Logistics
28.2.2023

Checklist inbound: Leave nothing to chance at Sites

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inbound is a logistical process with great importance in every company. If the procedure is not clean and standardized, there is a high risk that errors and defects will be quickly overlooked. With the following checklist for the inbound you play it safe!

Table of Contents:

  1. Receiving goods: checklist ensures transparency
  1. Incoming goods inspection: definition and process flow
  1. Work through checklist point by point
  1. Optimize the inbound with good planning
  1. Delivery coordination: A key to greater efficiency
  1. Create more transparency with TradeLink
  1. Conclusion: Better control of inbound with a checklist  

Receiving goods: checklist ensures transparency

At Sites , things are always busy and sometimes just as hectic. New goods are constantly arriving, while at the same time products are being picked for shipping - and outside, truck drivers may already be waiting impatiently to receive or unload freight. To maintain an overview and minimize sources of error, you need clearly defined processes, substeps and responsibilities.  

A goods receiving checklist helps to leave nothing to chance and to avoid delays and disruptions in the processes - with potentially costly consequences.

Incoming goods inspection: definition and process flow

A complete incoming goods inspection means much more than simply counting through the delivered goods and comparing them with the delivery bill. As a process component of goods receipt, a comprehensive and standardized check helps to avoid later complaints, inquiries and the associated loss of time at an early stage.

Process steps in the inbound

A structured incoming goods inspection includes the inspection of the goods under various aspects as well as the review of all documents. It thus also includes the preparation for the actual storage of the delivered goods, components and vendor parts.  

In addition, information from the incoming goods inspection has a direct impact on other company processes, from the merchandise management system and current inventory entry to accounting and the triggering of payment flows.

Errors in inbound have an impact on many other company processes

Work through incoming goods inspection checklist point by point

A checklist for the inbound ensures that everything runs smoothly and efficiently as soon as the articles arrive. This creates the basis for a systematic, quality-oriented incoming goods inspection.  

The checklist guides you step by step through the process.  

Checklist:

  • Did the delivery arrive at the requested time or did it arrive late?
  • Are the goods packed according to the terms of delivery and purchase?
  • Do the goods show any damage?
  • Are the delivered goods complete?
  • Are the delivery documents correct and complete?
  • Documentation:  

- Does the delivery fully comply with the order as well as the information on the delivery documents?

- Is additional information and documentation available, if necessary for the item in question, for example in the case of hazardous goods transports?

- If necessary, is further documentation such as manuals or operating instructions for the transported goods enclosed?

- Is the entire transport process fully documented, both by the supplier of the goods and by the transport company?

  • Are article numbers and article designations correctly indicated and are the required labels/labels present?
  • Were receiving and incoming goods inspections performed according to established quality management requirements?
  • If it is a temperature-controlled transport or movement-sensitive goods: Has condition monitoring been carried out correctly and in a fully traceable manner throughout the entire journey?

Optimize the inbound with good planning

Admittedly, a thorough incoming goods inspection costs its time - but saves much more effort and time by avoiding subsequent queries and complaints. That's why it's important to plan all processes efficiently at inbound and, ideally, to ensure even utilization of resources as early as the delivery coordination stage. In this way, personnel bottlenecks and unnecessary waiting times can be avoided.  

Step by step improve the inbound

An efficiently organized inbound is characterized by short throughput times, rapid processing of newly arriving goods, uniform capacity utilization, and optimal use of spatial capacities. To further optimize inbound , for example, inspection processes can be concentrated on goods that are particularly susceptible to faults or that are particularly relevant to quality for the company's own production.  

Delivery coordination: A key to greater efficiency

Optimizing delivery times, coordinating them with each other and avoiding annoying waiting times by planning ahead - together with the other parties involved in the process, especially the transport companies - also contributes to greater efficiency. Tip: By attaching importance to storable packaging as early as the order stage, you can also avoid time-consuming repackaging after inbound and instead store the products directly after the incoming inspection.

Involve suppliers at an early stage and inform them transparently

Transparency and communication are basic prerequisites for a smooth process flow in inbound. To this end, coordinate the planned time slot as early as possible.  

Delivery coordination avoids bottlenecks in your Sites and makes the best possible use of resources. Important: E-mails and telephone are no longer sufficient for this. With a suitable tool such as TradeLink, you can get everyone involved on a uniform digital platform and create transparency for the delivery processes.

Create more transparency with TradeLink

More transparency and efficiency for your inbound and all connected logistics processes: With TradeLink, you can better synchronize delivery reconciliation and bring all partners together on one intuitive platform - for fast information exchange and real-time transparency. Costly and error-prone paper processes were yesterday. It also significantly reduces unnecessary truck waiting times for delivery and pickup.

Conclusion: Better control of inbound with a checklist

How efficiently a warehouse management system is organized is already decided at inbound . The old-fashioned paperwork for incoming goods inspection should be a thing of the past today. Instead, switch to digital platforms. Suitable tools such as TradeLink create the basis for transparent workflows and efficient processes that are less prone to errors.  

A comprehensive information base available to all involved facilitates expedient planning, efficient processing of incoming goods, and more quality for the entire process from delivery to storage. In turn, a dedicated incoming goods inspection based on a well thought-out checklist avoids disruptions and quality deficiencies in the entire process.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about inbound & goods receipt

What do you do in the goods receiving department?

In the receiving department, deliveries are received, checked and prepared for actual storage. Thus, it is a logistical process with far-reaching effects. Defects in deliveries that are not registered at goods receiving can have costly consequences.

How does a inbound work?

At inbound , all deliveries are checked for completeness, integrity and punctuality. The basis for this is a inbound checklist, which contains all essential parameters and thus ensures a standardized process including documentation.

What is important in the incoming goods inspection?

Defined minimum requirements that a delivery has to fulfill are decisive for a good incoming goods inspection. Therefore, the corresponding checklist must be worked through accurately, point by point. In this way, permanently high quality standards can be achieved.

What are the tasks of the inbound?

The inbound manages the entire process from delivery to storage. For a high degree of efficiency, good planning of time, personnel and space capacities is essential. This minimizes annoying waiting times and counteracts uneven utilization of personnel.

What is the role of sampling?

Spot checks allow incoming goods inspections to be carried out more quickly. The checks should focus on particularly error-prone, costly or sensitive incoming goods. These include perishable goods, temperature-controlled transportation or hazardous goods or substances.

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