Receiving
The receiving process matches inbound product against purchase orders, expected receipts, and advanced shipping notices (ASNs). Different receiving methodologies are used depending on the unit of measure utilized for each product (i.e. eaches, cases, pallets, etc.), the volume of product, and the level of verification required. In the distribution industry, it is important to select the right methodology and automation level, due to the labor content. As a result the following are typical receiving methodologies utilized within the distribution industry:
- PC based receiving with a hand-held scanner. This method usually involves a receiving workstation for the operator.
- RF based receiving which allows movement of the operator around the receiving dock area.
- Voice based receiving providing a hands-free and eyes-free check-in process.
- Automated receiving using extendable conveyors and camera scanners to automatically capture the bar code or RFID tag information, weight, and cube of the inbound product. Close coordination with suppliers is required for label or RFID tag specification conformance.
Each methodology will have configurable levels of auditing (quality control) the inbound product. In addition, receiving can be designed to accommodate inter-facility shipments, customer returns, and blind receipts.
