What is an ASN?
An ASN (Advanced Shipping Notice) is an electronic document sent by a supplier to a customer before the physical delivery of goods. This EDI file (usually the EDIFACT DESADV standard) contains detailed information about the shipment: what is being sent, in what quantities, how it is packaged (pallets/boxes) and the estimated arrival time.
Impact on the Receiving Flow
Without the ASN, the warehouse operates blindly. With this notice integrated into the WMS, the efficiency gain is dramatic:
Automatic Pre-Receiving
The WMS creates an expected "receiving order". When the truck arrives, the operator simply confirms what is already in the system, instead of registering everything from scratch.
Resource Planning
The warehouse manager knows whether the unloading team needs reinforcement for the next morning based on the volume of ASNs received.
Opportunistic Cross-Docking
The system identifies in advance whether incoming products already have pending orders, enabling direct flow to dispatch.