EDIFACT DESADV: Despatch Advice, CPS and SSCC

For UK and European retail, DESADV is the message that decides how smoothly your delivery is received. The buyer's warehouse scans the SSCC on each pallet label, looks it up in your DESADV, and books the contents in without counting. When the label and the message disagree, the pallet gets counted by hand, and that is when queries, delays and deductions start.

This guide follows the GS1 EANCOM 2002 DESADV layout (directory D.01B). All four examples are live: they are parsed in your browser by the same engine as our EDIFACT inspector, with SSCC and GTIN check digits verified. If you know the X12 856, the concepts carry over directly; the 856 guide covers the HL hierarchy that CPS replaces.

What is an EDIFACT DESADV?

DESADV (despatch advice) is the UN/EDIFACT message a supplier sends to tell the buyer exactly what has been despatched: which orders, on which pallets or cartons, with which products and quantities. It relates to one seller and one buyer, one despatch point and one or more destinations.

GS1's principle for the message is that each unit delivered (pallet, carton) should be uniquely identified, and the DESADV describes what is in each one. When the goods arrive, the physical delivery and the electronic message can be cross-checked, and discrepancies show up immediately.

"Despatch" is the British and EDIFACT spelling. The message is the same thing US partners call an ASN.

When DESADV is sent in the order-to-cash flow

GS1 is explicit that the despatch advice should always be sent before the goods are physically delivered, so the receiving site can prepare. In practice, build it when the vehicle is loaded and the pallet labels are printed, not at the end of the day.

The CPS packing hierarchy

X12 describes packing with HL loops. DESADV does it with CPS (consignment packing sequence) groups. Each CPS has its own level number and, optionally, a parent number, which builds a tree:

CPS+1                       Consignment (whole shipment)
 ├── CPS+2+1                Pallet 1, parent is level 1
 │    └── LIN ...           Products on pallet 1
 └── CPS+3+1                Pallet 2, parent is level 1
      ├── CPS+4+3           Carton on pallet 2
      │    └── LIN ...      Products in that carton
      └── CPS+5+3           Another carton on pallet 2

Under each CPS, a PAC group describes the physical unit at that level:

• PAC: how many packages and what type (PAC+1++201::9' is one ISO 1 / Euro pallet, GS1 code 201)
• MEA: measurements, such as gross weight (MEA+PD+AAB+KGM:412.5') or length and width
• PCI: what the package is marked with, such as an SSCC label
• GIN: the identification number itself, the SSCC (GIN+BJ+350987650000000010')

Then LIN groups list the products in that package with their despatched quantities (QTY+12).

GS1 describes four levels of detail a DESADV can carry, from simplest to fullest:

Your partner's guide will say which level they need. Most UK grocery DCs expect at least option 3.

Example 1: single pallet, single order

The fictional supplier Kestrel Valley Homeware despatches order HL-PO-88355 from the fictional retailer Harbour Lane Stores on one Euro pallet. Every identifier is made up, with a valid GS1 check digit.

Unlike ORDERS and INVOIC, DESADV has no UNS summary separator. The detail section runs straight into CNT. Many partners want the consignment level even for a single pallet, so build both levels every time and you will not need a special case.

DESADV segment reference

Status is M (mandatory) or C (conditional); repeats are the EANCOM 2002 maximum.

Qualifier and code tables

BGM document and function codes

BGM+351+KV-DES-7790+9'. Document code 351 is a despatch advice; EANCOM also defines 345 ready for despatch advice and 729 returns advice. The number is your despatch reference, and your INVOIC quotes it back in RFF+DQ.

DTM qualifiers

QTY qualifiers

PAC, PCI and GIN codes

On 33E versus 39: the EANCOM 2002 manual's DESADV examples use 33E, while the segment's code list in the current edition gives 39. Partner guides specify which they expect, so follow theirs.

CNT qualifiers

CNT+2:n counts LIN segments and is the one nearly everyone uses. EANCOM also defines CNT+1 (total of line quantities), CNT+11 (total packages, the sum of every PAC package quantity in the message) and CNT+7 (total gross weight, the sum of line-level MEA gross weights). Because CNT+11 adds every PAC, including the consignment level, agree with the partner exactly what they expect before sending it.

Example 2: multi-pallet despatch with transport details

Three pallets for one order: two single-product pallets and a third carrying two products. TDT records road transport by truck.

Points to notice:

• The same GTIN can appear on several pallets. GTIN 5098765100047 is on pallet 1 (160) and pallet 3 (80), as two separate LIN lines. The buyer adds them up to match the order line.
• Line numbers run through the message, 1 to 4, not per pallet. EANCOM recommends sequential numbering starting at 1 in each message.
• DTM+358 says delivery is scheduled on or after 21 October. Some partners use it instead of DTM+17.
• TDT+20++30+31' is main carriage (20) by road (30) on a truck (31). Add the carrier GLN or the vehicle registration if your partner asks for them.

