An ASN — Advance Shipping Notice — is an electronic message (EDI 856) that tells a buyer (typically a retailer like Coles or Woolworths) what's in a shipment before the truck arrives. It contains pallet-level detail, SSCC barcodes, contents, quantities and expected arrival.
The longer version.
The ASN is a standardised EDI message — usually EDI 856 in X12 format — that the supplier sends to the buyer ahead of a delivery. It maps every SSCC (pallet-level identifier) to its contents, lot, expiry and quantity. When the truck arrives at the DC, the receiving team scans the SSCC, the ASN tells them what should be on the pallet, and the receipt is matched against the PO automatically. Without an ASN, receipt is manual, slow, and expensive — and major retailers will fine you for the inconvenience.
Key facts.
Why it matters.
- Major AU retailers (Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Bunnings) require ASNs
- Missing ASN is the #1 chargeback we see in retail compliance audits
- ASN must match physical pallets — every SSCC sent in EDI must arrive on a matching pallet
Common pitfalls.
- Sending the ASN at booking time rather than dispatch — the SSCCs may not match if loads change
- Building EDI from scratch with a 3PL that's not already a Coles/Woolies trading partner
- Not testing the ASN flow during onboarding, then discovering it on first PO
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