The short answer
An EDI 856 Advance Ship Notice (ASN) — called DESADV in EDIFACT — is the electronic message a supplier sends to tell the customer exactly what is on its way: which order, which items, how many, packed in which cartons and pallets, on which truck, arriving when. The customer uses it to plan receiving and to scan goods in without opening every box.
What’s inside an 856
An ASN is organised as a hierarchy, from the whole shipment down to individual items:
This is why ASNs are harder than invoices: they must describe the physical packing exactly. If the carton labelled 00012345670000000017 contains 24 units, the ASN must say so, and the barcode on the box must match.
Why customers reject ASNs
- Sent too late — most retailers require the ASN before the truck arrives, often within an hour of shipping.
- Quantities don’t match what’s received or what was ordered.
- Wrong or duplicate SSCC numbers on carton labels.
- Missing purchase order or line references.
- Wrong hierarchy — for example, a “pick and pack” structure when the customer wants “standard pack”.
Each of these can trigger a chargeback — sometimes a percentage of the invoice — and repeated failures can damage your supplier scorecard.
How to get ASNs right every time
- Generate the ASN from what was actually packed, not from the order. Scanning cartons at packing is the most reliable approach.
- Print GS1-128 labels from the same system that creates the ASN, so numbers always match.
- Validate before sending against the customer’s rules — timing, quantities and references.
- Automate the send at the moment of shipment confirmation.
Our Cloud EDI creates ASNs and labels from the purchase order in a few clicks, and our integrated EDI generates them straight from your ERP or WMS when goods ship.