Receiving Policy

I OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of receiving is to ensure that the Hotel obtains the quality and quantity of merchandise ordered at the quoted price.

The Financial Controller is responsible to ensure that the proper receiving function is in effect as follow:

All Merchandise without exception must be received at the receiving Dock by the employee specifically responsible for this area (Receiving Agent during the day and Duty Manager for after receiving hours).

Vendors should be notified that deliveries will be accepted at specific hours only (8.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. – Pre-opening and 7.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. – Post-opening of the Hotel). Suppliers should be directed to make deliveries at scheduled times to prevent over crowding of loading areas loss of productive time. This policy may either be printed on the Hotel’s Purchase orders or on a standard letter to be circulated to all new vendors.

All deliveries must be accompanied by the invoice or a delivery note. Food, Beverage and General Goods should only be accepted on separate invoices and vendors should be advised of this policy.

The emphasis of the receiving function should be on both quality Control and Accounting Control. The Chef is expected to give the receiving agent some training in quality Control.

The receiving hours should end early enough so that the Receiving Agent may post all the invoices. All posting must be completed by the end of each day to enable the Purchasing, Cost Controller and the accounts Payable Departments to complete their daily work.

II RECEIVING PROCEDURES

Receiving personnel must know the product quality standards, be able to recognize them in products delivered, understand all receiving procedures including the proper use of equipment and facilities and know how to complete internal receiving records.

1. The Purchasing Department will advise the Receiving Department of what they are expected to receive by means of Purchase Order and Market Lists.

2. No Goods are to be received if there is no supporting reference, that is Purchase Order and Market List. If in doubt, the Materials Manager must be consulted.

3. All goods are to be delivered by suppliers to the Receiving Dock.

III STEPS IN THE RECEIVING PROCESS

1. Check incoming products against the purchase order and market list to ensure that the operation does not accept products it did not order.

2. Check incoming products against standard specification to ensure that the operation does not receive products of unacceptable quality.

3. Check incoming products against the delivery invoice to ensure that the operation receives the proper quantity at the agreed price.

4. Wet punctured Cases are inspected very closely before acceptance.

5. Unacceptable items must be rejected.

6. Formally accept products Invoice must be stamped with a receiving stamp and signed by receiving clerk.

7. Promptly move incoming products to storage to minimize opportunities for theft and to ensure proper storage.

8. If a delivery invoice must be modified at the time of receiving: (e.g. weight or price is different from which is invoiced).

8.1 A Notice of Error Correction must be completed to note the problems with the items received.

8.2 Cancellations on all the copies of the delivery invoice for the item rejected must be completed.

9 A GWRI (Good Receive Without Invoice or a Good Returned Without Credit Note) form is to be completed when no invoice or price-able delivery note accompanies the delivered merchandise or when inferior quality requires the return of merchandise.


A. Receiving: Meat, Fish and Poultry

1. Delivered item must be stored as soon as received.

2. Verify that items were ordered from and sent by the correct supplies, checking each item for quantity, size and price appearing on the invoice against the daily Market List.

3. Remove ice from Fish and Poultry before weighing.

4. Weight goods without wrapping, containers or packing materials.

5. Count number of pieces delivered against number of pieces ordered.

6. If uncertain of acceptable quality, verify with Executive Chef, Storeroom Supervisor, Butcher or Purchasing Agent.

7. Advise the Purchasing Agent when:
· Weight shortages or averages occur.
· Invoice prices and quoted prices do not agree.
· Item are out of stock.

8. Prepare a Credit Memo when shortages or discrepancies occur.

B. Receiving Perishables Item

1. Verify that items were ordered from and sent by the correct supplier from the Market List.

2. Verify number of cases, packages, etc. with the amount ordered, checking the amount shipped (count, size, weight, cases) and price appearing on the invoice against the daily Market List.

3. Spot check all shipments by examining a sample from the bottom of the case.

4. Date each package and mark unit price on each case that is stored and rotate properly.

5. Out of stock items must be reported to the Purchasing Agent immediately.

6. Prepared a Credit Memo when storage’s or discrepancies occur.

C. Receiving Staple Goods and Frozen Products

1. Verify that item were ordered and sent by the correct supplier.

2. Verify number of cases, packages, etc. with the amount ordered checking the amount shipped and price the daily Market List.

