Receiving in Elite Core is primarily a Shipping and Receiving workflow. Purchasing records what the company ordered; Shipping and Receiving records what physically arrived.
When a supplier shipment reaches your warehouse, Elite Core lets the receiving team connect the physical goods back to the correct Purchase Order, record the quantity that arrived, track partial deliveries and variances, and place received inventory into the correct warehouse location.
This guide explains the complete receiving workflow and what happens elsewhere in Elite Core after a receipt is recorded.
The Core Rule
Purchasing tracks what was ordered. Shipping and Receiving records what actually arrived.
A Purchase Order may contain the expected supplier, products, variations, quantities, shipping destination, and decoration routing. The receiving workflow confirms how much of that expected merchandise has physically reached the receiving location.
Receiving a shipment does more than create a warehouse record. It can update Purchase Order progress, production readiness, decorator handoffs, warehouse availability, and the remaining quantity still expected from the supplier.
When a Purchase Order Can Be Received
Elite Core only allows receiving against Purchase Orders that are eligible for receiving.
By default, the primary receiving statuses are:
- Shipped
- Partially Received
Your Elite Core instance may be configured to allow additional Purchase Order statuses for receiving.
This prevents a receiving employee from accidentally receiving merchandise against a Purchase Order that has not yet reached the appropriate stage.
Before Receiving a Shipment
Before entering anything in Elite Core, compare the physical shipment with the Purchase Order and the supplier packing information.
Confirm:
- The supplier
- The Purchase Order
- The project or customer order
- The products that arrived
- The colours, sizes, SKUs, or other variations
- The expected quantity
- The number of boxes, cartons, pallets, or other containers
- Any visible shortages, overages, or damage
- The warehouse or internal destination where the goods belong
Do not mark an entire Purchase Order as received simply because a shipment arrived. Record what was actually delivered.
Step 1: Open the Shipping and Receiving Workspace
Open the Shipping area in Elite Core and go to the receiving workspace.
Locate the Purchase Order associated with the incoming shipment. The receiving screen is designed to show the expected PO information alongside the quantities that have already been received.
This is important when a supplier ships an order in more than one delivery. The receiving team should always review prior receipts before recording the next shipment.
Step 2: Confirm the Purchase Order
Before entering quantities, verify that the shipment belongs to the Purchase Order you selected.
Check the supplier, PO number, project, product information, and destination. If the physical shipment does not match the expected PO, stop and investigate before recording the receipt.
This is especially important when several Purchase Orders contain similar blank apparel or products from the same supplier.
Step 3: Receive Against the Actual Product Lines
Elite Core tracks receiving against the receivable lines on the Purchase Order.
Where product variation information is available, the receiving lines can distinguish quantities by attributes such as:
- Size
- Colour
- SKU
- Product variation
For example, a Purchase Order may expect:
| Variation | Expected | Received |
|---|---|---|
| Black / Small | 12 | 12 |
| Black / Medium | 24 | 20 |
| Black / Large | 18 | 18 |
In this example, the shipment is not fully received because four Medium units are still outstanding.
Step 4: Enter the Quantity That Physically Arrived
Enter the actual received quantity for each applicable line.
The receiving quantity should reflect what the team can physically account for, not simply the quantity shown on the supplier invoice or packing slip.
If 100 units were ordered but only 96 are in the shipment, record 96.
Elite Core can then preserve the remaining quantity as outstanding instead of incorrectly treating the Purchase Order as complete.
Full Receiving vs Partial Receiving
Fully Received
When all receivable quantities on the Purchase Order have been received, Elite Core can move the Purchase Order to Received.
Partially Received
If only part of the expected merchandise has arrived, the Purchase Order remains incomplete and can move to Partially Received.
The receiving team can return later and add another receipt when the remaining merchandise arrives.
Example: Two Shipments Against One Purchase Order
A supplier Purchase Order contains 500 units.
| Shipment | Quantity Received | Cumulative Received | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shipment 1 | 300 | 300 of 500 | Partially Received |
| Shipment 2 | 200 | 500 of 500 | Received |
Do not replace the first receipt with the second shipment. Each physical receipt contributes to the cumulative received quantity.
Shortages and Overages
A receiving discrepancy should be recorded when the physical quantity does not match what was expected.
Common examples include:
- A supplier short-ships several units
- One size is missing from a mixed apparel shipment
- The supplier sends extra units
- Boxes arrive but the contents do not match the packing slip
- A portion of the shipment is damaged
Record the actual quantity first. Then use the available receiving notes or variance information to explain the difference.
This gives Purchasing and other downstream teams a reliable record of what is physically available.
Receiving Containers
Elite Core can also track how the merchandise arrived.
Supported receiving container types include:
- Box
- Pallet
- Carton
- Crate
- Roll
- Bundle
- Other
The receiving record can also include the number of containers.
For example:
4 cartons received against PO 12345.
This is useful when the physical shipment needs to be located, counted, transferred, or investigated later.
Tracking or Reference Information
When available, record the shipment or box reference information associated with the receipt.
This can help distinguish multiple deliveries against the same Purchase Order and makes it easier to reconcile a physical box or shipment with its Elite Core receiving history.
Warehouse Placement
After merchandise has been received, it can be assigned to an appropriate warehouse location.
