Advanced ASN Management That Keeps Retailers Off Your Back

Advanced ASN management is one of those supply chain tasks that looks invisible when it works and catastrophic when it does not. An ASN sent late, with the wrong quantities, or with mismatched carton data can trigger rejections, reschedules, and a string of chargebacks that feel like they were delivered by trebuchet. Search trends show brands asking why did my ASN get rejected or what causes ASN chargebacks, usually after a retailer has already issued a warning.

If you have ever felt personally insulted by a retailer's EDI error message, you are in the right place.

Why ASNs matter more in wholesale than anywhere else

Wholesale runs on predictability. Retailers want to know exactly what is arriving, exactly how it is packed, and exactly when it will hit their dock. The ASN is the single source of truth that tells them what is coming. If the ASN is wrong, the retailer assumes you are wrong. And that assumption becomes a penalty.

Joel Malmquist, VP of Customer Experience at G10, described the stakes clearly. "If you do not do it right, you get those massive chargebacks." Retailers see ASN mistakes as a signal that the rest of your supply chain may be unreliable.

Where ASN failures usually begin

Most ASN issues are not caused by the data file itself. They start upstream, inside the warehouse. If inventory counts are wrong, the ASN will be wrong. If carton labels do not match the pick, the ASN will misalign. If pallets are built incorrectly, the retailer will reject the load and blame the ASN.

Connor Perkins, Director of Fulfillment, sees the pattern often. "One of the pain points our clients have experienced with previous 3PLs is inventory accuracy. Maybe their previous 3PL was not great at picking the orders accurately. So they were losing money by shipping wrong items or wrong quantities of items." The ASN simply exposes those mistakes.

Why D2C-first 3PLs struggle with ASNs

ASNs are a wholesale discipline. D2C shipping does not require them. Warehouses that grew up in the D2C world often bolt on ASN capabilities late in the game. Their systems cannot align pallet IDs, carton IDs, and pick data fast enough. They rely on manual data entry. They generate labels separately from ASN data. The result is misalignment and penalties.

Bryan Wright, CTO and COO, explained why G10 avoids this trap. "Our WMS was written around B2B from day one. If a retailer has a specific labeling rule or ASN rule or pick requirement, it is already built into the software." ASN data must be native, not stitched together.

The communication lag that makes ASN problems worse

ASNs are time-sensitive. When something goes wrong, you need answers fast. Many 3PLs respond through ticket queues where clients wait hours or days for someone to look into the file. Meanwhile, the retailer's deadline passes and the order is already rejected.

Joel sees this constantly in brands that switch providers. "At some 3PLs you get thrown into a ticketed queue, and you get different people replying every time. It can take days, if not weeks, to get a resolution." That lag guarantees missed windows.

G10 avoids this with its direct contact model. "You call one person. That is it. And things get done," Joel said.

What advanced ASN management actually looks like

True ASN management requires three elements: accurate data, automated file generation, and retailer-specific logic. Every pick and pallet movement must be scanned. Carton IDs must tie directly into ASN line items. Data must be validated before the file is transmitted. Retailer variations must be coded into the system, not left to warehouse interpretation.

Connor explained how setup prevents issues later. "When we onboard a client who sells into places like Amazon or Walmart, the process changes depending on where they are selling. We work through all of their routing guide requirements and make sure the warehouse is ready before the first order ever drops." ASNs succeed long before the first file is transmitted.

How ASNs hold up under pressure at G10

ASN performance is tested when shipments are delayed, orders surge unexpectedly, or retailers change rules without warning. Those are the moments when many 3PLs fold.

Joel shared one situation when a Target shipment arrived late from the ports, leaving no room for error. "Our supervisor, warehouse manager, and several employees worked the entire day into the night, then came back at 5 a.m. to make sure we had the routing completed." ASN alignment, pallet accuracy, and labeling all held under pressure.

Another moment came from a viral D2C spike pulling inventory unpredictably. "The client asked, Can you help us? And we said, Yeah, we gotcha. Then we sent a truck to the carrier at midnight." ASN precision held despite the chaos.

The bottom line for retailers and brands

Advanced ASN management is not optional for wholesale brands. It is one of the core trust signals retailers look for. When your ASNs are accurate, retailers treat you as dependable. When they are not, the penalties arrive quickly.

If you want ASN management that runs cleanly, predictably, and without the panic, reach out to G10. You will get the accuracy, responsiveness, and system reliability your retailers expect every single day.