Receiving Goods and Resolving a Mismatch
A mobile-friendly receiving guide for checking a delivery against its order, documenting short, over, wrong, or damaged goods, and handing the issue to the right owner. A completed monitor-arm example shows what to record and what evidence to keep.
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Rolled out to every employee at AutoZone (125,000), PetSmart (50,000+), A.S. Watson and Raley's (20,000) — and at larger retailers we are not permitted to name.
Built for: Manufacturing and industrial operations · Healthcare procurement and facilities · Education and campus operations
Overview
Receiving Goods and Resolving a Mismatch is a mobile-friendly intranet page for employees who accept deliveries. Its scope is physical receipt exceptions: a shipment that is short, over, wrong, or visibly damaged. A status banner marks the page as a fictional Northstar Works sample, not a live incident or system status, and clarifies that invoice processing is out of scope.
The core section gives four ordered actions: compare the supplier, order reference, item description, and quantity with the purchase order or packing list; record expected and received facts without guessing at causes; preserve cartons, packing material, and delivery paperwork while taking useful photos; and send the note to the order owner on the same day. A worked example uses a fictional order for 12 monitor arms when 10 arrive, including a completed receiving note with the difference, delivery details, evidence kept, notification, and an open question for the owner.
Use the page at the point of handover or as a short reference for staff who receive goods. It also helps managers explain what a useful exception report contains. It is not a substitute for the approved receiving reference: the page does not decide whether to sign for or refuse goods, authorize a return or replacement, or route an invoice dispute. Before publishing it for operational use, connect the receiving-reference heading to the authoritative local instructions and confirm the procurement support route. Keep the distinction clear between the fictional example and actual deliveries.
Standards & compliance context
- The template supports a traceable receiving record by prompting for the order reference, observed quantities, delivery details, and retained evidence; it does not itself establish legal or procurement compliance.
- Use the organization's approved purchasing and records-retention requirements to determine how long receiving notes, photographs, and packaging evidence must be retained.
- Keep instructions about signing, refusing, returning, or accepting goods consistent with the authoritative receiving reference; this sample page does not decide those actions.
- Maintain readable headings, descriptive link labels, and accessible text alternatives for images so employees using assistive technology can follow the procedure.
General regulatory context for orientation only — verify current requirements with counsel or the relevant agency before relying on this template for compliance.
What's inside this template
Notice Banner
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Sample guide for Northstar Works, a fictional organization. It applies to employees accepting deliveries and covers physical receipt exceptions: goods that are short, over, wrong or damaged. It does not cover invoice processing, and it is not a live incident or system status.
Four steps when a delivery does not match
Follow the same sequence for short, over, wrong, or damaged goods, starting with an order check and ending with a documented handoff.
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Worked example: Northstar Works ordered 12 monitor arms on PO-48213. The carrier hands over cartons holding 10. Match the order Open the purchase order or packing list and compare four things with the delivery: supplier name, order reference, item description and quantity. In the example, the carton label shows PO-48213 and the order says 12 monitor arms, so the delivery belongs to this order. Note the discrepancy Write expected and received side by side, and state only what you can see. Example: "Expected 12, received 10, short 2. No visible damage." Leave out guesses about the cause, such as a supplier error or a lost carton. Preserve the evidence Keep the cartons, packing material and delivery note until the owner says otherwise. Take photos that show the carton label, the open carton with the items counted, and the delivery note. Record the delivery date, time and carrier reference. Example: Tuesday 10:40, delivery note DN-7731. Notify the owner Send your note and photos on the same day to the order owner, the requester named on the purchase order. Follow the exception route in your receiving reference to reach central procurement. Do not arrange a replacement or return with the supplier yourself unless that reference says you should.
Take photos that someone else can use
Capture readable labels, the counted items, and delivery paperwork while retaining the packaging for follow-up.
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A useful evidence photo shows the item, its packaging and the readable label in one frame, close enough to read the order reference and far enough back to show the carton. Add a second photo of the whole count laid out. Take them before you open or move anything further, and keep the packaging nearby for anyone who asks to see it. The stock photo below is only an illustration of a parcel at a worktable; it does not show the Northstar Works example.
A completed receiving note
Use this fictional monitor-arm record as an example of the fields and factual detail to include in a discrepancy message.
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The sample record for the Northstar Works delivery. Copy this field order into your message. Field Entry Order reference PO-48213, monitor arms (fictional supplier: Harbor Office Supply) Expected 12 monitor arms Received 10 monitor arms; carton label shows PO-48213 Difference 2 short; no visible damage Delivery details Tuesday 10:40; carrier delivery note DN-7731 Evidence kept 3 photos (carton label, counted items, delivery note); cartons held in the receiving area Notified Order owner on PO-48213 the same day; procurement route as set out in the receiving reference Open question for owner Request the 2 missing arms, or accept the 10 and close the order?
Other situations you may meet
Check how the same evidence-first approach applies to wrong items, damaged cartons, overages, and delivery-signing questions.
