what is an asn in shipping

An ASN, or Advance Shipping Notice, is a document that provides detailed information about a pending delivery. It is usually sent in an electronic format, such as EDI or XML, and is sent from the shipper to the receiver prior to the departure of the shipment from the shippers facility. The purpose of an ASN is to notify the customer when shipping occurs and provide physical characteristics about the shipment so the customer can be prepared to accept delivery. An ASN enables the sender to describe the contents and configuration of a shipment in various levels of detail and provides an ordered flexibility to convey information. The ASN provides information about when an order will be shipped, which items are being shipped, how many of each item is being shipped, and physical characteristics about the shipment such as the shipment’s weight, the number of boxes, and a description of how the shipment units are packaged. An ASN also tells the customer which mode of transportation is being used for shipping and provides carrier information. The ASN is noteworthy in the way that it is a new concept in logistics, enabled by the advance of modern communication methods.