Arrival and Receipt

The arrival and receipt function is flexible, allowing you to perform actions even if they are not planned and/or set up from the beginning. The most efficient way of working is to use one of the receive cases together with default locations adapted to the actions in the receive case.

Overview of the Receipt function

In the receipt function, you can perform the following:

The working process of the receipt function is affected by:

Receive Cases

Receive cases can be seen as guidelines in the working process. A common way of working is to have a default receive case and any inspection code specified for the relevant source object. This receive case and any quantity to inspect is then indicated by default when the source order is entered. Purchase orders gets the default receive case from the purchase order line. You can change a receive case directly on a purchase order line or in connection with the arrival registration. If you are changing from a receive case without inspection to a receive case with inspection, you also must indicate an inspection code. Note that for purchasing of inventory parts receive cases can be defined when supplier for purchase part records are created. The receive case Receive into Arrival is indicated by default if nothing else is specified.

Shipment orders with receiver type Site gets the default receive case from Site/Shipment Management. Shipment orders with receiver type Remote Warehouse use the following order to find a default receive case:

  1. Warehouse Navigator/Remote Warehouse tab.
  2. Site/Shipment Management.

The flexibility of the receipt function allows you to perform actions even if they are not included in the current receive case.

Example: If you have a receipt line with an inventory registered purchase part and the receive case Receive into Arrival (no inspection demand at all), you can move the parts to an inspection location, inspect the parts and enter the results, and then move them into a stock location.

The available receive cases are: Receive into Inventory, Receive into Arrival, Perform Putaway, Receive into Arrival, Receive into Arrival/Inspect at Arrival, Receive into Arrival/Inspect at QA, and Receive into QA/Inspect at QA.

Overview of Receive Cases and possible Part Types

Receive Case Inventory part Non-inventory registered purchase part No-number part
Receive into Inventory Yes No No
Receive into Arrival, Perform Putaway Yes No No
Receive into Arrival Yes Yes Yes
Receive into Arrival, Inspect at Arrival* Yes Yes Yes
Receive into Arrival, Inspect at QA* Yes No No
Receive into QA, Inspect at QA* Yes No No

The receive cases with * mark in above table are not supported for shipment order receipts.

Receive Case: Receive into Inventory

When the arrival registration is done, the parts are received directly into a stock location, e.g., a picking location. You cannot use this receive case if mandatory create analysis has been chosen in IFS/Quality Management. (A receive case with inspection is recommended for such instances).

Receive Case: Receive into Arrival, Perform Putaway

When the arrival registration is done, the parts are received to the default arrival location and then moved to the best possible location available. Transport tasks are created suggesting the move from the arrival location to the best available location(s) in stock.

Receive Case: Receive into Arrival

When the arrival registration is done, the parts are received into an arrival location. (When entering a purchase order line, the receive case Receive into arrival is indicated by default if nothing else is specified for the supplier relationship for the purchase part.) Then the inventory parts and the inventory registered purchase parts should be moved into a stock location in order to complete the receipt. For non-inventory registered purchase parts and no-number parts, the receipt is completed.

You cannot use this receipt case when using Control Plans - Purchasing in IFS/Quality Management (It is recommended that you use a receive case with inspection for such instances). 

Receive Case: Receive into Arrival, Inspect at Arrival

When the arrival registration is done, the parts are received into an arrival location. The inspection should be done at the arrival location. Then, you can enter the inspection results and move the inventory parts and inventory registered purchase parts to a stock location. For non-inventory registered purchase parts and no-number parts, the receipt is completed.

Receive Case: Receive into Arrival, Inspect at QA

When the arrival registration is done, the parts are received into an arrival location. Move the parts to an inspection location, inspect the parts, and then enter the inspection results before moving the parts to a stock location.

Receive Case: Receive into QA, Inspect at QA

When the arrival registration is done, the parts are received directly into an inspection location. Inspect the parts and enter the inspection results before moving the parts to a stock location.

Move into Stock

When the arrival registration and any required inspection is performed (with or without an inspection location), the inventory parts should be moved into one or more stock locations, e.g., a picking location. Once moving into a stock location, the receipt line with inventory parts acquires the Received status and the receipt-handling is completed.

For parts with perform putaway enabled, the best possible location is found and the parts are moved to that location. Transport tasks are created to execute the move.

In some cases you have the need for receiving the part into arrival or QA in one address and then do a transportation to another address where the final receipt should be done. This can be handled by initiating a move with shipment order for parts and handling units in arrival and QA location. A shipment order will be created with the purchase order receipt as demand code and reference on the shipment order line. The selected parts or handling units will be excluded from the purchase order receipt and will be added back to the purchase order receipt in the new location once the shipment order is received.

