Definition
A goods received note (GRN) is the document the stores team completes when a delivery arrives, recording what was received, from whom and in what condition.
What is a goods received note used for?
A GRN is the warehouse’s evidence of the delivery: supplier, purchase order references, the supplier’s delivery note number, quantities counted, any damage and who checked it. Accounts rely on it before a supplier invoice is accepted, so stores and accounts agree on what actually arrived.
Example: a warehouse receives 48 of 50 ordered pallets, notes 2 short and 1 damaged on GRN 3310, and attaches a photo of the signed delivery note.
Some companies post stock straight from the GRN; others add a second, back-office step that accepts the goods into stock and the books, the goods receipt report.