Receiving & Receipts
Receipts document the receiving of goods against purchase orders. When you receive a shipment from a vendor, create a receipt to record quantities received, handle discrepancies, and automatically update inventory levels.
Plan availability: Purchasing — including purchase orders, receipts, audits, and vendors — is part of TimberCloud's advanced operations tools and requires the Build plan or higher (plus the relevant role permission). See Subscriptions & Plans for the full feature breakdown, and Purchasing Overview for how receiving fits into the procurement workflow.
Creating a Receipt
Navigation
- Go to Purchasing → Receipts
- Click + New Receipt
Receipt Information
Required Fields
- Purchase Order: Select from approved POs available for receiving
- Only shows POs with status "Sent" or "Partially Received"
- Only shows POs with approval status "Approved"
- Received Date: Date the shipment arrived
- Location: Where goods are being received
- Auto-populates from PO location
- Can be changed if receiving elsewhere
Optional Fields
- Reference Number: External reference like packing slip or BOL number
- Notes: Any notes about the receipt
Understanding the PO Selection
When you select a purchase order:
- Vendor information displays for verification
- PO details show order date, expected date, and status
- Line items auto-populate with remaining quantities
Receiving Line Items
When a PO is selected, all open line items appear in a table:
Line Item Table
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Item | Product name or custom item description |
| Ordered | Total quantity ordered on PO |
| Remaining | Quantity not yet received |
| Receiving | Quantity you're receiving now |
| Rejected | Quantity rejected (damaged, wrong item, etc.) |
| Unit | Unit of measurement |
Entering Received Quantities
Full Receipt
If receiving all remaining items:
- Quantities auto-fill with remaining amounts
- Review and adjust if needed
- Save and post the receipt
Partial Receipt
For partial shipments:
- Adjust the "Receiving" field to actual quantity received
- Leave remaining quantities for future receipts
- PO status will update to "Partially Received"
With Rejections
If some items are damaged or incorrect:
- Enter the good quantity in "Receiving"
- Enter the bad quantity in "Rejected"
- The system links these values to remaining quantity
- Add rejection reasons for each rejected line
Rejection Reasons
When rejecting items, document why:
- Damaged: Shipping damage, broken items
- Wrong Item: Incorrect product received
- Quality Issue: Doesn't meet specifications
- Expired: Past expiration date
- Short Count: Fewer items than labeled
A text field appears to enter a specific rejection reason when a rejected quantity is entered.
Receipt Workflow
Status Progression
┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ Draft │ ─▶ │ Posted │ ─▶ │ Adjusted │
│ │ │ │ │(optional)│
└─────────┘ └─────────┘ └──────────┘
│ │
▼ ▼
┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐
│ (Delete)│ │ Void │
└─────────┘ └─────────┘
Status Definitions
| Status | Description | Inventory Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Being entered, not finalized | None |
| Posted | Confirmed and complete | Stock levels increased |
| Adjusted | Modified after posting | Adjusted accordingly |
| Void | Cancelled | Stock adjustments reversed |
Posting a Receipt
When you post a receipt:
-
Validation
- Verifies all required fields
- Checks quantities don't exceed PO remaining
- Confirms location is valid
-
Inventory Updates
- Creates stock transactions for each line
- Increases on-hand quantities at the specified location
- Records the receiving user and date
-
PO Updates
- Updates "quantity received" on PO lines
- Changes PO status if appropriate:
- "Partially Received" if items remain
- "Fully Received" if all items received
-
Recording
- Receipt status changes to "Posted"
- Received-by user recorded
- Complete audit trail created
Managing Receipts
Viewing the Receipt List
The receipt list displays:
- Receipt number
- Associated PO number
- Vendor name
- Received date
- Location
- Status
- Total items
- Total value
Receipt Detail View
Click any receipt to see:
- Full receipt information
- All line items with quantities
- Rejection details
- Stock transaction links
- Audit history
Adjusting a Posted Receipt
If corrections are needed after posting:
- Open the receipt
- Click Adjust
- Modify quantities as needed
- The system creates correcting stock transactions
- Status changes to "Adjusted"
Voiding a Receipt
To completely reverse a receipt:
- Open the receipt
- Click Void
- Enter a reason for voiding
- The system reverses all stock transactions
- Status changes to "Void"
- PO quantities are restored
Warning: Voiding affects inventory levels. Ensure physical inventory matches before voiding.
Inventory Integration
When a receipt is posted, the system automatically updates inventory. To learn how stock records and locations work, see Inventory Management and Locations.
