Shipping and Receiving

The shipping and receiving department is responsible for handling and keeping records of all shipments in and out of a company. This department packs goods in shipping containers and creates mailing labels and shipping documents. Workers also verify incoming shipments by scanning barcodes to store that information into warehouse management systems.

Shipping and receiving perform the following tasks:

• Unpacking of deliveries.
• Preparing shipping documents.
• Maintaining records of incoming and outgoing shipments.
• Consolidating shipping orders.
• Creating mailing labels.

Making precise records of what enters and exits a business facility, and keeping track of the movement and location of those items.

No matter the nature of the operation or the size of the distribution operation, it all starts with a quality receiving process. To be efficient in receiving, you need great people, processes, and technology. Some critical components are barcode and RFID scanners, cross-docking, labeling, and inventory management software.

Barcode and Radio-frequency identification (RFID)

Many companies have used barcode and RFID technology to improve the efficiency of the receiving process. Barcode and RFID technology allows the receiving department to automatically capture the volume of incoming items, which can then be compared with order sheets and invoices to ensure shipment accuracy.

Cross Docking

Cross-docking involves logging, sorting, and counting items as they are received and preparing them for another mode of outbound transportation with little or no storage. Cross-docking increases operational efficiency by reducing storage time and increasing throughput.

Labeling

Efficient receiving operations are highly dependent on quality labeling. All receiving labels should include some critical information such as the name of the supplier, the associated purchase order number, the pallet label and quantity, the case label and amount, the product number, the description, the package count, and the SKU. This information should be easily correlated with your software by a simple barcode scan.

Warehouse Management Software (WMS)

A warehouse management system is designed to support and optimize distribution center management. The receiving department inputs incoming shipments into this system and also uses it to indicate where those items are stored. A good WMS assists receiving by automating input and making it easy to store and locate incoming shipments.

The receiving department is the central receiving point for the delivery of goods to a company. Receiving is responsible for verifying deliveries, inspecting them for damage, coordinating the distribution of deliveries to internal departments, and keeping proper records of incoming packages.