Receiving
Receiving goods against an inbound document
Chainlink WMS receives against an inbound document or purchase order. The handheld captures lot, expiration date and serial number, including from GS1-128 labels, and stops any line that exceeds the tolerance or the minimum shelf life.
- Available in
- All plans
- Captures
- Lot, expiration date and serial number
- Reads labels
- GS1-128
- Documents arrive from
- The web, the API, your ERP or a file
Reviewed October 29, 2026 by the Business in a Wave team
The inbound document
Goods are received against an inbound document that lists the supplier, the warehouse and each product with its quantity.
- Entered on the web or sent through the API, which is included in every plan
- Sent from your ERP through a connector: SAP, Odoo, Dynamics 365 Business Central or ERPNext (add-on)
- Uploaded in bulk from CSV or XLSX, with an error report by row
Capturing each line on the handheld
A GS1-128 label provides several data elements in one scan. If the product requires an element the label does not carry, the app requests it. See GS1-128.
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Open the receipt
From the task inbox or the work pool.
-
Scan the product
The quantity and, depending on the product, the lot, expiration date or serial number.
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Review progress
Expected against received; decimal quantities such as 12.5 kg are accepted.
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Close
The receipt posts to the stock ledger and creates the put-away tasks.
When receiving stops
Receiving stops in two cases, and the screen shows the data that explains the stop. An Administrative user approves the exception.
- Quantity exceeded: the scanned quantity is greater than the expected quantity plus the tolerance
- Insufficient shelf life: the lot expires before the product’s minimum
- Professional and Enterprise add rules by warehouse, zone, product or partner
Who receives
A lead opens and closes the receipt. Helpers scan the same receipt at the same time.
- An unassigned receipt can be taken by any operator of the warehouse from the work pool
- The lead can be changed during the receipt without losing what was scanned
Closing the receipt
On closing, Chainlink creates a put-away task per product, lot or pallet, with a suggested location.
- The suggestion is, in order: the location that holds the same lot, the pick face, then free space
- A blocked location is never suggested; choosing a different location requires a reason
Validating the receipt with RFID
In Professional and Enterprise, a portal at the dock compares the tags it reads with what the receipt expects. The validation does not move stock. See RFID portals.
Plan comparison
| Feature | Essentials | Professional | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving against a document, with lot, expiration date and serial number | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GS1-128 label reading | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tolerance and shelf-life rules by warehouse, zone or product | No | Yes | Yes |
| RFID portal validation | No | Yes | Yes |
| Connectors with your ERP | No | Add-on | Add-on |
How it is configured
Help center articles with the steps inside Chainlink.
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
For any other question, contact sales.
Does receiving work without a signal? +
Receiving requires a connection to start and to close. Counts work fully without a signal, and put-aways are stored on the handheld and sent when the connection returns.
Are decimal quantities accepted? +
Yes. Products handled in kilograms, liters or meters accept decimal quantities, for example 12.5 kg.
Can a purchase order recorded in the ERP be received? +
Yes. Inbound documents arrive from the ERP through the API, which is included in every plan, or through the connectors for SAP, Odoo, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and ERPNext, which are an add-on for Professional and Enterprise. They can also be uploaded as a CSV or XLSX file.
Subscribe to Chainlink online
Your instance is created when sign-up is complete, ready to set up your warehouse.
Essentials and Professional are purchased online by card: the first month and the implementation are charged at subscription. 30-day trial by invitation: request it from sales.