SSCC and GS1 labelling

The SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) is an 18-digit GS1 number that identifies one logistic unit, such as a pallet or a carton, for its whole journey. It is made of an extension digit, your GS1 company prefix, a serial reference you allocate, and a check digit. GS1 sets out the rules on its SSCC page.

The same SSCC appears in two places, and they must match:

1. On the pallet, on a GS1 logistic label as a GS1-128 barcode with application identifier (00).
2. In the DESADV, in GIN+BJ+<SSCC>', under the CPS level for that pallet.

A few practical rules:

• Never reuse an SSCC. Each pallet or carton gets a new serial reference. The GS1 General Specifications say an SSCC must not be reallocated within one year of the shipment date, and industry or regulatory rules can extend that.
• Label what you describe. If the DESADV describes cartons inside the pallet with their own SSCCs, those cartons need their own labels too.
• Generate both from one source. Print the label and build the DESADV from the same shipment record. Typing an SSCC into one system and printing it from another is how mismatches happen.

For more on the identifiers, see our glossary entries on the SSCC, GS1-128 and GTIN.

Example 3: mixed pallet with SSCC-labelled cartons

When a pallet is built from cartons that the buyer will break down and send on (to stores, for example), the buyer needs each carton's SSCC as well as the pallet's. That is a three-level tree: consignment, pallet, cartons.

The parent numbers carry the structure: CPS+3+2' means "level 3, inside level 2", so each carton points at the pallet, and the pallet points at the consignment. A receiving system builds the tree from those numbers alone, so every parent must refer to a CPS level already sent in the message.

There is a lighter alternative, GS1's option 2 and 4 pattern: keep the pallet as the lowest CPS level and list the carton SSCCs under each line in a PCI/GIN group, for example GIN+BJ+<first SSCC>:<last SSCC>' for a range. It produces a shorter message but tells the buyer less about which carton holds what. Use whichever your partner's guide specifies.

Example 4: partial despatch against an order

This despatches order HL-PO-88231 after the supplier's ORDRSP confirmed 40 of the 60 salt and pepper mill sets, with 20 on backorder. The DESADV says exactly that.

Use CP instead of BP if the shortfall will not be sent later and the line should be closed. EANCOM also defines the reason WR (temporarily unavailable) in the fourth element. Line 3 of the order (the tea towels, promised for 19 October in the ORDRSP) is simply absent: it will travel on its own DESADV when it ships.

A DESADV must describe what is physically on the vehicle, not what was ordered. If you pick 40, the message says 40, even if your ERP still thinks 60 are allocated.

Other variations you will meet

Several orders in one delivery. The header RFF+ON can repeat, but then the buyer cannot tell which line belongs to which order. Put the order number on each line instead, in the line's reference group:

LIN+1++5098765100016:SRV'
QTY+12:120'
RFF+ON:HL-PO-88231'

Some partners require one DESADV per order instead. Check before you combine.

Best before and expiry dates. Food and health suppliers add dates under the line:

LIN+1++5098765100078:SRV'
QTY+12:96'
DTM+361:20270430:102'

DTM+361 is the best before date, DTM+36 expiry and DTM+94 production date. Batch numbers go in the line's package identification group as GIN+BX, in the layout your partner specifies.

Cancelling a DESADV. Send a new DESADV with BGM function 1 and the original despatch number in RFF, then the corrected one as an original. Or use function 5 (replace) if the partner supports it.

DESADV vs the X12 856

The biggest conceptual difference is that the X12 856 normally has an explicit order level (HL*O) between shipment and pack. Many DESADV implementations carry the order reference once in the header RFF+ON, with one DESADV per order. If a single delivery covers several orders, check whether your partner wants one DESADV per order or line-level order references.

UK retailer DESADV requirements

The despatch advice is where UK retailers are strictest, because their depots book goods in by scanning the SSCC on each pallet against it. Confirm the current specification with each retailer during onboarding.

Tesco

• Send a despatch advice for deliveries into Tesco distribution centres before the goods arrive.
• Label every pallet with a GS1 logistics label carrying a unique SSCC that matches the despatch advice. The SSCC section earlier in this guide covers the label.

See the Tesco EDI requirements page.

Morrisons

• Morrisons has made advance shipping notices mandatory, sent as EDIFACT D96A DESADV.
• If an ORDCHG amended the order, the DESADV must reflect the amended quantities, so apply amendments before you pick.

See the Morrisons EDI requirements page.

