If you've ever ordered anything via the Internet, telephone or U.S. mail, it's likely you've received an advance shipment notice, which is a notification of pending deliveries. The notification is formatted electronically and lists the contents of the shipment as well as other information pertaining to the shipment such as supplier of record, conveyance number and actual departure time. An advance shipment notice provider also often provides a waybill or a bill of landing -- both are official documents that identify both the party responsible for shipping and the cosignee or owner.

Mandated by a wide array of businesses, an advance ship notice especially helps in tracking expensive freight like finished vehicles, and guarantees the ultimate accountability by responsible parties.

The following can best guide you to the right choice in an advance shipment notice provider:

1. Advance shipment notice provider comparisons

2. Advance Shipment Notice provider demos

3. Official ASN information

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Shop around for advance shipment notice services that offer support at the best price

Consider both full-service and self-serve options, and track the best ones with an advance shipment notice list. Want to take the hassle out of ASNs all together? Get quotes from professional ASN management teams. Want the utmost in value? Consider purchasing advance ship notice software. Software will allow you to both manage advance ship notices in-house as well as save monthly service fees.

I recommend: Look into InfoCon Systems for custom order-handling and ASN services. Use BizManager's BizConnect for electronic data interchange (EDI) solutions in a business-to-business setting, including ASN.

Find advance shipment notice demos and models to try out

If you're not sure you can manage such an important task in-house, see how it all works via a free demo. ASNs can help you keep track of what kind of space you'll need for future stock as well as what stock has come and gone. Remember, though, that if don't choose user-friendly software, even the best software won't do your business any good.

I recommend: Find advance shipment notice demos at True Commerce. 1EDISource provides all the key features of a easy-to-use ASN model.

Get advance shipment notice industry standards from the officials

Like nearly all official information, ASNs have been standardized by the U.S. Government. Officials can give you ideas about the best way to set up an ASN system as well as updated information on how to comply with what kind of information you're required to send in each notification.

I recommend: The Department of Defense links to valuable sources for ASN training and setup. GC Commerce offers examples of what a typical ASN might look like.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Advance shipment notice information can be confusing when it comes to picking the right software. The best basic packages should include label printing and tab down options for the quickest data entry.
• •  Purchase goods and communicate with suppliers through a company that can also act as an advance shipment notice provider. Make sure they employ electronic data interchange (EDI) using AS2 (applicability statement 2) certification technology to protect your company and shipped product information.