Goods Received Note Template for Partial Deliveries

A delivery can be physically present without being ready for use. Two boxes may be damaged, another may need inspection, and the supplier may send replacements under the original purchase order. A single “received” checkbox cannot explain those differences.

This goods received note template provides a complete inline record for ordinary business supplies: a delivery header, receipt lines, an inspection-hold decision log and a purchase-order reconciliation. Copy the blocks and tables into your own document or spreadsheet; no download or account is needed. The formulas and review targets below are a suggested operating design, not accounting rules or universal procurement requirements.

Choose the receipt record, not another buying request

A goods received note, or GRN, documents a particular arrival and its checked quantities. Keep its identity separate from the supplier’s delivery note and your purchase order. One PO can have several GRNs; one GRN should not be overwritten when the next shipment arrives.

The University of Tennessee CTAS receiving-report guidance describes comparing actual items, the packing list and the PO, noting discrepancies and partial shipments, then forwarding the result to the departments that need it. That is the basic handoff this resource supports.

• Before ordering: use the purchase order template to document the approved supplier order.
• At arrival: use this GRN to record the count, condition and acceptance decision against specific PO lines.
• After stock is available: use a material requisition when someone requests an internal release from stores.

This general resource does not prescribe inspection methods for food, medicines, hazardous materials, regulated equipment or safety-critical components. Use the applicable specialist procedure for those goods.

Copy the goods received note header

Create one note per physical arrival, supplier and receiving site. For a shipment covering several POs, split the notes and cross-reference the common delivery document. Use unique text IDs rather than row numbers that change when sorted.

Template version: GRN-1
GRN ID: [unique; never reused]
Arrival date/time and time zone: [actual arrival]
Supplier: [approved supplier name/reference]
PO number and version: [authorized order reference]
Supplier delivery note / packing slip: [reference or missing-document exception]
Receiving site and exact receiving point: [site/store/dock]
Carrier / shipment reference: [reference; not applicable if self-delivered]
Receiver and contact: [name/team/contact]
Inspection reviewer: [named person or locally authorized role]
Buyer / purchasing owner: [person responsible for supplier follow-up]
Supporting evidence: [packing slip, count record, condition photos, other references]
Receipt status: [derive from the rules below]
Next action / owner / due at: [required while unresolved]
Closeout: [reviewer, timestamp, final evidence reference]

The receiver completes arrival and count information; the reviewer owns inspection decisions; the buyer owns order changes and supplier follow-up. All fields are required except closeout until closure. Record a reasoned “not applicable” where appropriate. A missing PO, item identity or unit is an exception to resolve, not permission to invent one.

Copy one receipt line per PO line and item

Keep the original counted quantities and initial inspection split unchanged. Later decisions belong in the linked decision log. If batches or conditions differ, split the receipt line so each group has an unambiguous location and decision.

Validate C = A0 + R0 + H0. Do not use a blank acceptance field to mean “all accepted.” If only the carton count is known, record that fact and leave the affected contents pending verification under your local receiving process.

Record shortages against the delivery note separately from the remaining PO balance. A supplier may intentionally ship only part of an order; that is different from shipping fewer units than its own packing slip says.

Record later inspection decisions without another receipt

Copy this row structure for each decision about held units. Each event needs its own unique ID and a link to exactly one original receipt line.

Decision ID | GRN ID | Receipt line ID | Decision timestamp and zone
Decision: [HOLD_TO_ACCEPT / HOLD_TO_REJECT]
Quantity: [positive; cannot exceed remaining held quantity]
Reviewer and authority: [name/role]
Inspection evidence and reason: [record references]
Physical destination / disposition: [location or linked action]
Next action / owner / due at: [if unresolved]

A hold-to-accept decision changes acceptance, not the arrival count. A hold-to-reject decision needs a reason and a controlled disposition; it is not proof that the goods have physically left the site. If a decision was entered incorrectly, retain it with a linked correction and reviewer approval, then calculate from the reconciled valid event set. Do not erase the original or create a fictional replacement delivery.

• Current accepted A = A0 + total HOLD_TO_ACCEPT quantities.
• Current rejected R = R0 + total HOLD_TO_REJECT quantities.
• Current held H = H0 − both kinds of hold-decision quantities.

Require H ≥ 0 and C = A + R + H after every decision. A negative balance is an error to investigate, not something to hide by rounding or clamping to zero. Reversing a rejection or changing a prior acceptance requires a documented buyer/reviewer correction outside the simple hold-release events.

Reconcile acceptance across all receipts for a PO line

Maintain a second, small summary. Group by PO number, PO line, item and unit—not by supplier name alone. Include every valid receipt for that line, even if some GRNs remain open.

PO number / version | PO line | Item | Unit
Current authorized order quantity, O
Linked GRNs and receipt lines
Accepted across linked receipts, T = sum of current A
Verified post-acceptance returns, V = linked quantities returned
Net accepted, N = T - V
Outstanding acceptance, B = O - N
Held across linked receipts = sum of current H
Exception / owner / next action / due at
Buyer reconciliation approval and evidence

Use V only for goods that were accepted earlier and then physically returned with a linked original receipt, return authorization, quantity, handover evidence and buyer confirmation. A rejection recorded at arrival is already excluded from A; subtracting it again would understate acceptance. This summary measures accepted fulfillment, not stock on hand or inventory value.