Marks & Spencer

• Send an ASN for each delivery.
• Under self-billing, M&S raises the invoice from your ASN, so an error in the DESADV becomes an error in what you are paid. Our guide to self-billing (ERS) explains how that works.

See the Marks & Spencer EDI requirements page.

Sainsbury's

• Sainsbury's sets up advance shipping notices and proof of delivery per account. Requirements differ for suppliers delivering direct to depot and those delivering to a second-tier site such as a bonded warehouse.

See the Sainsbury's EDI requirements page.

Co-op and Boots (TRADACOMS)

The Co-op and Boots take ASNs in TRADACOMS rather than EANCOM DESADV. The Co-op publishes precise timings:

• Send the ASN no later than despatch, and make sure it is in Co-op's systems before the goods arrive.
• For chilled orders, send it before 02:00 on the day of delivery.
• For direct-to-store orders, send it before the delivery arrives and no later than 16:00 on the day of delivery.
• Label each pallet with an SSCC in a GS1-128 barcode, plus the product code, quantity, best-before or expiry date and batch code.

The TRADACOMS delivery notification file is DELHDR, the equivalent of DESADV. Don't confuse it with DLCHDR, the delivery confirmation the retailer sends back after receipt. The TRADACOMS file types reference lists both.

Common DESADV errors and how to fix them

The EDIFACT inspector checks UNT, UNZ and CNT counts, and validates every SSCC and GTIN check digit, before your partner's system does.

Testing and onboarding checklist

1. Confirm the hierarchy level the partner expects (GS1 option 1 to 4), and whether cartons need their own SSCCs.
2. Confirm the codes: PCI+33E or PCI+39, pallet type codes in PAC, and which DTM qualifiers are mandatory.
3. Confirm timing: how long before arrival the DESADV must be received.
4. Confirm one DESADV per order, per delivery, or per vehicle.
5. Set up SSCC allocation from your GS1 company prefix, with a single counter and no reuse.
6. Print test labels and test messages from the same record, scan the labels, and compare every SSCC with the message.
7. Test the variations in this guide: single pallet, multi-pallet, mixed pallet, short shipment, and a cancellation.
8. Reconcile to the invoice: the quantities in the DESADV should be the quantities on the INVOIC, which quotes the DESADV number.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between DESADV and ASN?

They describe the same business document. ASN (advance ship notice) is the common US name and the X12 856 is its format. DESADV is the UN/EDIFACT despatch advice message used in the UK, Europe and elsewhere. Both tell the buyer what was shipped, how it is packed, and how each pallet or carton is identified.

What does BGM+351 mean?

351 is the UN/EDIFACT document name code for a despatch advice. The second element is your despatch number and the third is the message function, usually 9 for an original.

What does CPS mean in DESADV?

CPS is the consignment packing sequence segment. Each CPS opens a level of the packing hierarchy and gives its own level number and its parent's level number, so a message can describe consignment, pallets, cartons and items as a tree.

What does GIN+BJ mean?

GIN is the goods identity number segment and BJ is the qualifier for a Serial Shipping Container Code. GIN+BJ+350987650000000010' says the package described at this CPS level carries that SSCC.

Does a DESADV need a UNS segment?

No. The EANCOM DESADV structure has no UNS. The last LIN group is followed directly by CNT and UNT. Adding a UNS can cause a partner's parser to reject the message.

Can one DESADV cover several purchase orders?

Yes, if the partner allows it. Put each order number on its lines in RFF+ON rather than relying on the header. Many partners require one DESADV per order, so check the implementation guide.

Is DESADV the same as a delivery note?

It does the same job as a paper delivery note, electronically and in advance. In TRADACOMS, the older UK standard, the equivalent is the delivery notification file. See TRADACOMS file types.

What comes after DESADV?

The buyer may send RECADV, the receiving advice (X12 861), to report what arrived. You then bill with INVOIC, quoting the DESADV number.

Related guides

• EDIFACT explained: syntax, envelopes and the X12 mapping
• EDIFACT message types: the full catalogue
• EDIFACT ORDERS and ORDRSP: the order and response before despatch
• EDIFACT RECADV: what the buyer received
• EDIFACT INVOIC: the invoice that follows
• EDI 856 ship notice: the X12 counterpart and its HL hierarchy

Sources

• EANCOM 2002 S3: DESADV despatch advice message, GS1 (structure, principles, examples and code lists)
• EANCOM 2002 S3: DESADV introduction, GS1 (the four levels of hierarchy detail)
• EANCOM 2002 S3: DESADV CPS segment, GS1
• Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC), GS1
• UN/EDIFACT D.01B DESADV message, UNECE

Check your DESADV hierarchy, counts and SSCC check digits in the free EDIFACT inspector.