Receiving Purchase Orders

Opening the receive screen

When a PO arrives at your warehouse, find it in Admin → Purchase Orders and click Receive, or go directly to /admin/purchase-orders/[id]/receive. The screen lists every line item with three columns: ordered, previously received, and a new receiving now input. Scan a UPC or type a quantity per row, add a receiving note if you want, and click Save Receipt.

Partial vs. full receipts

A full receipt is when every line's "previously received + receiving now" equals the ordered quantity. The PO automatically moves to closed status. A partial receipt is anything less—the PO stays open with a "partially received" badge, and you can keep adding receipts until it's complete. There's no limit on the number of partial receipts per PO, so you can receive in as many pieces as the supplier delivers in.

Where received qty goes

On save, ShipWave does two things atomically. First, it bumps the InventoryLevel for each SKU at the destination warehouse by the received quantity—your available-to-ship count updates immediately. Second, if the SKU is flagged as lot-controlled (think batteries, perishables, regulated goods), it creates a LotBatch record stamped with the lot/batch number you entered, the supplier, and the receive date. Lot tracking propagates downstream so outbound shipments can pick FIFO by lot if you require it.

Over- and under-receipts

If the supplier sends more than you ordered, you can still receive it—the row turns yellow and the PO closes with an "overage" badge. If they send less and you don't expect the rest, click Close Short instead of leaving the PO open forever; it locks the remaining quantity at zero and posts a closure reason for the audit log. Both paths preserve the supplier scorecard data, which tracks accuracy and on-time percentages over time.

Receipt PDF audit trail

Every save generates a numbered receipt PDF (e.g., RCP-2026-0142) listing what was received, who received it, when, and any notes. Receipts are immutable—you can't edit them after save. If you make a mistake, post a reversing receipt with negative quantities and a reason; both documents stay on the PO for compliance. Receipts also auto-attach to QuickBooks/Xero bills when accounting sync is enabled.

FAQs

Can I receive against a PO that hasn't been sent yet?

No—the PO must be in <code>sent</code> or <code>acknowledged</code> status. If a supplier delivers before you sent the PO, send it first (you can backdate), then receive.

How do lot/expiry dates work for non-lot SKUs?

They're ignored. The lot fields only appear on the receive screen for SKUs flagged lot-controlled in the catalog.

Does receiving update cost-of-goods?

Yes. The line's unit cost from the PO becomes the new "last cost" on the InventoryLevel, and feeds the weighted-average COGS calculation if you have that enabled.

Can someone else fix a receipt I made?

Anyone with PO permissions can post a reversing receipt, but the original receipt remains in the audit trail. Nothing is ever deleted.