Depending on your warehouse configuration, placement can include information such as:
- Warehouse
- Warehouse area or level
- Bin or sub-location
- Shelf level
Warehouse placement applies to inventory that has actually been received. If no received inventory is available, there is nothing to place into storage.
This helps the warehouse team answer two separate questions:
- Did the goods arrive?
- Where are the goods now?
Received for Internal Production
Many promotional product orders do not end at receiving.
A supplier may ship blank merchandise to your own facility so it can continue into:
- Embroidery
- Heat transfer
- DTF
- Screen printing
- Engraving
- Other internal decoration or production
In these workflows, receiving confirms that the physical goods needed for production have arrived.
Production teams should rely on the receiving status and available quantities rather than assuming merchandise is present simply because the supplier PO was marked shipped.
Received for an External Decorator
Some orders route blank goods from the supplier to a decorator before the final shipment reaches the customer.
Elite Core can link the goods Purchase Order with the related decoration Purchase Order. As merchandise is received through that route, the linked decoration workflow can reflect whether the required goods are partially or fully received.
This helps keep the goods movement and the decoration work connected rather than treating them as unrelated Purchase Orders.
How Receiving Affects Linked Decoration Purchase Orders
When a source goods Purchase Order is linked to a decoration Purchase Order, receiving progress can affect the decoration PO’s receiving status.
- If some linked goods have arrived, the related decoration PO may become Partially Received.
- If all linked goods have arrived, the related decoration PO may become Received.
This is especially useful when products from one or more suppliers must arrive before decoration can proceed.
Receiving History
Elite Core keeps receiving history so employees can review what has already been entered.
Receiving history is important when:
- A Purchase Order arrives in multiple shipments
- Several employees receive different parts of the same order
- A supplier claims an item was delivered
- Someone needs to confirm where merchandise was placed
- A quantity discrepancy must be investigated
Always review the existing history before adding another receipt. This reduces the risk of recording the same shipment twice.
Receiving Notes and Purchasing Follow-Up
If something about the shipment requires Purchasing attention, document it clearly.
Useful notes include:
- Short shipment
- Wrong colour or size
- Damaged goods
- Unexpected substitute product
- Missing cartons
- Overage
- Supplier packing error
Receiving notes provide the operational context Purchasing needs when following up with the supplier.
What Receiving Changes Elsewhere in Elite Core
A completed receiving action can affect several parts of the order workflow.
| Area | What Receiving Can Affect |
|---|---|
| Purchase Orders | Partially Received or Received progress |
| Shipping | Physical receipt history and remaining expected quantities |
| Warehouse | Available received merchandise and storage placement |
| Production | Visibility that required goods have physically arrived |
| Decoration | Linked decoration PO receiving progress |
| Purchasing | Visibility into shortages, remaining quantities, and receiving issues |
Common Receiving Mistakes
Marking the whole PO received when only one box arrived
Record the actual contents of the shipment. Let Elite Core determine whether the Purchase Order is complete.
Receiving the packing-slip quantity instead of the physical quantity
Count what actually arrived. A packing slip can be wrong.
Ignoring variations
A shipment may contain the correct total quantity while still being wrong by size or colour. Receive against the applicable product lines.
Receiving the same shipment twice
Check receiving history before creating another receipt.
Placing goods in a warehouse location before they are received
Warehouse placement should represent merchandise that physically exists at the location.
Not documenting a shortage
If merchandise is missing, record the actual quantity and leave enough information for Purchasing to follow up.
What If the Shipment Does Not Match the Purchase Order?
If the shipment appears to belong to the wrong Purchase Order, contains unexpected products, or differs significantly from what was ordered, do not force the receiving record to fit.
Verify the supplier paperwork and contact Purchasing if necessary.
The goal of receiving is to create an accurate record of what arrived, not to make the Purchase Order appear complete.
Shipping and Receiving Checklist
- Locate the correct Purchase Order.
- Confirm the supplier and project.
- Review the expected products and quantities.
- Check prior receiving history.
- Count the physical merchandise.
- Receive against the correct product or variation lines.
- Enter the actual quantity received.
- Record shortages, overages, damage, or other discrepancies.
- Record container and reference information where useful.
- Assign warehouse placement when applicable.
- Confirm whether additional quantities are still outstanding.
- Document anything Purchasing needs to investigate.
Quick Reference
| Situation | Recommended Action |
|---|---|
| Everything on the PO arrived | Receive all applicable quantities; PO can progress to Received |
| Only part of the PO arrived | Receive only what arrived; PO remains Partially Received |
| Supplier sent fewer units | Record the actual quantity and document the shortage |
| Supplier sent extra units | Record the actual receipt and document the overage |
| Goods are for internal decoration | Receive them, place them appropriately, and allow production to continue from the recorded inventory |
| Goods continue to a decorator | Receive according to the configured route and review linked decoration PO progress |
| Second shipment arrives later | Add another receipt; do not replace the first receipt |
| Shipment does not match the PO | Stop and investigate before forcing a receipt |
Practical Rule
The receiving record should always match the physical reality of the shipment.
If 100 units were ordered and 96 arrived, Elite Core should say 96 arrived. If another four units arrive tomorrow, record the second receipt tomorrow.
Accurate receiving gives Purchasing, Production, Shipping, Finance, and the rest of the order workflow a trustworthy picture of what merchandise is actually available.
