Goods received note vs delivery note

A delivery note travels with the goods; it is signed by the customer on receipt and is the carrier's record of what was delivered. A goods received note (GRN) is the warehouse's record of what was actually received; it is signed by the receiver and is the buyer's record of what arrived.

What they capture

• Delivery note: what was supposed to be delivered, the carrier, the driver, the date.
• GRN: what was actually received, including any discrepancies (short delivery, damage, wrong item).

Workflow

1. The vendor ships with a delivery note.
2. The carrier hands the goods to the warehouse with the delivery note.
3. The warehouse inspects and issues a GRN, recording any discrepancies.
4. The GRN is the basis for the vendor's invoice (or for a debit note if there is a discrepancy).