What Is an ASN?
An ASN (Advance Ship Notice), also known as an 856 in EDI terms, is a document you send to the retailer telling them exactly what you shipped, how you shipped it, and when it should arrive. Think of it as a detailed packing slip that arrives before the truck does.
The ASN is one of the most important documents in the entire EDI process. Retailers depend on it to:
- Prepare their warehouses — Staff and dock doors are allocated based on incoming ASNs.
- Speed up receiving — When the warehouse knows what's on the truck, they can verify and shelve products faster.
- Track inventory — The ASN updates the retailer's inventory system before the goods physically arrive.
Why ASNs Are So Critical
Of all the EDI documents, the ASN is the one that causes the most chargebacks when it goes wrong. Here are the common failures:
- Missing ASN — You shipped the products but never sent the ASN. The warehouse doesn't know the shipment is coming, causing delays and penalties.
- Late ASN — You sent the ASN after the shipment arrived. By that point, the warehouse already had to process the shipment manually — at your expense.
- Inaccurate ASN — The ASN says 50 cases but the truck has 45. Every discrepancy gets flagged and can result in a chargeback.
Rule of thumb: Always send the ASN before the shipment leaves your facility, or at the very latest, the same day it ships. Never wait until the next day.
How to Create a Shipment in RetailReady
Here's the step-by-step process:
- Open the order you're shipping from your Orders dashboard.
- Click the "Create Shipment" button.
- Select the items you're including in this shipment. If you're shipping everything on the order, select all items. If you're doing a partial shipment, select only the items and quantities you're shipping now.
- Enter carrier information:
- Carrier name (e.g., UPS, FedEx, or your freight carrier)
- SCAC code (the carrier's Standard Carrier Alpha Code — more on this in the next article)
- Tracking number or PRO number
- Ship date
- Estimated delivery date
- Select the package type (Carton, Pallet, Bundle, etc.) and weight unit (LB or KG) for the shipment.
- Add carton details: For each carton in the shipment, you can enter the SSCC-18 barcode, weight, and dimensions. When you add a carton, RetailReady automatically fills in the remaining available quantity for each line item based on what has already been assigned to other cartons. You can adjust these quantities if needed. Retailers use this information for warehouse receiving and inventory tracking.
- Review and submit. Double-check every field — carrier, tracking, quantities, weights. Once you submit, RetailReady generates the 856 ASN document and sends it to the retailer automatically.
After You Submit
Once the shipment is created:
- The order status updates to "Shipped" (or "Partially Shipped" if items remain).
- The ASN appears in your order's document history with its own status indicator.
- A draft invoice is automatically created for this shipment, pre-populated with matching line items and quantities. You can review and send it from the Invoice tab.
- The retailer receives the ASN and can track the incoming shipment.
You can view shipment details at any time by opening the order and clicking on the shipment record. Each shipment and its linked invoice have their own row showing the EDI document status and any pre-send validation warnings.
Correcting a Sent ASN
If you need to make corrections after an ASN has been sent, you can resend it directly from RetailReady:
- Open the order and navigate to the Ship tab.
- Find the outbound document in the document history and click "Resend."
- Choose whether to resend as-is (retransmit the same document) or regenerate (rebuild the document from current shipment data, then send).
- If you updated shipment details (tracking number, quantities, etc.), choose regenerate so the corrected data is included.
Important: ASN corrections must arrive at the retailer before the physical shipment does. Once the warehouse has received and processed your shipment against the original ASN, corrections may not be accepted. Always correct ASNs as quickly as possible.
Tips for Accurate ASNs
- Create the shipment the same day you ship. Don't wait until the next morning.
- Double-check your tracking number. A transposed digit means the retailer can't track your shipment.
- Match your quantities exactly. If you packed 48 units, enter 48 — not 50 because that's what the PO said.
- Use the correct unit of measure. If the PO is in cases, report your shipment in cases. If it's in eaches, report in eaches.
Preflight Checks for Shipments
Before RetailReady sends your 856 ASN, it runs preflight checks to ensure the document will be accepted by the retailer. Here are the checks and what to do if they fail:
Shipment Not Found
The shipment could not be found. It may have been deleted.
Shipment Number Required
Every ASN needs a shipment number to identify it. Enter a shipment number in the Ship tab.
Ship Date Required
The ship date tells the retailer when the products left your facility. Set it in the Ship tab.
Carrier Required
A shipping carrier is required for the ASN. Select a carrier (UPS, FedEx, etc.) in the Ship tab. The carrier's SCAC code will be included automatically.
Carton Details Required
This retailer requires carton-level detail in the ASN, including SSCC-18 barcodes for each carton. Add carton information in the Shipment section.
SSCC-18 Required
An SSCC-18 barcode is required for this carton. Use the Generate button to create a valid SSCC-18 number automatically. This number is included in the ASN and can be printed on shipping labels from the shipment detail page.
SSCC-18 Invalid
The SSCC-18 must be exactly 18 numeric digits. The current value is in an invalid format. Use the Generate button to create a valid barcode.
Shipped Exceeds Acknowledged
You are shipping more items than were acknowledged in the 855. This will likely trigger a chargeback. Reduce the shipped quantity to match the acknowledged quantity.
Shipped Exceeds Ordered
You are shipping more than was ordered on the purchase order. This will likely be rejected by the retailer. Reduce the shipped quantity to match the ordered quantity.
BOL Number Recommended
A Bill of Lading (BOL) number is recommended for better compliance tracking. While not always required, adding a BOL number helps resolve disputes if a chargeback is issued.
856 Document Validation
After preflight checks pass, RetailReady validates the generated 856 EDI document structure:
- Missing BSN Segment — The BSN (Beginning Segment for Ship Notice) is required. It identifies the shipment. Ensure the shipment has a number and ship date.
- BSN Segment Incomplete — The BSN needs at least 4 data elements (purpose code, shipment ID, date, time).
- BSN01 Purpose Code Invalid — The purpose code must be a valid value (00 for Original). This is set automatically.
- BSN03 Ship Date Invalid — The ship date must be in CCYYMMDD format (e.g., 20260315). Set a valid date in the Ship tab.
- Missing HL Segments — The HL (Hierarchy Level) segments define the shipment structure (shipment, order, item levels). Ensure the shipment has line items.