Goods arriving from Turkey: from shipment papers to warehouse receipt

On a shipment from Turkey, three figures circulate for the same goods: the one on the invoice, the one on the packing list and the one that comes off the truck. They do not have to be the same, and they may even be written in different units. If the difference is noticed only after the goods are in the warehouse, going back to the supplier, carrier or driver is harder. Goods receipt is therefore the first and cheapest control point. Here is a checking order from the papers to the receipt.

Customs procedures and tax calculations are outside the scope of this article; clarify them with your customs broker and your accountant.

Four figures, four documents

• Invoice: the commercial quantity, usually in metres, pieces or m².
• Packing list: the number of rolls, cartons or pallets and often the kilograms.
• Transport document (for example a CMR): the total number of packages and the gross weight.
• Warehouse receipt: the quantity you counted, written in the unit on the item card.

They complement each other but do not say the same thing. The packing list says "30 rolls" while the invoice says "4,500 metres"; both can be right, but to verify the metres you have to look at the roll labels.

Goods that have left but not yet entered the warehouse are not warehouse stock. When accounting treats them as stock (on departure, at the border or at receipt) is your decision; what matters is that it is written down and that goods "in transit" appear on a separate list. On count day they are not looked for on the shelf.

Before unloading

• Do the vehicle plate and document numbers match the shipment details?
• Is the seal number the same as on the document, and is the seal intact?
• Has the load been photographed as it stands before unloading? Is the driver still present?

These questions take a few minutes. If the answer is "no", inform the person in charge before unloading and note it in writing.

During unloading: a blind count first

The person counting counts the pallets, rolls or cartons without looking at the packing list; this is a blind count. Someone who counts while seeing the expected number leans towards it without noticing. They write their own count first and only then compare it with the packing list.

1. Count pallets, rolls and cartons.
2. Read the metres, pieces or m² from the labels and convert them to the unit on the item card.
3. Compare the lot, colour or shade of each item with the label and the documents.
4. Set aside and photograph damaged or wet packaging.
5. Write the count result beside the invoice and the packing list.

If there is a difference: a report before the driver leaves

If a difference appears, the report is prepared while the driver or the carrier's representative is still there. It states the date, vehicle plate, document number, item, quantity on the document, quantity counted, photo references and signatures. For notifying the supplier, the periods in your contract apply; learn them in advance and put them on the goods-receipt form. Who bears the responsibility depends on the contract and the delivery terms, so consult your legal adviser or logistics lead.

Example: the packing list is right, the metres are short

In an illustrative shipment the invoice shows 30 rolls × 150 m = 4,500 m of fabric, and the packing list says 30 rolls. The blind count finds 30 rolls, so the roll count is complete. The labels show 150 m on 28 rolls and 120 m on 2 rolls: 28 × 150 = 4,200 and 2 × 120 = 240, a total of 4,440 m. That is 60 m short of the invoice, or 60 ÷ 4,500 = about 1.3 per cent.

Because the packing list is "right" on the number of rolls, a check on rolls alone would never have shown the difference. The receipt is posted as 4,440 m, the 60 m difference goes into the report the same day and is notified to the supplier. The metres cannot be verified without looking at the labels.

In short

A difference caught at goods receipt is closed with a short report; one caught weeks after the goods are in the warehouse usually turns into an argument. StockSystem places the balance in the records next to the quantity found on site and sorts differences into unposted slips, wrong items and genuine shortages; differences that began at goods receipt show up in that breakdown too.