What is DESADV?

What is DESADV? It is the EDIFACT message for the despatch advice. The supplier announces what arrives when and in which packages, before the goods reach the warehouse.

By Vincent Rosenkranz, Sales & Marketing Manager at BESITEC · Updated 9 Nov 2026

In short. Despatch advice, also called advance shipping notice. The message contains items, quantities, order reference and the package numbers. The recipient books goods receipt by scanning.

What is the role of DESADV in the flow?

ORDERSOrder
ORDRSPConfirmation
DESADVDespatch advice
RECADVGoods receipt
INVOICInvoice

The despatch advice follows the order and comes before the invoice. Not every partner uses RECADV.

Many retailers and manufacturers accept goods without a matching despatch advice only with delays, or not at all.

What is DESADV made of?

Segment	Content
`BGM`	Despatch advice number
`DTM`	Despatch and delivery date
`RFF`	Reference to the order number
`NAD`	Supplier, buyer, delivery point
`CPS / PAC`	Packaging hierarchy, pallets and cartons
`GIN`	SSCC, the package number
`LIN / QTY`	Item and delivered quantity

The trading partner’s guideline defines which segments are mandatory.

SSCC and label

Number in the data

Each package gets a globally unique SSCC according to GS1.

Number on the label

The same SSCC is printed as a barcode on the GS1 label on the package.

At goods receipt, the recipient scans the label and instantly sees the content from the despatch advice. If label and data do not match, queries and often penalties follow.