How would you receive a shipment that is short?

Instruction: Calculate the expected and actual quantities and explain what you would record and report.

Context:

A fictional purchase order and delivery note both list 15 cartons of SKU PN-80, with 8 EA per carton. A permitted receiving check confirms 13 sealed cartons containing 8 each and one opened carton containing 5. No other cartons are present. The site records actual received units and a separate shortage; an associate cannot close a purchase order as complete while a shortage is unresolved.

Updated

Example answer

The documents expect 120 units. I count 104 in the 13 full cartons and five in the opened carton: 109 received, so 11 are missing. I would verify the item and count and check with the receiving lead whether any part of the delivery is recorded separately. If these figures stand, I would record 109 received and the 11-unit shortage, linked to the purchase order and delivery. I would describe the full and partial cartons accurately and leave the order unresolved until the shortage is dealt with.

Worked solution

Expected: 15 × 8 = 120 EA. Actual: (13 × 8) + 5 = 109 EA. Difference: 120 − 109 = 11 EA short.

There are 14 physical cartons, but “one carton short” is an incomplete description: the opened carton is also three units below a full pack. The unit shortage comprises one absent full carton of eight plus three missing units in the partial carton. Record what was observed without claiming to know when or where the loss occurred.

Assessment criteria

  • Calculates 120 expected, 109 received and 11 missing units.
  • Preserves the full-versus-partial carton detail in the discrepancy.
  • Records the actual quantity and routes the unresolved shortage to an authorized owner.

Stronger answer: Distinguishes an observed shortage from an unsupported accusation against a carrier or supplier.

Acceptable alternatives: A controlled recount or lead review before the final receipt entry is reasonable. Reporting the shortage in EA and describing the full and partial cartons is more important than a particular sentence order.

Material mistakes: Recording 120 received, reporting only one carton short and missing the partial-carton deficit, or inventing who caused the shortage.

Follow-up question

What if the driver asks you to acknowledge 15 full cartons?

Explain the verified count and involve the receiving lead before completing any acknowledgment. Follow the site's discrepancy documentation process and retain the reference. Do not attest to a quantity you did not observe; the lead can resolve the delivery-document disagreement through the approved channel.

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