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What if the item is wrong rather than short? Use the same four steps and change what you record. Expected: "12 monitor arms, model on PO-48213". Received: "12 desk risers, model shown on the carton label". Photograph the label and the item together so the owner can see the model without opening anything. What if the carton is damaged but the count is right? Record the count as matching and describe the damage factually, for example "outer carton crushed on one corner; 2 arms bent". Photograph the damage close up and from a distance, and keep the packaging. What if more arrived than we ordered? Record expected and received in the same way (for example 12 expected, 14 received) and tell the order owner. Do not distribute or use the extra items until the owner has confirmed what to do. Should I refuse or sign for the delivery? Your approved receiving reference decides this, not this page. Check it before you sign, and if it is unclear, ask the procurement support route below. Whatever you decide, record what was handed over and the carrier's delivery note reference. Is this where I raise a problem with an invoice? No. This page covers the physical delivery only. If an invoice arrives for goods you did not fully receive, tell the order owner about the receiving note so they know the quantities do not agree.
Receiving reference: exceptions and routing
Use the authoritative receiving instructions here for local exception decisions and procurement routing.
Who to tell
Send the receiving note to the purchase order's requester and use procurement support for the approved supplier exception route.
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The requester named on the purchase order Order owner Confirms what was requested and decides whether to ask for the balance, a replacement or a credit Receiving exception route Procurement support Finance and Procurement: advises on how the exception is handled with the supplier
How to use this template
- Replace the fictional Northstar Works example with your approved receiving reference and confirm the order-owner and procurement-support routes before publishing.
- At delivery, open the purchase order or packing list and compare the supplier, order reference, item description, and quantity with the goods and delivery paperwork.
- Record expected and received quantities, visible condition, delivery date and time, and the carrier or delivery-note reference without speculating about the cause.
- Photograph the label, counted items, and delivery note, and retain the cartons and packing material until the owner says they may be released.
- Send the note and evidence to the order owner named on the purchase order the same day, following the approved exception route for procurement support.
- Wait for the owner to confirm the next action, such as requesting missing goods or addressing an overage, and follow the approved reference rather than arranging a supplier return yourself.
Best practices
- Compare the supplier name, order reference, item description, and quantity before deciding that a delivery belongs to an order.
- Write expected and received quantities side by side so the difference can be checked without inference.
- Describe only visible conditions, such as a crushed carton or bent item, and leave suspected causes out of the receiving note.
- Photograph the label and item clearly, then capture the counted goods and delivery note before packaging is discarded or moved.
- Record the delivery date, time, and carrier reference while the paperwork and handover are available.
- Keep cartons, packing material, and delivery paperwork until the order owner says otherwise.
- Send the evidence to the purchase order's named requester on the same day and use the approved procurement route for supplier handling.
- Do not distribute extra goods or arrange a replacement or return unless the approved receiving reference or responsible owner directs you to do so.
What this template typically catches
Issues teams running this template most often surface in practice:
Common use cases
Frequently asked questions
Which delivery problems does this guide cover?
It covers physical receipt exceptions: goods that are short, over, wrong, or damaged. The worked example follows an order for 12 monitor arms when only 10 arrive. It does not cover invoice processing or act as a live incident record.
When should employees use the guide?
Use it while accepting a delivery whenever the goods do not match the purchase order or packing list. Record the delivery date, time, and carrier reference while those details are available. Notify the order owner the same day, as directed in the sample process.
Who reviews the discrepancy and decides what happens next?
The employee receiving the goods records what they can observe and sends the note and photos to the order owner named on the purchase order. That owner confirms what was requested and decides whether to request the balance, a replacement, or a credit. Procurement support advises on the supplier exception route.
Does this page determine whether I should refuse or sign for a delivery?
No. The page directs employees to check their approved receiving reference before signing or refusing. If that reference is unclear, use the procurement support route identified by your organization. Record what was handed over and the carrier's delivery note reference.
Does this guide cover invoice discrepancies or meet a specific regulation?
It covers the physical delivery, not invoice processing, and the sample does not claim alignment with a particular law or procurement standard. If an invoice quantity differs from goods received, tell the order owner so they know about the receiving note. Follow your organization's approved purchasing, records, and accessibility requirements.
What is a common mistake when documenting a mismatch?
Avoid guessing why the difference occurred or assigning blame to a supplier or carrier. Record expected and received quantities side by side, describe visible conditions, and include the order and delivery-note references. Keep packaging and evidence until the owner provides direction.
Can we adapt the example for different products and receiving locations?
Yes. Keep the four-step sequence and completed-note field order, then replace the fictional order details with your approved purchasing references and local exception route. Make clear who counts as the order owner and where staff should ask for procurement support. Do not add a local instruction about signing, returns, or replacements unless it is approved.
What does the template connect to, and how should we roll it out?
The sample contains a receiving-reference page heading, but it does not provide a live incident form, supplier integration, or automated approval. Before rollout, add or link the approved exception-routing reference and confirm the support route is usable. Brief receiving staff to use the steps at handover and send the evidence to the order owner the same day.
Why use this page instead of handling mismatches ad hoc?
The page gives receivers a shared sequence for checking the order, recording observable facts, preserving evidence, and handing off the issue. Its completed example shows the level of detail expected without turning the sample into a live record. Ad hoc messages can omit references, counts, or evidence needed by the owner.
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Rolled out to every employee at AutoZone (125,000), PetSmart (50,000+), A.S. Watson and Raley's (20,000) — and at larger retailers we are not permitted to name.
