Reading and interpreting the Goods on the Way report

What it is

The Goods on the Way report is an inventory management document that lists all items currently in transit from suppliers to your warehouse. It provides visibility into open purchase orders that have not yet been fully received, helping you track expected deliveries and manage inventory inflow.

Why it matters

Monitoring goods in transit is critical for inventory planning and demand fulfillment. This report helps you:

• Anticipate inventory arrivals — Know when stock will be available so you can plan sales and production.
• Identify delays — Spot items past their expected delivery date so you can follow up with vendors.
• Track commitments — Verify that all ordered items are accounted for and moving as expected.
• Plan warehouse capacity — Prepare your warehouse for incoming shipments by knowing volume and timing.

How it works in Usystems

When you run the Goods on the Way report, Usystems queries all purchase orders with a status of "Ordered" or "Partially Received" and extracts line items that have not been fully received. The report displays:

• Vendor Name — The supplier from whom you ordered the item.
• Product / Item Code — The SKU or internal code of the item.
• Product Name — The human-readable name of the item.
• Ordered Quantity — How many units you ordered.
• Received Quantity — How many units have been received so far (may be zero).
• Outstanding Quantity — How many units are still expected (Ordered minus Received).
• Purchase Order Number — The PO reference for tracking.
• Expected Receipt Date — The date the vendor promised delivery.
• Purchase Order Date — When the order was placed.
• Warehouse/Location — Which warehouse the item is expected to arrive at.

Where you see it and how to use it

• Receiving team. Use this report to prepare for incoming deliveries and cross-check received items against the outstanding quantities.
• Inventory manager. Monitor expected stock arrivals to ensure adequate warehouse space and staffing for receipt operations.
• Procurement department. Identify overdue deliveries and follow up with vendors about delayed shipments.
• Operations planning. Forecast when goods will be available for production or sale based on expected receipt dates.
• Finance. Track open purchase commitments for balance sheet reporting and cash flow planning.

Common patterns you may see

• Overdue items. If the Expected Receipt Date has passed but Outstanding Quantity is still > 0, the item is overdue and requires vendor follow-up.
• Partial receipts. If Received Quantity < Ordered Quantity, you have received a partial shipment and are waiting for the remainder.
• Zero received on recent orders. New purchase orders appear with Received Quantity = 0 and Outstanding Quantity = Ordered Quantity until the first goods arrive.
• Multiple lines for the same product. If you have ordered the same item from multiple vendors or in multiple purchase orders, each order line appears as a separate row.

See also: "Running the Goods on the Way report" and "Filters and options in the Goods on the Way report".

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