Definition
The DESADV is the electronic shipment announcement in the EDIFACT standard. It carries a reference to the originating purchase order, dispatch and expected delivery dates, the items shipped with quantities — and above all the packaging hierarchy: which shipping unit contains which cartons and which articles. Every shipping unit carries an SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) that also appears physically as a barcode on the transport label. That link between record and label is where the value lies: the recipient scans the label and already knows, from the DESADV received earlier, exactly what is inside.
Why it matters
For the recipient, the despatch advice is the precondition for automated goods receipt and for cross-docking. For the supplier it is the message with the highest error risk, because it is the only one that must mirror the physical world exactly: if the packaging hierarchy in the message does not match the pallet as actually built, discrepancies appear at goods receipt. In the Amazon vendor model, missing, late or inaccurate shipping notices are among the most frequent causes of chargebacks.
How it works
A reliable DESADV depends on three things. First, clean packaging master data: how many selling units per carton, how many cartons per pallet. Second, SSCC assignment that happens during the packing process and writes the same number to the label and the message in one step — never retroactively. Third, timing: the DESADV has to reach the recipient before the goods do, otherwise it serves no purpose. In practice this means the shipping process and EDI generation must be coupled; a manual step in between is the classic source of error.
Real-world examples
• A manufacturer ships three pallets to an Amazon fulfilment centre. The DESADV contains three shipping units each with its own SSCC, the cartons within them, and per carton the articles with GTIN and quantity. • At goods receipt the operator scans only the three pallet labels; contents are taken from the DESADV instead of being counted individually. • A pallet is repacked at short notice but the DESADV is not regenerated — goods receipt records a discrepancy between announced and actual quantity.
Common pitfalls
• **Advice arriving after the goods:** a DESADV that lands after the truck is worthless and is treated as a missing notice in the vendor model. • **Assigning SSCCs retroactively:** if label and message are not produced in the same process step, they will diverge sooner or later. • **Guessing the packaging hierarchy:** default assumptions instead of real pack data create receipt discrepancies even when the total quantity is right. • **Mishandling partial shipments:** if one order ships in several consignments, each consignment needs its own DESADV with the correct order reference.
Frequently asked
What is a DESADV?+
The DESADV (Despatch Advice) is the EDIFACT message for an electronic shipping notice. It announces a shipment before it arrives and describes, alongside items and quantities, the packaging structure — which articles sit in which shipping unit, identified by SSCC.
What is the difference between DESADV and ASN?+
The same document in different standards. DESADV is the EDIFACT name; ASN (Advance Ship Notice) is the North American ANSI X12 term, transaction 856. Both announce a shipment in structured form ahead of its arrival.
Why does the DESADV need an SSCC?+
The SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) uniquely identifies each shipping unit and appears as a barcode on the transport label. Because the same number is in the DESADV, goods receipt can scan the label and take the contents from the message rather than unpacking and counting the unit.
When does the DESADV have to be sent?+
Before the goods arrive — that is the entire point of an advance notice. The exact window is part of the agreement with the trading partner; for Amazon vendors it is set out in the EDI specification. Late or missing shipping notices are among the most common chargeback triggers there.