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

1. Go to Purchasing → Receipts
2. 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

Entering Received Quantities

Full Receipt

If receiving all remaining items:

1. Quantities auto-fill with remaining amounts
2. Review and adjust if needed
3. Save and post the receipt

Partial Receipt

For partial shipments:

1. Adjust the "Receiving" field to actual quantity received
2. Leave remaining quantities for future receipts
3. PO status will update to "Partially Received"

With Rejections

If some items are damaged or incorrect:

1. Enter the good quantity in "Receiving"
2. Enter the bad quantity in "Rejected"
3. The system links these values to remaining quantity
4. 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

Posting a Receipt

When you post a receipt:

1. Validation

   • Verifies all required fields
   • Checks quantities don't exceed PO remaining
   • Confirms location is valid

2. Inventory Updates

   • Creates stock transactions for each line
   • Increases on-hand quantities at the specified location
   • Records the receiving user and date

3. PO Updates

   • Updates "quantity received" on PO lines
   • Changes PO status if appropriate:
     • "Partially Received" if items remain
     • "Fully Received" if all items received

4. 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:

1. Open the receipt
2. Click Adjust
3. Modify quantities as needed
4. The system creates correcting stock transactions
5. Status changes to "Adjusted"

Voiding a Receipt

To completely reverse a receipt:

1. Open the receipt
2. Click Void
3. Enter a reason for voiding
4. The system reverses all stock transactions
5. Status changes to "Void"
6. 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:

1. First Shipment

   • Create a receipt for the items received
   • Post the receipt
   • PO status changes to "Partially Received"

2. Second Shipment

   • Create another receipt against the same PO
   • Only remaining quantities are shown
   • Post when verified

3. 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

1. Stage Area: Prepare a receiving area
2. PO Ready: Pull up the expected PO before delivery
3. Count Tools: Have counting/measuring equipment ready
4. Labels: Prepare location labels if needed

During Receiving

1. Count Before Signing: Verify quantities before accepting delivery
2. Inspect Quality: Check for damage or defects
3. Match to PO: Verify items match what was ordered
4. Document Issues: Note any problems immediately
5. Photograph Damage: Capture visual evidence for claims

After Receiving

1. Post Promptly: Don't leave receipts in draft
2. Verify Inventory: Confirm stock levels updated
3. Store Properly: Move items to their correct locations
4. 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

Mobile Receiving

The TimberCloud Mobile App lets you receive purchase orders directly from the warehouse floor, without walking back to a workstation.

Plan availability: Mobile Inventory Receiving sits at the intersection of two capabilities. Purchasing and receiving require the Build plan or higher, and the mobile app and scanner require the Production plan (or Enterprise). In practice, you receive on mobile when you're on Production or Enterprise (which includes both purchasing and the mobile app). See Subscriptions & Plans.

Benefits of Mobile Receiving

• No computer needed — Receive materials as they arrive without returning to a workstation
• Real-time updates — Inventory levels update instantly as you receive
• Line-by-line receiving — Intuitive quantity controls for each PO line
• Progress tracking — Visual progress bars show receiving status

Mobile Receiving Workflow

1. Open the TimberCloud mobile app
2. Navigate to Receive Inventory
3. Find the purchase order by number or supplier
4. Enter quantities for received items
5. Tap Create Receipt to update inventory

For the full mobile walkthrough, see Mobile Receiving.

Getting the Mobile App

Download the native app for iOS or Android, then sign in with your TimberCloud account. See Mobile App for installation and setup details.

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:

1. Document with a detailed reason
2. Contact the vendor for resolution
3. Decide: return, replace, or credit
4. Track the resolution in the PO notes