirm the receipt of goods
Advanced
Shipping
Notification
(ASN)
Generate and send an ASN
GOODS
Electronic
Proof of
Delivery (EPOD)
Ship goods
Receive and process receipt
information
Put the goods away or cross-dock
INVOICING
Receive and process invoice
(match with order and delivery)
Invoice
Prepare and send invoice
PAYMENT
PAYMENT
Send payment
Receive and process payment
SUPPLIER
RETAILER
Produce goods
Send a GS1
standard order
EDI message
ORDERING
Scan the GS1 128
bar code - and
match the SSCC of
each pallet against
the despatch advice
EDI message
RECEIVING
Send a GS1 standard
receipt advice EDI
message (EPOD)
Once the goods
have been received
they can be stored
or cross-docked for
immediate onward
delivery
Receive and process
the invoice EDI
message - and
match against the
order and despatch/
receipt
advice EDI
PAYMENT
messages
ORDER
Generate and send an order
Receive and process the despatch
advice message - and check
against the order EDI message
Receive and process the ASN
(and check against the order)
Receive and check the goods
(and check against the ASN)
Confirm the receipt of goods
Advanced
Shipping
Notification
(ASN)
Identify goods with
item-level GTIN and
bar code
Pack goods into cases
Identify cases with
case-level
GTIN and
PRODUCTION
bar code
Pick goods into pallets to create
the delivery
Identify pallets with
GS1 Logistics Labels
– encoding the SSCC
in a GS1-128 bar code
Send a GS1 standard despatch advice
EDI message (ASN) - including the
SSCCs of all the pallets
SHIPPING
Generate and send an ASN
GOODS
Electronic
Proof of
Delivery (EPOD)
Ship goods
Receive and process receipt
information
Once the ASN has
been sent the actual
goods are delivered
Receive and process
the receipt advice
EDI message
Put the goods away or cross-dock
INVOICING
Receive and process invoice
(match with order and delivery)
Invoice
Prepare and send invoice
Send a GS1 standard
invoice EDI message
Receive and process payment
Payment is received
PAYMENT
Send payment
Once the invoice has
been matched then
payment is sent
GS1 standards define how identification is carried out and how supply chain information is captured and shared between trading
partners. Familiarise yourself with the three fundamental GS1 areas below.
GS1 Identification Keys are used to uniquely identify items and locations throughout the supply chain:
• GTINs (Global Trade Item Number) are used to identify products
• GLNs (Global Location Number) identify locations, such as a supplier’s factory or a retailer’s distribution centre
• SSCCs (Serial Shipping Container Code) identify logistics units, such as a pallet of goods
GS1 bar codes encode the Identification Keys so they can be quickly scanned and processed, with no slow or inaccurate
re-keying of data:
• EAN-8 or EAN-13 bar codes are commonly used on products to store the product GTIN
• ITF-14 or GS1-128 bar codes are commonly used on cases to store the case GTIN
• GS1-128 bar codes are used in logistics labels on pallets, encoding the pallet SSCC
GS1 EDI messages define a standard format for common business documents that are shared between suppliers and
retailers, for example:
• Order
• Despatch Advice, commonly known as an ASN (Advanced Shipping Notification)
• Receipt Advice, commonly known as an EPOD (Electronic Proof of Delivery)
• Invoice