Goods Receipt Note
The Goods Receipt Note records the physical arrival of goods at a warehouse and updates stock balances. When linked to a Purchase Order, it also helps track which goods have been received and which are still outstanding.
Goods receipt and the Purchase Invoice are separate operations: goods may arrive before or after the supplier sends the invoice.
Goods Receipt Notes are only available when warehouse management is enabled. If it is disabled, warehouse documents cannot be created and Purchase Orders do not display a goods receipt status.
Creating a goods receipt
You can create a Goods Receipt Note in two ways:
- directly from the goods receipt list using Create;
- from a Purchase Order.
When you create a receipt from a Purchase Order, the program proposes goods and outstanding quantities, taking into account receipts already linked to the order.
Before posting the document, check the proposed goods, select the warehouse and enter the quantities actually received. You can adjust the suggested quantities if the supplier's delivery differs from the order.
Selecting a warehouse
Each Goods Receipt Note records goods arriving at one warehouse. Select the warehouse where the goods are physically received.
If the company uses several warehouses, stock can subsequently be moved between them using a stock transfer document. An internal transfer between warehouses is not a new receipt from the supplier.
Warehouse bins
If warehouse bins are enabled, you must specify the destination bin when recording the receipt, before posting the document.
One possible workflow is to use a designated receiving area or receiving bin. Goods are first recorded there and are then moved to their storage bins using stock transfer documents.
This keeps the supplier receipt and the internal distribution of goods as separate operations.
Batch tracking
If a product is tracked by batch, the relevant batch must be specified before posting the receipt.
When the supplier's batch number is difficult to obtain but batch tracking is necessary or advisable, you can enable automatic batch creation on receipt or production.
This setting belongs to the product type used for batch tracking, which is selected in the product record. It allows a batch to be created automatically when goods are received or produced, without relying on a supplier batch number.
Batch tracking, warehouse bins and stock transfers will be covered in the Warehouse documentation.
Partial receipts and quantity differences
A Purchase Order can be received in full or through several partial receipts.
For example, if you order 100 units and receive 80, record the 80 units actually received. The Purchase Order will show 20 units still outstanding.
When you create another receipt from the same order, the program proposes the quantities that have not yet been received.
If the received quantities are higher or lower than those ordered, the differences appear in the order's goods receipt status. You can review them by product in the Purchase Orders report.
The indicators and report are explained in Purchase Order.
Relationship with the Purchase Invoice
You can create a Purchase Invoice from a Goods Receipt Note.
Initially, the invoice contains only the goods and quantities recorded in that receipt. You can then change its contents to match the supplier's invoice, such as by adjusting quantities or prices or adding other goods, services or expenses.
It is important to distinguish:
- Purchase Order: what was ordered from the supplier.
- Goods Receipt Note: what physically arrived at the warehouse.
- Purchase Invoice: what the supplier invoiced.
These operations are tracked separately. A purchase may have been fully received but remain wholly or partially uninvoiced.
For guidance on recording and checking supplier invoices, see Recording expenses — Purchase Invoice.
Goods Receipt Operations
The document supports two operations:
- Receipt from Supplier: records goods received from a supplier.
- Return from Customer: records goods returned by a customer as part of the sales process.