Know what arrived before inventory moves any further
AM Services receives inbound inventory against an approved work order, verifies cartons or units within the agreed scope, checks visible packaging and condition, documents discrepancies, and routes accepted stock to prep or storage with the correct SKU context.
Receiving starts with enough information to identify the shipment and know what should be inside it. An expected quantity is useful for comparison, but it is not treated as physically received inventory until the shipment has been processed.
The inbound work order should normally identify:
Client or account
Shipment or purchase reference
Carrier or tracking reference when available
Expected carton, pallet or unit quantity
SKU, product or variant identifiers
Any required receiving, inspection or segregation instructions
The next intended step: prep, kitting, storage or outbound work
Count, inspect and separate exceptions
The receiving team counts the shipment at the agreed level and checks the visible condition relevant to the work order. The purpose is to identify obvious differences before inventory is mixed into available stock or sent into a prep workflow.
Typical checks can include:
Carton and unit quantity against the inbound reference
Correct SKU or variant identification
Visible carton or product-packaging damage
Missing, excess or unexpected units
Packaging that is open, crushed or otherwise visibly unsuitable
Existing labels or identifiers when they affect the next handling step
Receiving is not automatically a full product-quality inspection, functional test or regulatory review. Any deeper inspection requirement must be defined before processing.
Record the exception and control the handoff
When quantities, identity or visible condition do not match the plan, the affected inventory is kept in the appropriate exception status rather than silently added to usable stock. The next decision can then be made with the discrepancy attached to the same shipment and SKU context.
Once receiving is complete, accepted inventory can move to FBA prep, kitting, storage or fulfillment. The handoff should carry the processed quantity and any unresolved notes with it so the next team is not working from the original expected count.
Typical receiving outcomes:
Accepted and ready for the next workflow
Quantity discrepancy requiring review
Visible damage or packaging exception
Wrong or unidentified SKU requiring clarification
Inventory held for an instruction before further handling
Share the SKU list, expected quantities, shipment reference and the checks required at receiving so the work can be scoped before the inventory arrives.
