What Is EDI 856 (Advance Ship Notice)?
Also known as: ASN, advance ship notice, X12 856, ship notice manifest
Definition
The EDI 856 is the X12 transaction set a supplier sends to a customer before a shipment arrives. It lists what is in the shipment, how it is packed and labeled, and which purchase order lines it fulfils, so the receiver can plan dock work and receive by scan.
EDI 856 (Advance Ship Notice) Explained
The 856 Ship Notice/Manifest is the electronic packing list. It is sent as soon as a shipment leaves the supplier, and it carries the shipment-level data (carrier, bill of lading, ship date), the order-level data (the customer PO number), and the item-level data (part number, quantity shipped, lot or serial numbers). Many customers also require pack-level detail such as pallet and carton IDs, which is where the SSCC-18 barcode comes in.
The 856 is hierarchical. Segments called HL loops nest in a customer-defined order, commonly Shipment, Order, Pack, Item (SOPI) or Shipment, Order, Tare, Pack, Item. Each trading partner publishes its own implementation guide, so two customers can both call for an 856 and still need different loop structures and different mandatory segments. This is the main reason an 856 mapping is never reusable as is.
In an ERP the 856 is generated from the shipping process, not typed. In Infor SyteLine it is usually produced from the packing slip or shipment data after pick, pack and ship is posted, then passed through the EDI subsystem or ION. In NetSuite it comes from an item fulfillment record through an EDI provider or SuiteApp. In Infor LN it is built from shipment and handling unit data. The ERP must therefore hold the pack structure, not just the shipped quantity.
The receiver uses the 856 to pre-stage the receipt. When the truck arrives, scanning a carton or pallet label looks up the ASN and receives the whole contents against the PO in one transaction. If the label does not match the ASN, the scan fails and the shipment falls into manual exception handling, which is the most common cause of chargebacks.
Why It Matters
- Large retailers, automotive OEMs and aerospace primes often fine suppliers when an ASN is late, missing or inaccurate.
- An accurate 856 lets the receiver receive by scan, which shortens dock-to-stock time and keeps inventory records correct.
- The 856 forces the supplier's ERP to hold real pack, lot and serial data at ship time, which also supports traceability and recalls.
- Because every customer has its own loop structure, ASN mapping is a large share of the cost of onboarding a new EDI trading partner.
In Practice
A supplier ships 4 pallets of 600 brackets against PO 45001 line 3. The ERP builds one shipment, one order, four pallets and one item line per pallet with an SSCC-18 for each. The 856 goes out through the VAN or AS2 before the truck leaves. Pallet 3 is short by 24 pieces after a late scrap. If the ASN was already sent, the supplier must send a corrected 856 (or a cancel and replace, depending on the guide) or the receiver's scan will show a quantity mismatch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does EDI 856 stand for?
856 is the X12 transaction set number for the Ship Notice/Manifest, commonly called the advance ship notice or ASN.
When should an 856 be sent?
Usually when the shipment leaves the supplier or at least before it arrives. Each customer's guide sets the exact deadline, and late ASNs are often penalized.
What is the difference between an 856 and an 810?
The 856 describes what was physically shipped. The 810 is the invoice that asks for payment. They are sent separately and often reference the same PO and shipment.
Why do ASN labels have to match the 856?
The receiver scans the carton or pallet label and looks up the ASN to receive automatically. If the label ID is not in the ASN, the receipt fails and needs manual handling.
Related Terms
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is the computer-to-computer exchange of business documents such as purchase orders, invoices, and shipping notices between trading partners in a standardized structured format, without human intervention.
EDI 850 Purchase Order
The EDI 850 is the ANSI X12 transaction set used to transmit a purchase order electronically from a buyer to a supplier, carrying header terms, ship-to and bill-to parties, and line item details such as quantity, price, and product identifiers.
EDI 810 (Invoice)
The EDI 810 is the X12 transaction set for an invoice. A supplier sends it electronically to a customer to bill for goods or services against a purchase order, and the customer's system matches it to the PO and receipt before payment.
AS2 (Applicability Statement 2)
AS2 is an internet protocol for exchanging EDI and other business documents directly between trading partners over HTTP or HTTPS. It adds digital signatures, encryption and a signed receipt called an MDN, so each side can prove delivery.
Traceability
Traceability is the ability to follow the history, location, and application of a part or material through the supply chain and production process, both backward to its sources and forward to every product and customer it reached.
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