Possible Statuses in Receipt

The different statuses on a receipt line and on the corresponding source order line are:

Locations

In the arrival and receipt function, you can use three location categories: arrival locations, inspection locations, and stock locations. (Note: No-number parts and non-inventory registered purchase parts do not use any locations.)

When performing an action, such as an arrival registration or a movement, the system is searching for an adequate location dependent upon the step that is performed in the receive case flow. The proper location is indicated corresponding to the priority order described below. Notice that a default stock location cannot be retrieved per site.

Arrival locations

An arrival location can be any of the following for shipment orders with receiver type Site and purchase orders:

  1. user-entered
  2. a default location specified on the inventory part
  3. a default location specified on the site
  4. the location last used

For shipment orders with receiver type Remote Warehouse:

  1. user-entered
  2. a default location specified on the remote warehouse
  3. the latest receipt location for the remote warehouse

Inspection locations

An inspection location can be any of the following for purchase orders:

  1. user-entered
  2. a default location specified on the inventory part
  3. a default location on the site
  4. the location last used

Stock locations

A stock location can be any of the following for shipment orders with receiver type Site and purchase orders:

  1. user-entered
  2. a default location specified on the inventory part
  3. the location last used

For shipment orders with receiver type Remote Warehouse:

  1. user-entered
  2. a default location specified on the remote warehouse
  3. the latest receipt location for the remote warehouse

Lot/Batch Tracking

A lot or batch is a quantity of parts produced together that shares the same production specifications and costs. Each item is uniquely numbered to make it possible to track back to the original shipment or production run. In IFS/Part Catalog, you can indicate Lot Tracking, Not Lot Tracking, or Order Based. If you have indicated Order Based, the lot/batch number is automatically generated in connection with the arrival registration. If Lot Tracking is indicated, you must enter a lot/batch number either at the arrival registration or later in the receipt function.

Serial Tracking

The arrival registration is performed in different dialog boxes, depending on whether the parts are serial handled and whether serial numbers will be defined at the arrival registration or at a later time. If you are handling serial handled parts and have decided to postpone the serial numbering, you should enter the arrival by using the dialog box for parts without serial numbers.

To be able to specify serial numbers, serial tracking at receipt and issue and serial tracking after delivery must have been activated in IFS/Part Catalog. If serial tracking in inventory is activated, then serial tracking at receipt and issue must also be activated. A serial rule, automatic or manual, also must be specified. Serial numbers can be reserved by clicking Serial Reservation on the purchase order line. Reserved serial numbers are used first and are automatically displayed at the arrival registration. Automatically generated serial numbers are automatically displayed. When specifying the serial numbers manually, you can click Sequence and create a sequence of numbers, adding prefixes and suffixes (both numerical and alphanumerical). When the serial tracking is activated, it will be mandatory to specify serial numbers during the arrival and receipt flow. If the part is serial tracked in inventory, it will always have a serial number in inventory and throughout the life cycle. If the part is serial tracked at receipt and issue but not serial tracked in inventory, the part will not have a serial number in inventory.

Cancel Arrival/Receipt

The arrival and receipt can be canceled anywhere in the work flow, allowing you to begin again by entering the source order arrival. However in the Purchase order receipt, this is not possible if an invoice has been matched to the receipt, if any parts have been scrapped or returned, or if the connection between the receipt line and the stock location is broken. (Note: On a receipt line with a quantity scrapped or returned, you can undo this and then cancel the receipt).

When an arrival or a receipt is canceled, the status is changed to Canceled. The source order line is automatically opened, and the status is rolled back to Confirmed on the purchase order line and In Progress on the shipment order line. If all receipt lines on a purchase order are canceled, even the status on the purchase order header is rolled back to Confirmed. If one receipt line on a shipment order is cancelled at least, then the status of shipment order header is rolled back to In Progress.

When a shipment order is or has been used to move purchased parts between different arrival and QA locations i.e. a shipment order line having demand code purchase receipt, then neither the purchase receipt or the shipment order receipt can be canceled.

Close Source Order Line

The source order line is automatically closed when all receipt lines corresponding to that source order line have the Received status. Also the purchase order line have the Received status, when the received quantity of the purchase order line is within the specified closing tolerance. This assumes that the automatic closing function is enabled. The source order line is closed, and the status is updated to Closed.

A purchase order line might need to be closed manually if, for example, it is determined that the supplier cannot deliver the entire order or if the automatic closing function is not activated. Close the purchase order line by clicking Status and then clicking Close on the lower part of the page.

Miscellaneous Settings and Terms

Inspection Codes

An inspection code indicates that the purchased parts must be inspected. A purchase order line having a receive case containing an inspection demand also has an inspection code. You cannot change the inspection code on the receipt line, but the quantity to inspect can be changed in the proper field/column whenever you desire. Even if the receipt line does not demand any inspection, it is possible to specify a quantity to inspect.

