Receiving Goods

Receiving is where inventory enters your location. Whether goods arrive from a supplier, another warehouse, or as a return, accurate receiving is critical for maintaining reliable stock data.

The Receiving Process

When a shipment arrives at your facility, the general workflow is:

  1. Identify the shipment — Find the corresponding stock movement or purchase order in OpenBoxes
  2. Inspect the goods — Verify quantities, check for damage, confirm lot numbers and expiry dates
  3. Record the receipt — Enter what was actually received into the system
  4. Putaway — Assign received items to their storage locations (bin locations)

Receiving Against a Purchase Order

When goods arrive from a supplier with a linked PO:

  1. Navigate to Purchasing > Purchase Orders and open the relevant PO
  2. Click Receive
  3. For each line item, enter:
    • Quantity received — What you actually counted
    • Lot number — From the manufacturer's label
    • Expiry date — From the product packaging
  4. Review the summary and confirm

The system automatically updates the PO status and adds the received inventory to your stock.

Tip: Always receive against the PO rather than creating a standalone receipt. This links the transaction to the order, giving you a complete procurement trail from order to delivery.

Receiving Against a Stock Movement

When goods arrive from another facility via stock movement:

  1. Navigate to Stock Movements > Inbound
  2. Find the movement in Shipped status
  3. Click Receive
  4. Verify each line item against what was physically delivered
  5. Enter received quantities
  6. Complete the receipt

The sending location's shipped quantities are reconciled against your received quantities, and any differences are recorded.

Partial Receiving

You do not have to receive everything at once. Partial receiving handles situations where:

  • Only part of an order arrives (supplier back-ordered some items)
  • A shipment arrives in multiple deliveries
  • You want to process what is ready while waiting for the rest

To partially receive:

  1. Open the PO or stock movement
  2. Enter quantities only for the items that arrived
  3. Leave undelivered items at zero
  4. Complete the partial receipt

The PO or movement stays in Partially Received status. When the remaining items arrive, repeat the process. OpenBoxes tracks cumulative received quantities across all partial receipts.

Tip: Document the reason for partial receipts in the comments field. When you revisit the order later, you will know whether remaining items are on their way or need to be re-ordered.

Handling Discrepancies

Discrepancies between expected and received quantities are common. OpenBoxes handles these scenarios:

Short Shipment

Received less than expected. Record what you actually received. The difference is tracked on the PO or movement. Follow up with the supplier or sending facility.

Over-Shipment

Received more than expected. Record the actual quantity. Depending on your policy, you may accept the overage or arrange a return.

Damaged Goods

If items arrive damaged:

  1. Receive the undamaged portion normally
  2. Record damaged items separately with an appropriate comment
  3. Create an inventory adjustment to write off damaged stock, or quarantine it pending a decision

Wrong Items

If the wrong product was sent, do not receive it against the expected line item. Note the discrepancy and contact the sender to arrange a correction.

The Putaway Workflow

After receiving, items need to be assigned to specific storage locations within your warehouse. The putaway workflow:

  1. After completing a receipt, OpenBoxes creates a putaway list
  2. For each received item, assign a bin location (shelf, rack, zone)
  3. Warehouse staff physically move items to their assigned locations
  4. Mark each item as put away to confirm placement

Putaway ensures your bin location data stays accurate, which is essential for efficient picking during stock movements.

Tip: Designate a receiving/staging area as a bin location. Receive all goods into this area first, then putaway to final locations. This two-step process prevents items from being "lost" between the dock and the shelf.

Receiving Without a PO or Movement

For unplanned receipts (donations, emergency supplies), you can record stock directly:

  1. Navigate to the product's stock card
  2. Record a positive inventory adjustment
  3. Enter lot number, expiry date, and quantity
  4. Select the reason code (e.g., "Donation received")

While this works, it does not provide the same traceability as receiving against a PO or movement. Use it only when no corresponding order exists.

Best Practices

  • Receive on the day goods arrive — Delays between physical receipt and system entry create confusion
  • Verify lot numbers and expiry dates — These are essential for FEFO compliance and recall management
  • Count everything — Do not assume the packing list is correct; always verify quantities physically
  • Complete putaway promptly — Items left in the receiving area without putaway are effectively invisible to the rest of the system
  • Train all receiving staff — Consistent data entry practices prevent errors that propagate through the entire supply chain