NIR / Goods Receipt Note (GRN)
Quick answer
Internal document confirming the physical receipt of goods in the warehouse - the pivot between supplier delivery note and invoice.
Key takeaways
- Time: 15-45 min/receipt × 20-100 receipts/day
- Errors: 2-5% undetected discrepancies, found at stock count
- Invoice delay: supplier invoices sit unposted for 3-10 days, killing cash discounts
- Disputes: incorrect ASN + paper GRN = long supplier disputes
Definition
NIR (Romanian Notă de Intrare-Recepție, equivalent to a Goods Receipt Note / GRN) is the internal document issued at physical receipt of goods in your own warehouse. It contains: supplier, accompanying document (delivery note/invoice), items, received vs. documented quantities, batch, expiry date, unit price, value, observations (shortages, excesses, damages).
Legal & fiscal role
The GRN is the pivot between the supplier delivery note / invoice and stock posting. Without a GRN signed by the warehouse keeper and approved by the receiving committee, the goods cannot be legally sold nor recorded in accounting.
Typical problems of manual GRNs
- Time: 15-45 min/receipt × 20-100 receipts/day
- Errors: 2-5% undetected discrepancies, found at stock count
- Invoice delay: supplier invoices sit unposted for 3-10 days, killing cash discounts
- Disputes: incorrect ASN + paper GRN = long supplier disputes
Digital GRN in CRMconnect
- Item & batch barcode / QR scanning at receipt
- Automatic comparison against ASN (DESADV) received via EDI
- On-the-spot discrepancy detection, photo evidence of damages
- Digital signature of warehouse keeper + committee approval
- Instant sync into the ERP (Charisma, Senior, WinMentor, SAP B1)
Best practices
- Receive against ASN, not paper delivery note
- Predefined quantity tolerance per item category
- Mandatory photo above a discrepancy threshold
- Automatic invoice block if GRN has unresolved discrepancies
Real-world example
An appliances distributor processed 60-80 receipts/day with 3 warehouse keepers. After WMS with digital GRN + ASN: 130 receipts/day with 2 keepers, errors under 0.4%, recovered cash discounts of ~€14,000/year.
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Frequently asked
Is the GRN/NIR legally mandatory?+
In Romania, yes - under OMFP 2861/2009, NIR is the justification document for any stock posting. Missing GRN = fiscal violation. Similar requirements exist across the EU.
Can I issue a GRN without an invoice?+
Yes, based on the delivery note or ASN. The invoice is later matched against the already-issued GRN.
Who signs the GRN?+
At minimum the warehouse keeper; for goods above an internal value threshold, the receiving committee (3 members).
Where CRMconnect fits
Related terms
ASN / DESADV (Advance Shipping Notice)
EDI shipping notice sent before goods physically arrive at the retailer - describes pallet, batch, quantity.
TechnologyEDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
Structured exchange of commercial documents between B2B partners, without emails or manual data entry.
LogisticsWMS (Warehouse Management System)
The system orchestrating physical warehouse operations: receiving, putaway, picking, packing, shipping.