Sending EDI ASNs and Tracking | ShipWave Help Center

What an ASN is and why retailers obsess over it

The 856 Advance Ship Notice (ASN) tells the retailer exactly what's in transit before the truck arrives. It includes the PO number, ship date, carrier and tracking, and a hierarchical breakdown: shipment → cartons → line items → quantities. Retailers use the ASN to pre-scan inbound at their DC, route cartons to the right destination, and reconcile their books. A late or inaccurate ASN is the single most common cause of vendor chargebacks. ShipWave gets this right automatically.

When the ASN is generated and sent

The moment you purchase a shipping label for an EDI order, ShipWave assembles the 856 in the background. It pulls the tracking number from the carrier, allocates SSCC carton serial numbers (see GS1 labels and BOL), builds the carton-to-line-item hierarchy, and posts the document to SPS. SPS forwards it to the retailer. End-to-end this takes under a minute from label purchase. You don't click anything to send the ASN—it goes out as part of the normal ship flow.

SSCC allocation (GS1-128)

Every carton needs a unique SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code), an 18-digit serial number encoded as a GS1-128 barcode on the carton label. ShipWave allocates SSCCs from your assigned GS1 company prefix and tracks them per shipment so you never reuse a number. The carton label PDF you print at ship time includes the SSCC barcode, the retailer's required text (PO number, vendor name, ship-to), and any lot/expiry data. See GS1 labels and BOL for label format details.

The ASN compliance dashboard

Go to Admin → EDI → Compliance for a per-partner view of ASN performance. Key metrics: on-time-rate (ASN posted before the carrier picks up), accuracy-rate (ASN matched the actual delivery line-by-line), and error-rate (rejected or revised by retailer). The dashboard color-codes against each retailer's threshold so you can see at a glance whether you're in compliance. Drill into any partner for a daily ASN log.

The 98% on-time threshold

Most retailers require ASN on-time-rate above 98% measured over a 30-day rolling window. Drop below and you start accruing per-shipment chargebacks (typical: $100–$250 each). Drop significantly below (95% or lower) and you risk being put on a corrective action plan or delisted. ShipWave's compliance dashboard sends you an email alert the moment your 30-day rate dips below 99% for any partner so you have headroom to investigate before the threshold trips. See Compliance and chargebacks for what to do if metrics slip.

FAQs

What if I have to ship a partial PO?

ShipWave generates one ASN per shipment. A partial ship gets a partial ASN listing only the cartons going on that truck. The remaining lines stay open on the PO until another ship goes out (or you mark them backordered, which the 855 update communicates).

Can I retransmit an ASN?

Yes. From the order detail page, click <strong>EDI → Retransmit ASN</strong>. ShipWave rebuilds the 856 from current order state and resends. Use this if the retailer reports they never received the original (very rare via SPS).

What happens if I cancel a label after the ASN was sent?

ShipWave automatically sends a corrective 856 (or a 940/945 in 3PL flows) noting the cancellation. The retailer is notified before the truck would have arrived.

Sending ASNs and tracking at ship time