Create an Inbound Forecast in GWMS

1. Scenario

Use an inbound forecast before goods arrive at the warehouse. The forecast tells the warehouse which customer, warehouse, business, arrival method, boxes, and products are included in the inbound shipment. After the warehouse approves the inbound order, the warehouse can receive, put away, and update inventory based on this forecast.

2. Steps

Prerequisites

Before creating the inbound forecast, confirm the following:

• The customer, warehouse, and business relationship has been maintained. On the creation page, 【Customer】, 【Warehouse】, and 【Business】 are required.
• The products to be inbound have been created and enabled. If the product or SKU does not exist, create it before creating the inbound forecast.
• The arrival method, estimated arrival date, tracking number, number of boxes, box dimensions, box weight, and product quantity per box are ready.
• If you need to upload attachments, each file must not exceed the 5 MB limit shown on the page.
• If the shipment has many boxes or SKU lines, prepare the import template first and refer to the batch import guide.
• If the warehouse requires labels before delivery, review Print Box Labels and Print SKU Labels before shipment.

2.1 Open the inbound forecast list

Go to GWMS-Inbound Management-Inbound Forecast. The list supports filters such as 【Inbound Order No.】, 【Warehouse】, 【Completion Status】, 【Tracking No.】, and 【Expected Arrival Date】. The status tabs include 【All】, 【Draft】, 【Pending Review】, 【Pending Inbound】, 【Partially Received】, 【Fully Received】, 【Partially Put Away】, 【Fully Put Away】, and 【Force Closed】.

Click 【Add】 to open the creation page. The page title is 【Add Inbound Order】.

2.2 Fill in basic information

Fill in the shipment information in the 【Basic Information】 section.

Required fields:

• 【Customer】: Select the customer for this inbound shipment. If there is no available option, contact the administrator to check the customer, business, and account relationship.
• 【Warehouse】: Select the receiving warehouse.
• 【Business】: Select the business relationship or quotation business for this inbound shipment.
• 【Arrival Method】: Select how the goods will arrive. Available options include 【Carton - not exceeding 25 kg】, 【Standard Pallet】, 【Non-standard Pallet】, 【20 ft Container】, 【20 ft High Cube】, 【40 ft Container】, 【40 ft High Cube】, 【45 ft Container】, and 【45 ft High Cube】.

Optional fields:

• 【Transport Method】: Select the transport method if the page provides options.
• 【Tracking No.】: Enter the courier tracking number, container number, or another traceable reference.
• 【Expected Arrival Time】: Enter the estimated arrival date.
• 【Remarks】: Enter special receiving requirements, such as appointment time, unloading notes, or documents included with the shipment.

2.3 Add boxes and products

In the 【Inbound List】 section, click 【Add Box】. GWMS adds a box row, such as 【#1】, and updates the summary for product types, total product quantity, and total boxes.

Fill in the box row:

• 【Box Quantity】: Number of boxes with the same dimensions and product packing details.
• 【Box Dimensions】: Enter length, width, and height. The page displays both cm/inch and volume conversion.
• 【Box Weight】: Enter the weight of one box. The page displays both kg/lb.
• 【Packing Details】: Click 【Add Product】 to select products inside the box.

After clicking 【Add Product】, GWMS opens the 【Select Product】 dialog. You can search by 【Product Code】. The table includes 【Product Name】, 【Product Code】, 【Specifications (L x W x H)】, 【Weight】, 【Batch No.】, 【Expiration Date】, and 【Production Date】. Select the product, click 【Confirm】, and enter the product quantity.

To enter multiple packing groups, click 【Add Box】 again. If you adjust the box order or box quantity, click 【Recalculate Box No.】 to regenerate box numbers.

2.4 Upload attachments

If the warehouse requires a packing list, delivery appointment sheet, or other documents, upload them in the 【Attachment Information】 section by clicking 【Select File】. The page states that each file must not exceed 5 MB.

If the warehouse does not require attachments, you can leave this section empty. Follow the warehouse business rule if attachments are required for a specific shipment.

2.5 Save as draft or submit

After checking 【Basic Information】, 【Inbound List】, and 【Attachment Information】, choose one of the following actions:

• 【Save as Draft】: Save the order as a draft when the information is not complete. After saving, GWMS shows 【Created successfully】, generates an inbound order number, and returns to the list. The order appears under the 【Draft】 tab. The order status is 【Draft】, and the completion status is 【In Progress】.
• 【Submit】: Submit the order to the warehouse for review. After submission, GWMS shows 【Created successfully】, generates an inbound order number, and returns to the list. The order appears under the 【Pending Review】 tab. The order status is 【Pending Review】, and the completion status is 【In Progress】.

The generated inbound order number uses a format similar to IN-customer code-YYYYMMDD-sequence.

