Before your supplier prints shipping marks, create a carton-level packing list and agree how each box will be identified. The receiver should be able to look up the reference on a carton and find exactly which products and quantities belong inside.

Use one row per carton and SKU, including partly filled and mixed cartons. Agree the receiving warehouse's requirements before the factory prepares the labels.

Agree on the receiving requirements first

Ask the destination warehouse for its current label template and required data before sending artwork to the factory. Confirm who supplies any warehouse or carrier labels, where they go, and whether mixed-SKU cartons are accepted. Keep the buyer's carton reference separate from labels generated by the receiving system.

A SKU identifies a product variant; a carton reference identifies a particular box in this shipment. GS1 also distinguishes a trade item's GTIN from the SSCC used to identify a logistics unit. See section 1.2 of the GS1 Logistic Label Guideline. An internal reference such as PO731-C03 is not an SSCC and does not replace a required warehouse barcode.

Build the packing list at carton level

Record the purchase order, unique carton reference, SKU, variant and actual unit quantity. Add carton dimensions and gross and net weights with their units in the agreed document format. When multiple SKU rows share one carton, make clear that its weight and dimensions are carton totals; do not add them once per SKU.

Consider this hypothetical order of 60 blue and 20 grey organizers. The buyer and warehouse have agreed to accept a mixed carton:

  • PO731-C01: BLUE, 24 units.
  • PO731-C02: BLUE, 24 units.
  • PO731-C03: BLUE, 12 units; GREY, 20 units.

The shipment has 3 cartons and 80 units. C03 contains 32 units across two SKUs. In a spreadsheet with one row per carton and SKU, C03 takes two rows; counting those four rows as four cartons would be wrong. Confirm that the proposed contents fit safely before approving this pack plan.

If mixed cartons are prohibited, agree a revised packing plan and carton count. Where there is a partially filled last carton, record its actual quantity instead of copying the standard pack quantity. Check totals separately for each SKU, then compare them with the quantities approved for this shipment. Show goods held back on a separate balance record.

Approve a printed sample and the matching record

Send the supplier one named, dated label file and its matching packing-list revision. Agree who can authorize changes. Ask for a photograph of a printed label applied to a representative packed carton, including the whole face of the box so you can judge placement and readability.

Check the order and carton references against the file, including the mixed or partial carton. If a receiving barcode is required, arrange a scan check under that receiver's requirements. A clear photograph alone does not prove a barcode will work in its system.

Use the recipient's approved layout for product and quantity details. Confirm applicable origin, handling and other required markings with the responsible parties for the product and route. This carton-matching worksheet does not define all transport or regulatory marking requirements.

Keep the records usable after repacking

If C03 is split into two boxes at the consolidation warehouse, the shipment now has 4 cartons while the product total may still be 80. Retire the old carton reference, assign distinct references to the replacement boxes, and record the old-to-new link. Update their contents, measured weights and dimensions, the packing list and any affected receiving labels.

Do not leave two active cartons carrying C03. Remove or invalidate obsolete shipment labels without obscuring required markings. Tell the warehouse and forwarder which revised file replaces the old one before collection. For the wider handover between suppliers and a warehouse, see our guide to consolidating supplier orders.

Give the receiving team a file they can check

Before dispatch, compare the actual carton references, final packing list and shipment approval. At receipt, reconcile carton IDs and count first. Record missing, duplicated or unreadable labels, and keep unresolved cartons separate while their contents are checked. Receiving 3 cartons does not by itself establish that all 80 units or the correct variants arrived.

You can adapt this supplier instruction:

Please send the carton-level packing list and matching label file for approval before printing. Show each carton reference and its actual SKU quantities, including mixed or partial cartons. Confirm the destination warehouse's requirements. If you repack or change quantities after approval, send revised records and an old-to-new carton reference list before collection.

For help coordinating a sourcing order, send Surmount your product and packing requirements. Include the intended receiving warehouse and any label template it has supplied.