Your first warehouse delivery: Prepare a packing list by carton
For your first delivery to a fulfilment warehouse, you need a clear connection between item, quantity and carton. Prepare a packing list by package, check the totals for each item and agree the labelling and receiving process before dispatch. Confirmation that you shipped the goods is not confirmation that they have entered available stock.
Shirtee.Cloud's warehousing page describes receiving and storing goods and checking packages for damage and shortages. It also states that stocked products cannot subsequently be printed. The packing list below is an original preparation aid, not an official Shirtee template or a complete receiving policy.
Keep three identifiers distinct
An item identifier refers to the specific product or variant. A carton identifier refers to one physical package. A delivery reference connects the packages belonging to a planned delivery. These three purposes should remain clear even if your business uses different names for them.
One item can appear in several cartons. Conversely, one carton can contain several items. A label saying “Bags” is insufficient when variants and quantities need reconciliation later. Use the product identifiers agreed with the warehouse and unambiguous package references.
Standardised logistics units have their own identification systems: GS1 explains the SSCC as identifying an individual logistics unit, such as a carton or pallet. This does not mean your Shirtee delivery requires an SSCC. Confirm the label and reference format agreed for your specific process; do not invent a supposedly valid standard code.
An original example with three cartons
Suppose you are delivering finished fabric bags in two variants. The example internal identifiers BAG-NAT and BAG-NAV stand for natural and navy. They are fictional and are not Shirtee item numbers.
| Delivery reference | Carton | Item identifier | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEMO-IN-01 | K01 | BAG-NAT | 30 |
| DEMO-IN-01 | K02 | BAG-NAT | 10 |
| DEMO-IN-01 | K02 | BAG-NAV | 20 |
| DEMO-IN-01 | K03 | BAG-NAV | 15 |
The packing list has four rows but only three cartons. It describes 40 natural bags and 35 navy bags, or 75 items in total. K02 contains two variants; its rows must neither be counted as two cartons nor combined into one unclear mixed entry.
Confirm in advance whether mixed cartons are accepted for your delivery and how their contents need separating. The calculation illustrates allocation only. It is not permission to use a particular packing arrangement.
Check two sets of totals before sealing the cartons
Add the quantities once by carton and once by item. In this example, K01 and K02 each contain 30 pieces, while K03 contains 15. The item totals also produce 75 pieces. If the two views disagree, inspect the individual rows before approving dispatch.
Compare the list with the physical contents. A reused spreadsheet can add up correctly while naming the wrong variant. If a carton's contents change, update its rows and identify the new packing-list version. Preserve the exact version associated with the dispatched delivery.
Keep other agreed information in the same place, such as product description, packing unit and required accompanying details. Include fields that are relevant to the actual receiving process and have been confirmed. An elaborate spreadsheet does not replace agreed labelling.
Delivery and stock availability are different steps
Confirm the delivery address, appointment rules, package identification and required documents before collection. Do not reuse an address from an old message when it has not been confirmed for the new delivery.
After transport, compare the confirmed receiving information with your packing list. Suppose K03 is reported as containing 13 navy bags rather than the planned 15. First document the two-piece discrepancy and the affected reference. That alone does not establish whether something differed during packing, transport or counting.
Resolve the discrepancy using the available evidence and record which stock quantity has actually been confirmed. Do not increase saleable stock solely because tracking marks the delivery as delivered.
Close the delivery with a traceable record
Keep the packing-list version, dispatch record, receiving confirmation and resolved differences together. For subsequent coordination with POD orders, see the article on a hybrid product range. You can document recurring discrepancies using the principles in support and exceptional cases.
Your first delivery is reconciled when you can trace the planned and confirmed quantities for each variant. Clear carton allocation makes the next delivery easier to review without assuming a particular warehouse process.
AI-generated conceptual receiving scene; not a photograph of a Shirtee.Cloud site or a binding packing instruction.