PO Shipments

PO Shipments help you receive and track inventory coming from suppliers. Manage shipping details, assign products to boxes, set packing configurations, and monitor delivery progress for each purchase order shipment.

Why Manage PO Shipments?

PO Shipments let you track exactly which products are arriving, when, and in what packaging configuration. Record BOL numbers and delivery dates, monitor real-time receiving progress, and handle partial deliveries or split shipments — ensuring every unit ordered is accounted for when it arrives.

Track Deliveries

Monitor incoming shipments with BOL numbers, delivery dates, and real-time status updates.

Organize Packing

Define how products are packed using boxes, units, and custom packing configurations for accurate receiving.

Update Locations

Change shipping and receiving locations, contact details, and delivery addresses as needed.

Generate ASNs

Create Advanced Shipping Notices (ASNs) for warehouse integration and streamlined receiving processes.

Shipment Information

Ship From and Ship To

Each shipment displays shipping and receiving details:

Ship From (Supplier Information):

Supplier name
Contact email and phone
Contact person name
Complete shipping address

Ship To (Fulfillment Location):

Location name and selection dropdown
Contact email and phone
Contact person name
Receiving address

Shipment Details

Key information displayed for each shipment:

PO Number: The purchase order this shipment belongs to
BOL Number: Bill of Lading number for tracking (editable before in transit)
EST. Delivery: Expected delivery date (editable before in transit)
Status: Current shipment status with visual indicator

Managing Products and Quantities

Product List

The shipment displays all products with:

Product Name and SKU: Item identification
Quantity: Total quantity ordered
Unassigned: Units not yet assigned to boxes (color-coded):
- 🔴 Red: Positive number (units need assignment)
- 🟢 Green: Zero (all units assigned)
- 🟡 Yellow: Negative (over-assigned, needs correction)

Unassigned Items

Add Unassigned Items: Button to add products not yet included in the shipment

Return Unassigned: Click “Unassign” button at the bottom of the Unassigned column to remove items from the shipment

Add to New Shipment: Create a new shipment from the current purchase order and move products there

Packing Details

Configure how products are packed for shipping:

Packing Options

For each product, choose a packing configuration:

Individual Units: Pack items individually without containers
Custom Packing: Select from available packing templates for your products

Actions:

➕ Plus Icon: Add a new packing configuration
✏️ Edit Icon: Modify existing packing details (disabled for individual units)
ADD PACK LINE: Add additional packing lines for the same product

Boxes

Set the number of boxes for each product line:

Use the number input with ➕/➖ buttons to adjust box quantities
Boxes are disabled when using “Individual Units” packing
Total Boxes counter displays at the bottom

Units

Configure unit assignments:

Units Column (yellow background): Specify units per box
Units are only editable when using “Individual Units” packing
Use the ➕ icon to set all units to 1
Use the 🔄 icon to reset all unit values

Action Buttons:

Assign Units: Manually assign units to boxes with packing information dialog
Auto Assign: Automatically distribute units across boxes

Advanced Features

Edit ASNs

Generate or modify Advanced Shipping Notices for warehouse systems and receiving automation.

Split Shipment

Divide products into multiple shipments for staggered deliveries or different locations.

Auto Assign

Automatically distribute unassigned units across boxes based on packing configurations.

Packing Information

View and edit detailed box dimensions, weights, package IDs, and ASN numbers.

In Transit View

Once a shipment is marked “in transit”, the view changes to display receiving progress:

Box Details Table:

#: Box number
Package: Package ID
Dimension: Length x Width x Height
Weight: Box weight
ASN: Advanced Shipping Notice number
Items: Product list with progress bars showing received/expected quantities

Understanding Progress Bars

Each item shows a progress bar and quantity fraction (e.g., 15/20):

Green progress bar: Indicates receiving progress visually
15 = Quantity received so far
20 = Total quantity expected
Progress percentage: Calculated as (received ÷ expected) × 100

Example Scenarios:

0/100 with 0% progress: Nothing received yet
50/100 with 50% progress: Half received (partial delivery)
100/100 with 100% progress: Fully received (complete)

How Receiving Updates

The progress bars update automatically based on your fulfillment location type:

Local Locations:

Use the Process button to manually enter received quantities
Progress updates as you process each box
See Process PO Shipments for the receiving workflow

External Warehouses:

Warehouse receives items and updates their system
Progress syncs automatically via API/webhook
No manual entry needed in OmniOrders

Shipment Workflow

Access Shipment

Open the purchase order and click on a shipment number to view details.
Review Shipping Information

Verify Ship From (supplier) and Ship To (location) details. Edit if needed using the pencil icons.
Set Shipment Details

Enter BOL Number and estimated delivery date.
Configure Packing

For each product:
- Select packing type (Individual Units or custom template)
- Set number of boxes
- Specify units per box (for individual packing)
Assign All Units

Ensure the “Unassigned” column shows 🟢 green zeros for all products. Use Auto Assign if needed.
Generate ASNs

Click “Edit ASNs” to create Advanced Shipping Notices for warehouse receiving systems.
Update Status

Once shipped, update the shipment status to “in transit” to lock the configuration and begin tracking.

💡 Best Practices

Complete Info Early

Enter BOL numbers and delivery dates as soon as you receive them from the supplier.

Verify Packing

Double-check packing configurations match actual supplier packaging to avoid receiving discrepancies.

Use Auto Assign

For simple shipments with uniform packing, use Auto Assign to quickly distribute units to boxes.

Monitor Unassigned

Keep the Unassigned column at zero before finalizing. Red or yellow values indicate issues that need fixing.

Common Scenarios

Splitting a Shipment

If your supplier will deliver in multiple shipments:

Click “Add to new shipment”
Select products and quantities to move
The system creates a new shipment with those items
Original shipment updates to reflect the split

Editing Packing After Setup

Before “in transit”: Click edit icons to modify packing details
After “in transit”: Contact support to make changes, or process corrections during receiving

Handling Over-Assignment

If you see negative values in Unassigned (yellow):

Reduce the number of boxes or units
Check packing configurations for errors
Ensure box quantities match the ordered quantity

Troubleshooting

Can’t edit shipment details:

Check if status is “in transit” - editing is locked at this stage
Verify you have permission to modify shipments

Unassigned column shows red/yellow:

Red (positive): You haven’t assigned all units to boxes yet
Yellow (negative): You’ve over-assigned - reduce boxes or units
Use Auto Assign to quickly balance assignments

Auto Assign not working:

Ensure at least one packing configuration is selected
Check that all products have valid packing options
Verify unassigned quantities exist

Can’t generate ASN:

Confirm all boxes have packing details
Ensure box dimensions and weights are set
Check that no products have unassigned units

Shipment Status Overview

Shipments progress through these status stages:

Draft: Shipment created but not finalized
Open: Shipment confirmed, ready for packing setup
In Transit: Shipment sent to fulfillment location, receiving can begin
Processing: Actively receiving items (local locations only)
Completed: All items fully received
Discrepancy: Received quantities don’t match expected (requires attention)

The status indicator appears in the shipment header with color coding for quick identification.

Next Steps:

Purchase Orders Overview - Manage all purchase orders
Creating Purchase Orders - Set up new purchase orders
Process PO Shipments - Receive inventory at local locations
Fulfillment Locations - Configure receiving locations