A receiving team often knows something the dispatch record did not: the physical mass or condition on arrival. Both accounts matter. The resolution is not to edit one party's history to match the other.
Capture what was reported and what was observed
Preserve the sender's dispatch identifier, declared quantity, unit and evidence. Create a receiver-owned receipt with local identifier, observed quantity, time, condition and measurement basis. Link the two records as related accounts of the same consignment.
Name the difference and its status
Record whether the issue is mass, package count, grade, damage or identity. An exception can be open, reviewed or resolved; it should not disappear simply because custody was accepted. Information acceptance, physical receipt and custody decision are separate actions.
- Supplier-reported amount
- Receiver-observed amount
- Difference and basis
- Evidence, owner and next review action
Correct transparently
If a scale ticket or dispatch note is later corrected, keep the original version and a superseding one. Update the discrepancy assessment against the revised account without erasing what was initially reported.
What this looks like in practice
The supplier reports 10,000 kg dispatched. The receiver's verified weighbridge ticket records 9,930 kg. The receiver accepts custody with a 70 kg exception pending investigation; the supplier's 10,000 kg dispatch remains unchanged.
A discrepancy record is not a commercial settlement or determination of legal title.
Primary references
These sources inform the general traceability or due-diligence context. The worked example and operational recommendations above are Atlas editorial guidance.