Confirm receiving before dispatch
Share the goods and packaging profile first, especially for bulky, fragile or special cargo. Obtain the confirmed warehouse address, contact, receiving hours and parcel identification instructions for this shipment. A contact address on the website is not, by itself, permission to send goods. Check whether supplier delivery, collection or appointment coordination is part of the agreed scope.
Create one arrival register
Use a row for each supplier order and domestic tracking number. Record the expected cartons and product quantities separately: three cartons do not establish how many saleable units arrived. Keep the supplier packing list with the order. If one order arrives in several deliveries, record each arrival against the same purchase reference without marking the entire order complete prematurely.
Agree what will be checked
Arrival registration, exterior photographs, opening cartons, counting products and functional testing are different tasks. Specify which cartons or products should be checked and what evidence should be returned. Where a parcel remains sealed, its contents should remain unverified in the record. Visible damage or missing labels should be recorded against the carton identifier.
Resolve differences before combining orders
For shortages, a wrong model or visible damage, preserve the photos and notify the decision-maker. Decide whether to hold, accept, request more evidence or discuss a supplier return. Record the instruction and date before repacking. The arrival record then becomes the starting point for storage, consolidation and the final packing list.
Your preparation checklist
- Order reference and supplier name
- Domestic tracking number and expected arrival
- Expected carton count and product quantities
- Required photos and agreed inspection scope
- Contact responsible for accepting discrepancies
Record expected and received quantities separately
Create an expected-arrival entry before the goods leave the supplier. Include the supplier reference, carrier tracking reference if available, expected package count and product description. On receipt, record what was actually received and what level of checking was performed. A package-count check should not be described as a count of every item inside.
Example: three cartons expected, two received
Illustrative example: the supplier's notice lists three cartons, while the receiving record shows two. Record the two package labels and ask whether the third carton is travelling separately. Keep the expected quantity unchanged and add the discrepancy to the record. Do not silently reduce the order quantity to match the delivery.
Close the discrepancy before release
Assign a contact to confirm the missing package or approve a partial release. Record that decision against the order and specify which packages may move. Use the arrival register to keep evidence of the handover, then carry the same references into the packing list.
