DESADV
Despatch Advice
A supplier can send a message ahead of a delivery saying exactly what is on the truck: which products, how many, on which pallets. The receiver checks the goods against it as they arrive, instead of counting from scratch, and can plan the dock and the shelf space in advance. That message is called a DESADV, short for despatch advice; in the US it is usually called an advance shipping notice, or ASN.
It is one of the standard business messages in EDIFACT, alongside ORDERS for orders and INVOIC for invoices. Retailers and wholesalers often require it from their suppliers, and send it themselves when they deliver to their own stores.
A DESADV is only as good as the data in it: if the quantities or pallet numbers on the message differ from the truck, the receiver's scan flags the difference, which is the point. Check what your customer expects to see in it, such as pallet numbers (SSCC) and lot numbers.
In practice
Before a truck leaves your warehouse, your system sends the retailer a DESADV: 6 pallets, each with its pallet number, 24 cartons of granola on each of the first four and 12 of muesli on each of the last two. At the retailer's dock every pallet is scanned against the message, and a missing carton shows up in minutes rather than a week.
Further reading
Related terms
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