In most stockrooms, the goods are received in a goods-receiving bay. It is important that the goods receiving bay is kept clean and orderly. A disorderly or unclean good receiving bay may lead to:
Cleanliness and orderliness in receiving bays must be maintained according to store policy. Each store, wholesale, or organization has a policy regarding cleanliness and orderliness in the receiving bay. The usual policies address how to dispose of broken goods, the various forms to be completed, and the reporting chain.
After ensuring that the goods receiving bay is clean, carry out the following when the goods arrive:
1. Ensure that, when the delivery truck or courier delivers goods, a waybill is handed out and that the goods are designated for the stockroom.
2. When goods arrive, they are accompanied by a delivery note. This note outlines all the goods and their characteristics. It also informs the receiver of the number of goods, type, date of delivery, from and to whom the merchandise is, and quantity of merchandise.
3. Check the number of pallets, cartons, cages, boxes or whatever means of containers are received, against the quantity recorded on the waybill and the delivery note.
4. Before goods are stored, the seals of the boxes are checked to ensure that they are not broken or tampered with – while the courier or delivery truck is still at the store. If so, it must be recorded on the delivery note and signed by the deliverer, courier and the person receiving the stock. The manager should be informed if seals were broken or tampered with. This is a crucial point because the knowledge of what happened to the containers or boxes helps the receiver as well as the deliverer to track any loss or shrinkage. Different organizations have different rules and regulations governing goods that are received in boxes or containers that do not comply with the delivery note. In most cases, the broken boxes are returned and a ‘goods returned’ note is signed.
5. Ensure that the seal numbers entered on the delivery note/waybill match the seal numbers on the boxes. It is important to ensure that the numbers entered on the seals match with those on the delivery note. If they do not, there can be several reasons for that, such as wrong goods that have been received or the right goods are lost. In most cases, a telephone call is made to the supplier to investigate the wrong entry of the goods.
6. A Goods Received Slip (GRS) is then handed to the transporter together with a signed delivery note.
7. The received goods are sorted according to organizational requirements and characteristics of the goods or stock. The goods that need to be kept at a certain temperature are immediately taken to the refrigeration rooms, and those that require other types of care, such as chemicals and goods that react to heat, are stored according to manufacturer recommendations.
The received goods are separated and stored according to:
Fragility – Fragility goods are separated from the rest and stored separately.
Perishability – perishable goods, such as frozen foods, some types of medicines, or chemicals, are separated and immediately stored in refrigerated rooms.
Hazardous substances – hazardous substances such as gases, fuels and chemicals are stored separately, according to manufacturer’s recommendations.
Damaged stock is stored separately.
In most organizations, the stock is recorded electronically or manually, and the tracking of wrongly-recorded stock is easily done. The computer system in the store is used for processing the orders with the supplier. The orders are entered with a full description of what has been purchased, the price, delivery date and other relevant information. A Goods Received Slip (GRS) is completed by the receiver. The goods received slip states the type of goods, the date the goods were delivered, and the amount of stock received. The stockroom keeps the same information and uses it to supply the departments or the store.
Management is informed by three different documents of the delivery of consignment/goods:
All these documents can be summarised as being ‘note accompanying delivery’.
In most organizations, it is acknowledged that when checking-in deliveries, one should carry out the following procedures:
Delivered goods might be damaged, in short supply or underweight. The packaging might be damaged, missing packages, short weight, or incorrect quantity. It is important that the supplier is notified at once. The receipt documents, consignment note and or delivery note must be filled in with the information of the missing, damaged, or underweight goods and handed over to the driver and, at the same time, the purchasing unit is informed about the damaged, shortfall or error on the goods and the necessary documentation are completed. Negotiate with the supplier about suitable corrective measures.
Goods are unpacked, using correct techniques and equipment, in line with workplace policies and procedures.
Packing materials are removed and disposed of promptly, according to workplace policies and procedures.
Incoming goods are accurately checked and confirmed against purchase orders and delivery documentation, according to workplace policies and procedures.
Items received are inspected for damage, quality, breakage, or discrepancies and recorded, according to workplace policies and procedures.
Stock levels are recorded accurately, according to workplace policies and procedures.
Secure storage of goods is arranged, according to workplace policies, procedures, and government legislation.