EDI 856: Advance Ship Notice (ASN)

What is the EDI 856?

The EDI 856 (ASN) tells the buyer what’s in a shipment before it arrives — its hierarchical structure describes shipment, order, pack, and item levels, and ties to the physical GS1-128 (SSCC) carton labels. Each level is an HL loop with a level code: S for the shipment, O for each order, T for a pallet (tare), P for each carton (pack), and I for each item. An ASN that describes cartons only nests shipment, order, pack, and item (SOPI); one that also describes pallets adds the tare level (SOTPI). The retailer’s guideline decides which structure it accepts. The shipment level carries the carrier, SCAC, and routing, the equipment and seal numbers, and the bill of lading; each carton’s SSCC-18 sits at the pack level; and each item line reports the quantity shipped. ASNs are among the most chargeback-prone documents: late, missing, or inaccurate 856s are a leading cause of retailer penalties.