A positive B means more acceptance is outstanding. Zero means the authorized quantity has been met; it does not close outstanding holds, rejected-goods custody or paperwork exceptions. A negative B means over-acceptance that the buyer must resolve. Never accept an overdelivery merely to make the table balance.

If returned goods will not be replaced, the buyer must document the agreed order reduction or cancellation and its authorized PO version before treating the lower quantity as complete. A supplier’s verbal promise, expected credit or planned replacement does not change O, T or V by itself.

Indiana University’s receiving procedure illustrates separate partial receipts for successive deliveries. Its system rules are institution-specific; use your own purchasing process and do not copy its payment thresholds into this template.

Worked example: ten ordered, twelve arriving

This fictional example uses ordinary storage trays. PO-482, version 1, line 01 orders 10 trays for West Stores. Receiver Maya, reviewer Eli and buyer Noor use America/Chicago timestamps. The delivery documents and evidence references below are illustrative.

Noor confirms the linked receipts, D-071, AC-72 and COL-71 before closing the receiving case. The receiving record does not authorize payment by itself. Finance still applies the organization’s invoice, price, tax and approval checks.

If one of the ten accepted trays were later returned for replacement, a verified V of 1 would produce N=9 and B=1. Keep the order open for that replacement, or obtain an authorized order adjustment if it will not be supplied.

Run the record from arrival to closeout

Set ownership and review timing first

Before using the form, the receiving lead sets an inspection target, a supplier-notification target and the escalation owner for the site. Write actual due timestamps on each exception. These are company choices; contractual notice deadlines and specialist procedures may require different timing.

1. Receiver checks identity and count at arrival. Match the supplier, PO line, item and unit; retain the packing slip and record observed damage. Stop acceptance where identity, quantity or authority is unresolved.
2. Reviewer records the initial split. Establish accepted, rejected and held quantities with evidence. Name where nonaccepted goods are controlled under the site’s procedure.
3. Buyer owns discrepancies. Assign supplier follow-up, replacement, return or order-change work. Record a written response/reference rather than treating an intended remedy as completed.
4. Reviewer clears holds through decision events. Before the due time, accept or reject supported quantities, or record a reasoned extension with a new deadline. Never auto-accept an overdue hold.
5. Receiving lead reconciles before closure. Check every receipt invariant, PO-line balance, return reference, location and outstanding exception. Send the approved receiving evidence to the designated purchasing/finance handoff.

Use statuses that do not conceal exceptions

• Needs correction: required identity, unit, count or arithmetic is unresolved. Owner: receiver with buyer/reviewer support.
• Inspection pending: any H is positive. Owner: inspection reviewer; due time and next check required.
• Supplier action pending: shortage, overdelivery, rejection, return or replacement is unresolved. Owner: buyer.
• Ready to reconcile: all inspection decisions are complete; receiving lead checks evidence and the PO summary.
• Closed: the receipt’s quantities, decisions, custody and handoff are reconciled, with signed closeout. A closed partial GRN does not mean the entire PO is complete.

Keep separate exception flags when more than one condition applies. Missing data takes priority over an apparently complete balance. At the recorded due time, an unresolved case becomes overdue and escalates to the designated receiving/purchasing manager with its next action; elapsed time is not evidence of acceptance.

Handle changes without rewriting the count

Wrong item or unapproved substitute: record what actually arrived and flag the mismatch. Do not rename it to match the PO. The buyer must resolve the specification and order reference before acceptance.

Duplicate paperwork: check the delivery note, arrival timestamp and shipment reference against existing GRNs before recording another arrival. A second scan is not a second shipment. A real second shipment needs its own count and receipt ID.

Order changes: retain the old version and link the authorized new quantity. George Washington University’s receipt-and-return policy routes over/under shipments and changes to its purchasing function. It is a useful example of defined ownership, not a rule imposed on every business.

Count errors discovered later: preserve the original note and append the corrected value, reason, evidence, approver and timestamp. Reconcile all affected totals from the approved correction before reopening the handoff. Do not manufacture a return to offset a counting error.

Where Workhint fits in the receiving handoff

A shared document can run this process while volumes are manageable. Workhint’s Workflow Engine describes role-based approval routing and required details or files before work advances. Its workflow automation software page describes custom forms and tracking stages, owners and next actions. Those capabilities are relevant to coordinating the receiver, reviewer and buyer.

Use the template to define the human decisions first. Keep your purchasing and inventory systems authoritative. These product descriptions do not establish native GRN processing, automatic quantity reconciliation, warehouse scanning, stock posting or an ERP integration; confirm the intended implementation before relying on any of those functions.

Frequently asked questions

Is a goods received note the same as a delivery note?

No. Keep the supplier’s statement of what it sent separate from your record of what was counted and accepted. Link both references so discrepancies can be explained.

Can one PO have more than one GRN?

Yes. Record each arrival separately and reconcile acceptance against the same PO line. A replacement arrival is another receipt; a later decision on goods already held is not.

Does “received” mean the invoice is approved?

Not in this template. Physical arrival, inspection acceptance and payment approval are different decisions. Your finance policy determines the remaining checks.

Can this template be used without a spreadsheet?

Yes. Copy the header and row structures into a shared document and calculate the stated balances manually. A spreadsheet is optional; validate its formulas and event links before treating its totals as authoritative.