When there is an arrival with purchase order lines having a receive case with an inspection demand, the quantity to inspect is calculated or indicated by the inspection code. On the other hand, these inspection codes may also be used in control plans, which may in turn be used during the receipt process. Here too, inspection codes determine the sample size of the received goods to be inspected. The inspection code can be either a percentage or a fixed quantity. However, if the inspection code has a fixed quantity to inspect, such as 5 parts, and the purchase quantity is 2 parts, the system decreases the fixed quantity to inspect to 2 parts. A message box informs you about the change.

W/D/R Number

A W/D/R number indicates that specific parts are somehow not fit for use, i.e., they are discrepant, deviant, rejected, etc. A particular location can contain the same parts, but the parts have different W/D/R numbers. This number is used for tracking or selection purposes and can be used, together with the availability control.

You can specify a W/D/R number on the receipt line in connection with the arrival registration. Then, you can update an existing W/D/R number or specify one or more new numbers for a receipt line in the receipt function. In connection with this action, you can print new barcode labels.

A W/D/R number can be specified for parts located in particular stock location types (picking, floor stock, and production line). This is also possible for the location types arrival and quality assurance.

Expiration Date

The expiration date is the validity period of storage for the part. Commonly, this date is calculated in connection with the arrival registration by using any settings for durability days and durability weeks on the inventory part. However, you can manually specify an expiration date on a specific receipt line via the selection Set Expiration Date... in the Operations menu in the receipt function. Independent of how this date is specified, you can change this date by using the previously mentioned operation.

It is strongly recommended to use the expiration date along with serial numbers or lot/batch numbers. Otherwise, the expiration date is valid for all parts with the same part number on this specific location; if you change the expiration date on a receipt line, you are changing the expiration date for all parts with this part number on this particular location. However, if you have the same part number but different W/D/R numbers in a specific location, only the parts with the same W/D/R number must have the same expiration date.

Barcode Labels

Barcode labels can be printed when the source order arrival is entered. Information printed on the barcode label for parts are part number, any lot/batch number, any W/D/R number, pack size, any serial number, engineering change level, and the barcode. The barcode ID is randomly assigned by the system.

When printing barcode labels for parts, a dialog appears where the number of copies and standard pack size can be entered. The standard pack size is either automatically indicated or should be specified. This depends on whether a default value for the standard pack size is entered for the supplier for the related purchase part. The quantity of barcode labels that will be printed is calculated from the standard pack size. Example: The supplier always delivers the parts in packages of 10 parts. This receipt line has an order quantity of 50 parts. Enter 10 in this field and the system calculates how many barcode labels will be printed. In this case, 5 barcode labels will be printed. If serial tracking is used, the standard pack size must be 1; in the aforementioned example, 50 barcode labels would be printed if the parts were serial-handled.

Barcode labels can be printed several times. For parts, a barcode ID is assigned every time you reprint the barcode labels.

If barcode labels have been printed for the receipt line and you must change the W/D/R number, you must specify which specific barcode ID you are changing. You must also specify whether you want to reprint the barcode label after the update.

Quality Management

Functionalities of IFS/Quality Management can be used to enhance the receipt process. If you are using IFS/Quality Management and have created an analysis, tested the parts in question, and reported the results in this component, you should use these results as a guideline when you enter the inspection results in the receipt function. 

You can either maintain the use of IFS/Quality Management in the receipt function as an open option, or make it an integral part of the receipt process. This depends on how the basic data is set up in IFS/Quality Management:

The quantity to inspect in the receipt process may be obtained directly from the receive case and its inspection code, or from the control plan and its inspection code (if IFS/Quality Management is used), and is based on the quantity available after any returning or scrapping. 

Ownership Transfer 

The ownership transfer point decides if parts received into an arrival or quality assurance location should be considered company-owned or supplier-owned. If the Ownership Transfer Point list in the Company/Supply Chain Information/Warehouse Management tab is set to Receipt into Arrival, parts received into an arrival or quality assurance location are owned by the company. As such inventory postings are created at the point of receiving stock into an arrival or quality assurance location. 

In the event the Ownership Transfer Point list is set to receipt into inventory, parts received into an arrival or quality assurance location are considered owned by the supplier until they are moved into a stock location, e.g., picking, floor stock, shipment. As such inventory postings will not be created until the parts are moved into a stock location, these parts will not affect the inventory value or inventory part statistics. Quantities of these parts in arrival or quality assurance locations will be included in the supply/demand views so as to avoid multiple supplies for a demand created. Receipts made into arrival and quality assurance locations will be included in the inventory calculation of purchase costs.

Post Price Difference at Arrival

The Post Price Difference at Arrival option in the Company/Supply Chain Information/Warehouse Management tab decides whether price differences should be calculated and posted at purchase order arrival or at the time of matching invoices. If this option is enabled, price differences will be booked both at purchase order arrival, against the purchase order price, and then later at invoice matching, against the invoiced price.