Packing slip or “shipping lists” are part and parcel of eCommerce business packaging and shipping, these slips have all the relevant information related to the item or items being shipped.
Not just that. This slip is a vital document for order and inventory management. With your packaging slip, eCommerce businesses can track the status of any shipment. Also, these slips help to identify damaged items in case there are any.
So, shortly, we’ll learn everything about these slips. Let’s see how they work and why businesses need them. But first, let’s see an example.
Packing Slip Example
The slip usually contains all the important information about products and items being ordered. Here’s what a slip usually includes:
| Order Number: #123456789 Date: 29 June 2024 Shipped To: Rahul Verma456 MG RoadMumbai, Maharashtra 400001India Items Shipped: Item: Widget X Quantity: 2 Description: High-quality widgets for various uses. Item: Widget Y Quantity: 1 Description: Widget Y with special features. Company Details:XYZ Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.789 Industrial AreaBengaluru, Karnataka 560001India Phone: +91-80-12345678 Email: support@xyzenterprises.in |
Now, why do companies need these slips? Let’s see.
5 Reasons Why E-commerce Businesses Need Packing Slips
Wondering what is the purpose of a packing slip? There are many reasons for this. For instance, it helps connect the digital world to the physical world through essential shipping documents. Shipping lists keep a note of everything that the customer orders. Here’s why businesses need them:
1. Ensure All Items Are in the Shipment
Checking and double-checking are crucial when it comes to the fulfilment process in the e-commerce sector. Before a packer seals and labels a box, they must verify the items inside. Check if they are the items that the customer ordered. This includes multiple counts of SKUs.
A “shipping list” reflects all the ordered items and serves as a physical record of the physical items. Once it’s verified, they can place the printed slip on the box and ship the order out.
2. Track All the Items in the Order
Depending on the order’s size, product assortment, and SKU distribution across warehouses, it may be necessary to split an order into multiple shipments, with different items sent in separate boxes. Using a packaging slip can aid both the seller and recipient in maintaining organisation when orders are distributed across multiple boxes.
3. Identify the Damaged Items
The slips can help you to identify the damaged items. This helps to separate them from the undamaged products. Whether it was a fragile item that broke in transit or a manufacturing defect, you can ensure such products don’t reach the destination. Exceptions do happen, but having a slip as a backup can speed up refunds or resend your package.
4. Confirms If the Recipient Received All the Items
Shipping lists help in identifying missing items ensuring all items ordered were received. Think of it as a record of what should be in the shipment. If your orders come in various packages, you can easily keep tabs on any mistakes if the tracking shows all items were delivered.
5. Let the Customs Estimate the Value of a Shipment
If you ship intentionally, customs may give your items a slip to estimate the value of the shipment. However, they will mostly prefer a commercial invoice. This invoice contains the description of the goods, their value, the shipping destination of the seller and shipper and delivery and payment terms. Such details clear the package.
So, let’s see the contents of the slip in detail.
Content Of Packing Slip
These slips contain information like SKU, price and itemised lists. Some of the exact details do vary depending on the products and businesses. But here are some items you will find on the slip:
Key Details
Shipping address, order date, and contact information are crucial for documentation purposes. These details, akin to those found on an invoice, facilitate efficient filing. They include the purchase order number and contact information and are essential if any issues arise during shipment transit. While shipping labels are standard, a packing slip serves as a valuable backup in case of transit problems.
Detailed Item List
An itemised list of shipped items allows purchasers to verify the contents against their order. This verification ensures they receive everything they paid for. While referencing a confirmation email is common, having a slip on hand can be preferable for some individuals.
Itemised List Of Out-of-Stock Items
Apart from the invoice, you’ll also receive line items of anything that you ordered but was not shipped. So, you can reorder them. This is quite uncommon, but if there is no communication before the order is submitted or fulfilled, it will be clearly outlined.
Quantity of Items
To accurately check each item from a “packaging slip”, relying solely on the product name or SKU is insufficient, especially since many sellers order multiple units of the same item. Including a quantity column is essential for efficient verification.
This column indicates the number of each item ordered, which streamlines the process and prevents the “packaging slip” from becoming excessively long. By consolidating multiple entries of the same item into a single line with the appropriate quantity, the slip remains concise and easy to manage, even when large quantities of the same product are ordered.
SKU or UPC of Each Item
These are unique identifiers or codes that might not mean much to customers. But for sellers, they serve identification codes. They need to reference the number if they need to contact the seller in case any issue arises.
Slip Number or PO Number
Depending on the number of reference numbers associated with your orders, both shippers and purchasers can cross-reference the PO number with the slip number. This ensures that the correct order is shipped and received, enhancing accuracy and accountability.
Wondering if “is a packing slip necessary”? Let’s understand its advantages.
Benefits of the Packing Slip in Logistics
The slip offers significant advantages for various stakeholders involved in the logistics process, including the company marketing the product, the logistics provider transporting it (if applicable), and the final consignee receiving the order. Here are the main benefits:
- Certificate of Delivery: The slip serves as a legal document that certifies the delivery of a set of goods to the consignee according to the agreed terms and conditions. This certification provides a simple yet effective proof of delivery.
- Optimised Order Information Management: The slip aids carriers, purchasers, and even customs agents in identifying the contents of a package, thereby streamlining the management of order information.
- Error Detection: With a slip, the recipient can quickly and easily verify whether the number of products received matches the number of products ordered. This helps detect any discrepancies promptly.
- Simplified Return or Refund Process: The slip facilitates the management of returns or refunds for products that may have been damaged during shipping. Given the prevalence of free-returns policies, the slip has become increasingly valuable in simplifying these processes.
FAQs: What is Packing Slip? Why is it Needed?
What is the difference between bill of lading vs packing slip?
A bill of lading is a legal contract for shipping, while a packing slip is just a list of what’s inside the box. One is legal, the other is inventory.
Are the shipping lists the same as an invoice?
These two might seem similar but they serve different purposes. The slip denotes the physical goods that a person is receiving while an invoice is the financial document. The invoice has information on the cost of the product and shipping charges, payment methods and date.
Where do you put the slip?
In the case of e-commerce orders, the slip is inside the package. The customer can easily check if all the items have been delivered.
Conclusion
Packing slips ensure smooth order fulfilment and happy customers. They verify items shipped, identify discrepancies and ease returns. For expert supply chain solutions, including slip automation, look no further than Qodenext. Contact us today!