What Happens on Post
- Inventory Addition: Received quantities are added to stock at the specified location
- PO Line Update: Quantities received are updated on the associated PO lines
- PO Status Update: Purchase order status changes based on received quantities
What Happens on Void
- Inventory Reversal: Received quantities are deducted from stock
- PO Line Reversal: Received quantities are subtracted from PO lines
- PO Status Recalculation: Status reverts based on remaining receipts
Location-Specific Inventory
- Stock is added to the receipt's location
- Each product option can have inventory at multiple locations
- The system updates the correct location's inventory record
Note: Multi-location (multi-warehouse) inventory requires the Production plan or higher. On Build, receiving still posts to your single configured location. See Locations.
Partial Receiving
Handling Multiple Shipments
Many orders arrive in multiple shipments:
-
First Shipment
- Create a receipt for the items received
- Post the receipt
- PO status changes to "Partially Received"
-
Second Shipment
- Create another receipt against the same PO
- Only remaining quantities are shown
- Post when verified
-
Final Shipment
- Receive the remaining items
- PO status changes to "Fully Received"
Best Practices for Partial Receipts
- Match receipts to packing slips
- Note packing slip numbers in the reference field
- Verify received vs. expected quantities
- Document any discrepancies
Receiving Reports
Receiving data flows into the Purchasing report (Reports require the Build plan or higher):
Receipt History
- All receipts over time
- Filter by vendor, location, date
- Track receiving patterns
Receiving Accuracy
- Compare received vs. ordered
- Track rejection rates
- Identify problem vendors
Receipt Detail Report
- Full details of selected receipts
- Line-by-line breakdown
- Cost analysis
Integration Points
Inventory Management
- Automatic stock level updates
- Location-specific inventory
- Real-time availability
Purchase Orders
- Closes the loop on procurement
- Updates PO statuses
- Links receipts to orders
Auditing
- Receipt-based audits available (see Audits)
- Complete transaction history
- Discrepancy tracking
Best Practices
Pre-Receiving Preparation
- Stage Area: Prepare a receiving area
- PO Ready: Pull up the expected PO before delivery
- Count Tools: Have counting/measuring equipment ready
- Labels: Prepare location labels if needed
During Receiving
- Count Before Signing: Verify quantities before accepting delivery
- Inspect Quality: Check for damage or defects
- Match to PO: Verify items match what was ordered
- Document Issues: Note any problems immediately
- Photograph Damage: Capture visual evidence for claims
After Receiving
- Post Promptly: Don't leave receipts in draft
- Verify Inventory: Confirm stock levels updated
- Store Properly: Move items to their correct locations
- Notify Team: Alert relevant staff of arrival
Quality Control
- Implement inspection procedures
- Train receiving staff on product recognition
- Use rejection codes consistently
- Track quality issues by vendor
Receiving on Mobile
You can receive purchase orders right from the warehouse floor, without walking back to a workstation.
Mobile receiving is the same receipts flow described on this page — creating a receipt against a PO, entering received and rejected quantities per line, and posting to update stock. It simply runs on a phone or tablet:
- In a mobile browser — Sign in to TimberCloud on your phone's browser and open Purchasing → Receipts. You can "Add to Home Screen" for quick access. This works wherever Purchasing is available.
- In the native TimberCloud app — Find the PO, enter received quantities per line, and tap to create the receipt and update inventory instantly.
Plan availability: Purchasing and receiving require the Build plan or higher. The native mobile app and scanner are Production (or Enterprise) features. Receiving in a mobile browser is available on any plan that includes Purchasing.
For the full mobile walkthrough, see Mobile Receiving and Mobile App.
Note: ‹App Store / Google Play links and native-only feature details to be confirmed by the TimberCloud team.›
Troubleshooting
Receipt Won't Post
- Verify all required fields are complete
- Check that receiving quantities don't exceed remaining
- Ensure the location is valid and active
- Confirm the user has posting permissions
Inventory Not Updated
- Verify receipt status is "Posted" (not Draft)
- Check that the location matches what you expected
- Look for stock transaction records
- Refresh inventory views
Wrong Quantities on PO
If received quantities don't match:
- Create an adjusted receipt
- Or void and re-enter
- Document the reason for the changes
Can't Find a PO for Receiving
- Verify the PO status is "Sent" or "Partially Received"
- Check that the approval status is "Approved"
- Confirm you're in the correct company context
- Try refreshing the PO dropdown
Rejected Items Handling
For items you've rejected:
- Document with a detailed reason
- Contact the vendor for resolution
- Decide: return, replace, or credit
- Track the resolution in the PO notes
Next Steps
- Purchase Orders — the PO you receive against
- Audits — run a receipt audit to verify accuracy
- Inventory Management — where received stock lands
- Locations — multi-warehouse receiving (Production)
- Mobile Receiving — receiving from the floor