SAP ASN vs Inbound Delivery
To
understand the difference between an ASN and an Inbound Delivery,
think of it like ordering a package from Amazon. 📦
1. The Simple Analogy: Ordering a Gift
- The ASN (Advance Shipping
Notice):
This is the Email/SMS you get from Amazon that says: "Your
package has been shipped! Tracking #12345, arriving Tuesday via DHL."
It is a digital "heads-up" sent by the sender to tell you what
is on its way.
- The Inbound Delivery: This is the Entry in
your Calendar or the Tracking App on your phone where you are
waiting for the package. It is the internal record you use to manage the
arrival once the truck pulls up to your door.
2. In the SAP World (The Professional
View)
What is an ASN? (The Message)
An ASN
is an electronic document sent by a supplier to a customer. In SAP, this is
usually received as an IDoc (an electronic message).
- Sender: The Vendor (Supplier).
- Content: It tells you exactly what
is in the truck: the quantity, the batch numbers, the delivery date, and
even how it’s packed (e.g., Pallet 1 has 50 boxes).
- Purpose: To give the warehouse time
to prepare for the arrival.
What is an Inbound Delivery? (The Document)
An Inbound
Delivery is a document inside your SAP system (Transaction VL31N).
- Owner: You (The Customer).
- Purpose: It is the "working
document." When the truck arrives at your L'Oréal warehouse, the
warehouse staff don't scan the Purchase Order; they scan the Inbound
Delivery.
- Function: It is used to record the
Goods Receipt (GR), perform quality checks, and put the items away on the
shelf.
3. How They Work Together: The Workflow
In a
high-tech environment like Global Beauty Tech, the process is automated:
- Step 1: You send a Purchase
Order to a vendor.
- Step 2: The vendor packs the goods
and hits "Ship" in their system.
- Step 3: Their system sends an ASN
to your SAP system.
- Step 4: SAP receives the ASN and automatically
creates an Inbound Delivery for you.
- Step 5: When the truck arrives,
your warehouse team uses that Inbound Delivery to scan the goods into
stock.
⚖️ The Key Differences at a Glance
|
Feature |
ASN
(Advance Shipping Notice) |
Inbound
Delivery |
|
What
is it? |
An Electronic
Message (Heads-up). |
An Internal
SAP Document. |
|
Who
creates it? |
The Vendor
(outside your company). |
You
/ Your SAP System
(inside). |
|
Format |
Usually
an EDI (Electronic Data Interchange). |
An SAP
Transaction/Table Entry. |
|
Analogy |
The
"Your order has shipped" email. |
The
"Waiting for delivery" status. |
|
Example |
"I'm
sending 500 shampoos in Truck A." |
"Document
#180055: Expected 500 shampoos." |
💡 Example Scenario at Siri’s
Global Beauty Pte.Ltd
Scenario: You order 1,000 liters of rose
oil for a perfume factory.
- The ASN: The supplier in India sends
an electronic file (ASN) saying: "1,000 Liters of Rose Oil, Batch
#ROSE-2024, in 5 separate drums, is on Truck Plate #AB-123."
- The Inbound Delivery: Your SAP system receives
that file and creates Inbound Delivery #8000123.
- The Arrival: Two days later, the truck
arrives. Your warehouse clerk types in 8000123, sees the Rose Oil and the
Batch number already filled in from the ASN, and simply clicks "Post
Goods Receipt."
Summary: The ASN
provides the information, and the Inbound Delivery uses that information
to get the work done.
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