Not only does an advanced ship notice inform the buyer when the shipment will be delivered it also confirms additional information that help the buyer prepare for the delivery, enabling the receiving costs to be reduced (according to Supply Chain Digest the cost saving potentially is generally thought to be by about 40%).
The content of the notice depends on the trading partners’ requirements, but typically includes:
Order information – the purchase order number or reference should be included at a minimum
Delivery details – the delivery date, time and booking reference
Location information – Global Location Numbers (GLNs) to identify all trading partners involved in the transaction (supplier, buyer and carrier where appropriate) and the delivery address should be included in all ASN’s
Pallet codes – it is important that the buyer knows how many pallets will be included
Physical characteristics – what package will be used, for example pallet type
Product details – a description of the products should be included – some companies also include case size although this is not mandatory. GTIN’s, which stand for Global Trade Item Number and are the unique number that identifies products, should also be included for each product line.