Important types of warehouse documents

Maintaining sanity whilst looking over a warehouse is hard. This is why there is such a large paper trail, the use of certain forms helps keep a record. Though nobody wants a massive paper trail, everything can now be digitized through the use of forms that can be uploaded onto online or having forms within an online system for easy access anywhere.

Way Bill

A waybill can go both ways. Receiving and sending, another word for it can also be a shipment form. The Receiver, usually the Warehouse employee will compare the information on the Waybill to a physical count and inspection of the items delivered.

The Receiver will then write the quantity and quality of items received on the form, sign it, and have Delivery Person sign.

The same goes for if items are going out of the warehouse to have the same form, but stated clearly that items are going out of the warehouse.

Goods Received Note

Somewhat similar to a waybill, this is an official document from the

warehouse stating the quantity of goods received in order to pay the remaining sum to the vendor

Tally Sheet

Each person who is counting will have her own sheet on which they will keep track of what they are counting and how many they have counted. This is to keep everyone accountable for their own set of items that needs to be counted.

Warehouse Ledger

Upon any large shipment out of the warehouse a warehouse ledger is essential, it acts as a means for individual tracking of each commodity in the warehouse

Stack Cards or Bin Cards

Thick paper or stock card that located with the group of items.  It has the details of said items on the top.  Warehouse staff will write on it every time they take items out of or put items onto the shelf or storing area, each time an item is taken from or added to the group, the person who has done the action will write down the details of the transaction on the card and sign it.  Also, when staff take an inventory count, they will compare their counts to these cards, and verify the count by initialing the cards.

Warehouse Inspection Checklist

Every month, or even as often as every week there should be a warehouse inspection for safety reasons and to keep the warehouse organized.

Inventory Count (Physical Inventory)

Every month, the warehosue inventory must be counted and more than one person assigned to do the job, at the same time doing the same job as to avoid any miscounts. We recommend 3 people, essentially out of staff individuals should be 2 out of 3.

Loss Report

Incident in which commodities are discovered to be missing or damaged may occur in which an incident is a loss that is either: 1) Discovered at a particular time and location, such as during a warehouse inventory, or 2) Occurred within a contract with a third party, such as a transport contract.

In either case, a loss and claims report must be prepared for reordering, pursue claims and/or dispose of damaged commodities

What is mentioned above has only scratched the surface of what is needed within a warehouse, adapt according to your own needs and what suits the type of warehouse that you have.

Till next time,

Roro