3. Verify package size ordered against the delivered order.

4. Date stamp and mark each package with unit price and rotate properly.

5. Out of the stock items on the invoice must be reported to the Purchasing Agent immediately.

6. Prepare a Credit Memo when shortage or discrepancies occur.

7. No substitution allowed unless approved by Purchasing Agent.

D. FF & E Deliveries

All FF & E deliveries, where regular hotel or rehab, must be tagged as soon after delivery as possible to assist and before the department makes the pick-up.

E. Other Receiving Practices

1. Invoice must be stamped with a receiving stamp and signed by the Receiving Agent.

2. Consistently late shipments must be brought to the attention of the Purchasing Agent.

3. The Purchasing Agent must be informed immediately when merchandise from a supplier is sub-standard in quality or short in quantity.

4. Merchandise must not be left unattended on the receiving dock, but must be immediately stored in a secure place at all times.

IV RECEIVING DOCUMENTATION & PREPARATION

Partial Deliveries

Prepared By :
Receiving Agent
Purpose :

To clearly indicate on the receiving copy of the Purchase Order when items have been partially delivered and the balance quantities.

Procedure

1. When goods are partially delivered, a copy of the Purchase Order is made.


2. The Photocopy of the Purchase Request and Invoice / Delivery Note is stamped “Partial Delivery”.

The concerned item on the Purchase Request, will be highlighted and the partially delivered quantity written.

3. On the original Purchase Request, the delivered quantity, date of delivery and balance pending will be written.

4. The Photocopy of the Purchase Request and supporting documents will be then processed through the Fidelio system.

Notice of Error Correction

Prepared By :

Receiving Agent.

Routed To :

· Accounts Payable.
· Vendor.

Purpose :

To inform the vendor of errors discovered on Invoice / Delivery Notes and to justify, differences in payment amount and invoice’s total.

Explanation :

This form is used to inform a vendor of a price or quantity error delivered on an invoice or delivery note.

It is not used for returns.

The original and the duplicate forms are routed to Accounts Payable who send the original to the vendor and file the duplicate with the invoice.

Third Party Deliveries
It is the responsibility of the hotel receiver in signing as an acting agent to review the condition of all in-coming goods. This requires special attention when the delivery is a via a “Third Party Carrier”, i.e., freight lines.
To protect the hotel’s interest in filling for possible damage claims, receiver must be aware and follow the proceeding steps BEFORE signing for goods.

· Inspect the condition of each box/crate carefully for damages.
· If there is obvious damage to the box/crate the receiver must make a notation on the freight slip called an “exception” stating the number of boxes/crates damaged (e.g. 3 boxes damaged).
· Even if there is very light box dents or damage, the receiver is to make an exception stating “possible hidden damages”.
· The boxes/crates of a damaged shipment must be kept in secured area by the receiver for an investigator’s review for up to 30 days.
· Receiver is to immediately advise purchasing of damages, who will need to take a picture of the damaged goods to back up claim and call the freight line an inspection of the boxes.

Both Purchasing and receiving should be aware that most IPS orders sent FOB Ship Point (freight on board at shipping point). This type of shipment means that the hotel is responsible for any damages incurred in transit and are therefore responsible for filling all damage claims with third party carrier.
Additionally there are a few good general guidelines to remember in dealing with third party carriers.
· It is not usually the entire responsibility of the driver with freight carriers to unload heavy goods. Most driver will assist in the unloading or at least “push” the pallets off onto an elevated lift.

NOTE: This is one of many reason for the receiver to request the cooperation of internal department in picking up their goods as soon as possible to keep the dock accessible.

· Freight lines with a terminal in the city area will usually defer the delivery of goods for up to 3 days without charging for storage providing that the purchasing department requested “24 hours notice before delivery” this request is usually an extra charge, but is well worth it’s cost labor preparation and is more cost effective than storage and redelivery.

· All exceptions to deliveries must be noted on the freight slip before signing for the goods. The chances of receiving payment on damaged goods without proper exception to the freight slip are extremely slow at best, and unrecoverable at worst.

Strict adherence to this policy is expected