Goods Received Notes
Records what was physically received and puts it into stock.
A Goods Received Note (GRN) records that goods have physically arrived. It serves two purposes: it verifies what was received against what was ordered, and it puts the received quantity into stock on hand before the vendor's bill arrives.
A GRN posts no ledger entry. Cost and the payable are recorded when the bill is saved. Until then the GRN shows as Open — received, not yet billed.
Use Cases
| Use Case | Who | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Receive a shipment from vendor | Warehouse / Receiving | Verify what arrived matches what was ordered — quantity and condition |
| Partial delivery | Warehouse | Vendor ships in batches — record each delivery separately against the same PO |
| Quality check before accepting | QA / Receiving | Record accepted quantities — only accepted stock enters inventory |
| Stock in before the bill | Accountant | Goods are in the warehouse but the invoice has not arrived — the Open GRN is your record |
Creating a GRN
Standard path — from a Purchase Order:
Open the PO detail page → More → Convert to → Goods Received Note (or the Lifecycle panel's Goods received stage → Create GRN). The GRN is pre-populated with the PO's vendor, items and rates. Adjust quantities to reflect what was actually received.
Standalone path:
Procurement → Goods Received Notes → New. Use this when receiving goods without a prior PO.
Fields
| Field | Required? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Yes | Pre-populated from the PO. Required on a standalone GRN. |
| Date | Yes | Date goods were physically received — the stock date. |
| PO Number | No | Optional reference. Pre-populated on conversion. |
| Items | Yes | Same table as a bill: Item, Qty, Rate, Discount, Tax, Amount. The rate carries from the PO and forward to the bill. |
| Center/Location | No | Which warehouse or branch the goods are received into. |
| Note / Attachments / Subject / Project / Tags | No | From the Fields menu. Attach the delivery note or packing slip. |
The printed GRN shows items and quantities only — the receiver's job is to verify counts. The form still carries the rate so that the bill created from the GRN starts with the agreed price.
GRN Status Reference
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being prepared. Quantities can be adjusted freely. Not yet in stock. |
| Open | Goods confirmed as received. Stock on hand increased. No ledger entry. Awaiting the vendor's bill. |
| Matched | A bill has been created from this GRN. Cost and AP are recorded on the bill. |
| Voided | Cancelled. Stock on hand returns to pre-receipt levels. |
Stock First, Money Later
Quantity on hand rises by the received amount at the GRN date. Nothing is posted to the ledger. Status: Open.
The bill converted from the GRN posts DR Inventory asset (or the item's expense account), DR Purchases tax, CR Accounts Payable. The bill does not add the stock again. GRN status: Matched.
An Open GRN at period end means goods on the shelf with no cost or liability in the ledger yet — a normal timing difference, but one to clear. See Received, not yet billed.
Converting a GRN to a Bill
Once the vendor's invoice arrives:
Procurement → Goods Received Notes and click the GRN you want to bill.
More → Convert to → Bill, or Lifecycle → Bills → Create bill. The bill is pre-populated with the GRN's vendor, quantities and rates; line discounts are reset.
Compare the rates with the vendor's invoice and apply the purchase tax. Set the terms and due date.
The journal posts (cost, tax, AP). The GRN's status changes to Matched.
Before closing a period, review Goods Received Notes → Open. Each one is goods received but not yet billed. If the vendor's invoice is genuinely pending, that is a legitimate timing difference. If a GRN has been Open for weeks, investigate — it may have been recorded in error or the bill may never have been created.
Related
- Turning the receipt into a recorded cost: Billing a goods received note.
- Reviewing receipts still waiting on an invoice: Received, not yet billed.
- The order the receipt is measured against: Converting a purchase order.
- Where the stock lands: Movement history.