Advance Shipping Notice (ASN) — Definition, Data Structure & 2025 FBA Inbound Workflow Updated Dec 2025

An Advance Shipping Notice (ASN) is a structured electronic message that tells a receiving warehouse which cartons, pallets, SKUs, and quantities are on an inbound shipment before it arrives. In EDI standards, this is typically the EDI 856 / ASN transaction set.

In Amazon and 3PL workflows, the ASN bridges the gap between the Purchase Order (PO), the FBA Shipment Plan or inbound order, and the Warehouse Management System (WMS) which controls receiving tasks.

• Who sends the ASN: Usually the supplier, vendor, or upstream 3PL.
• Who receives it: Retail DC, Amazon FC, or downstream 3PL warehouse.
• What it contains: Shipment identifiers, pallet/carton IDs, SKUs, quantities, and sometimes serials or lot numbers.
• What it enables: Pre-allocation of dock doors, labor, and storage locations; faster scan-based receiving.

In Amazon’s ecosystem, ASN-like data is reflected through Box Content information, Carton Labeling and Pallet Labeling that must match the Shipment Plan and the physical freight on arrival.

WinsBS Research sees the Advance Shipping Notice as the “data backbone” of inbound logistics. When the ASN is missing, late, or wrong, it drives the same type of issues that cause FBA Shipment Rejection, vendor chargebacks, and dock congestion.

• 1. ASN vs Physical Mismatch
  ASN says 40 cartons and 4 pallets, but the truck arrives with 52 cartons and 5 pallets, or with different SKU mixes. WMS cannot auto-match, so receiving reverts to manual count.
• 2. Missing Carton or Pallet IDs
  ASN lists SKUs and quantities, but lacks carton IDs or pallet-level detail. This breaks scan-based receiving and makes pallet traceability impossible.
• 3. Wrong Box Content Data
  Carton A is declared as 24 units of SKU X, but physically contains mixed SKUs (X + Y). This is a primary root cause of box-content defects and inbound performance hits at Amazon FCs.
• 4. Late ASN Transmission
  ASN is sent only after the truck has already left or arrived at the dock. Receiving teams cannot pre-assign putaway locations or labor, slowing dock-to-stock time.
• 5. ASN Not Linked to PO or Shipment Plan
  ASN references are not mapped to the correct PO, Sales Order, or FBA Shipment Plan. This leads to “orphan” inbound receipts that sit in WMS as unidentified inventory.
• 6. Duplicate or Reused Carton IDs
  Vendors reuse carton ID ranges across multiple ASNs. WMS sees duplicates and either blocks receiving or overwrites historical data, damaging traceability.
• 7. Non-compliant Labeling vs ASN
  Labels printed at the factory do not reflect the final ASN structure created later in a separate system. On arrival, scanners read a label that does not exist in the ASN data.
• 8. No ASN for Cross-dock or Transload Scenarios
  In Cross-docking, missing ASN means the 3PL cannot re-label and turn the freight fast enough, causing missed appointments and downstream Inbound Appointment failures.

Across inbound programs reviewed by WinsBS Research, 70–80% of receiving delays in 3PL and FBA-oriented warehouses are tied to either missing ASNs or mismatches between ASN data, carton/pallet labels, and shipment plans.

1. PO / Shipment Plan Creation
   The buyer issues a Purchase Order (PO) or creates an FBA Shipment Plan. This defines SKUs, quantities, and destination FC or warehouse.
2. Packing & Labeling at Supplier or Prep Center
   Supplier or FBA Prep Service packs inventory, applies carton and pallet labels, and records box content per carton.
3. ASN File Generation
   Vendor, 3PL, or forwarder generates the ASN—via EDI 856 / ASN, CSV, XML, or API.
4. Transmission to Receiving Warehouse
   ASN is sent to the retailer DC, Amazon FC, or 3PL warehouse. Receiving systems pre-create inbound orders from ASN data.
5. Pre-Receiving Setup in WMS
   The WMS allocates receiving lanes, labor, and putaway locations based on ASN.
6. Truck Arrival & Check-in
   Driver arrives with BOL, shipment ID, and appointment reference. Dock staff verifies the shipment matches an existing ASN.
7. Scan-based Receiving Against ASN
   Staff scan carton or pallet labels. WMS validates scans against ASN content.
8. Exception Handling & Variance Logging
   Overages, shortages, and wrong SKUs are logged as variances. Severe mismatches risk FBA Shipment Rejection.
9. Putaway & Inventory Update
   After verification, inventory is put away and WMS updates Inventory Snapshots.

Michael, Senior Supply Chain Analyst at WinsBS Research:

“Advance Shipping Notice is not a paperwork formality — it’s a live contract between data and physical freight. When ASNs are generated from the same source of truth as packing and labeling, receiving becomes a scan-and-go process. When ASN data is maintained in one system and labels in another, mismatches appear as dock backups, manual counts, and eventually inbound rejections or vendor fines.”

WinsBS Research benchmarks show that 99%+ ASN accuracy can reduce dock-to-stock time by 25–40% while lowering mis-ship and shrinkage risk. For Amazon sellers, aligning ASN-equivalent data (box contents, labels, shipment plans) directly affects Inbound Performance and IPI health.

• ASN vs Physical Shipment Mismatch
• Box Content Mismatch
• Missing or Late ASN
• Pallet Traceability Gap
• FBA Pallet Inbound Rejection
• Truck Detention & Redelivery Fees
• Vendor Compliance Chargebacks
• Inbound Performance Defect (Amazon)