Before submitting, check that the box count, dimensions, weight, and product quantities match the actual shipment. The warehouse will receive goods against the forecast. Large differences may affect exception handling and fee confirmation.

2.6 Check inbound progress after submission

After submitting the inbound forecast, return to GWMS-Inbound Management-Inbound Forecast and search by inbound order number, warehouse, or status.

The order status updates as the warehouse processes it, for example from 【Pending Review】 to 【Pending Inbound】, 【Partially Received】, 【Fully Received】, 【Partially Put Away】, or 【Fully Put Away】. If the received quantity differs from the forecast quantity, the received, forecast, and exception quantities on the list can help you identify the difference first.

For more detail, open the inbound order details and view 【Receiving / Putaway Status】. This area summarizes received quantity, pending receiving quantity, pending putaway quantity, and exception quantity by SKU, which is useful when following up on receiving differences or putaway progress.

3. Notes

3.1 Inbound order status

Inbound forecasts can be viewed by status tab. Common customer-side statuses include:

• 【Draft】: Saved but not submitted for warehouse review.
• 【Pending Review】: Submitted and waiting for warehouse review.
• 【Pending Inbound】: Approved by the warehouse and waiting for goods to arrive.
• 【Partially Received】: The warehouse has received only part of the boxes or SKUs.
• 【Fully Received】: All forecasted goods have been received and are waiting to be put away or further processed.
• 【Partially Put Away】: Part of the goods have been put away.
• 【Fully Put Away】: All forecasted goods have been put away.
• 【Force Closed】: The warehouse or administrator has closed the inbound order, and no further receiving or put-away will continue. The default customer main account can query force-closed orders but does not provide a 【Force Close】 action. Contact the warehouse or administrator if the order needs to be closed. Before force closing, GWMS prompts: 【Force close current inbound order: Inbound Order No.. Subsequent operations cannot continue. Confirm?】. After force closing, in-transit quantity for the order ends. If inbound fee rules are enabled, unloading and put-away fees may be settled.

3.2 Arrival method

【Arrival Method】 tells the warehouse how the goods will arrive. Cartons, pallets, and containers may require different unloading, counting, and appointment arrangements.

If you are not sure which option to choose, confirm with the warehouse before submitting the order. Do not select an option only to complete submission, because the warehouse may return the order for correction during review or receiving.

3.3 Box dimensions, box weight, and product quantity

One box row represents one packing group. If 10 boxes have the same dimensions, weight, and product details, enter 10 in 【Box Quantity】 on the same row. If the dimensions or product quantities are different, split them into separate box rows.

Product details are used by the warehouse to verify SKU and quantity during receiving. If SKUs are over-reported, missing, or have large quantity differences, the warehouse may need to process the order as an exception.

4. FAQ

Q1: The 【Customer】 or 【Business】 field is empty. What should I do?

A1: Check whether the current account has been bound to a customer and business relationship. If the fields are still empty, contact the warehouse or system administrator to check customer data, business quotations, and account permissions.

Q2: The 【Add Product】 dialog shows no data. What should I do?

A2: Confirm that 【Customer】, 【Warehouse】, and 【Business】 have been selected. Then check whether the product has been created and enabled. If the product is still unavailable, go to GWMS-Product Management to check the product or SKU status, or contact the warehouse to confirm whether the product is associated with the current customer.

Q3: What is the difference between 【Save as Draft】 and 【Submit】?

A3: 【Save as Draft】 saves an incomplete order. 【Submit】 sends the inbound forecast to the warehouse for review. A draft order keeps the 【Edit】 action and can be submitted after information is completed. After submission, the order enters 【Pending Review】. Check boxes, dimensions, weight, and product details before submission to avoid return or exception handling during warehouse review or receiving.

Q4: Can I edit the arrival method after selecting the wrong one?

A4: The default customer main account includes permission to edit inbound forecasts. Orders in 【Draft】 and 【Pending Review】 status can usually still be edited. After the order reaches 【Fully Put Away】 or 【Force Closed】, the 【Edit】 action is no longer available. If the current account cannot see 【Edit】, contact the administrator to check role permissions.

Q5: Can customers force close an inbound forecast by themselves?

A5: The default customer main account does not provide the 【Force Close】 action. If the inbound forecast will no longer continue, contact the warehouse or administrator to close it. After force closing, the order will not continue receiving or put-away, and related inbound fees may be affected.

Q6: What should I do if I see an exception quantity after submission?

A6: Exception quantity usually means the warehouse received a quantity different from the forecast. First open the inbound order details and check 【Receiving / Putaway Status】, then confirm with the warehouse whether the issue is short receipt, over receipt, wrong shipment, or unfinished processing. Do not create another inbound order just to offset the difference, as that may duplicate inventory or fees.

Updated: 2026-06-17