Inbound Flow Control: What is it? Why is it Important? And How to Improve It.

Building an efficient warehouse operation starts with one crucial step: taking control of inbound flow. Without visibility into what’s arriving, when it’s arriving, and in what quantities, it becomes nearly impossible to plan resources, prioritise receipts, or manage exceptions in supply chain processes effectively.

This is where inbound flow control becomes essential. It helps businesses create structure, improve communication with suppliers, and streamline inbound logistics.

Why Inbound Flow Control Matters

Many warehouse teams are still expected to manage daily inbound deliveries with little to no visibility. In reality, much of the information needed to control inbound flow already exists within the supply chain, it’s just not reaching the right people at the right time.

Here are some of the most common breakdowns we see when inbound flow control isn’t in place:

1. Expected receipt dates are based on static lead times and not updated by suppliers.
2. Inbound shipments are confirmed by suppliers, but transportation is not tracked.
3. Container-level tracking lacks visibility into the SKUs or quantities inside.
4. Missing weights and dimensions make it difficult to plan space and labour.
5. Booking slots lack detail, making it hard to match shipments to plans.
6. Open POs remain unresolved, hiding exceptions in the system.
7. Parcel deliveries arrive unannounced, disrupting warehouse operations.
8. Inbound shipments are based on supplier timelines, not business priorities.
9. Problem receipts pile up without resolution, leading to clutter and confusion.

The Impact of Poor Inbound Flow Control

When inbound visibility is poor, the effects ripple throughout your entire supply chain. A lack of discipline around inbound processes creates:

1. Inaccurate view of incoming shipments, making resource planning difficult
2. Inability to prioritise urgent inbound products required to meet customer orders.
3. Late deliveries only flagged when on arrival, not in transit 
4. Misleading inventory data and unreliable system availability
5. Manual workarounds to confirm delivery status due to mistrust in system data
6. Poor planning where partially delivered POs appear as available and in supply

Put simply, if you’re not managing inbound flow control, you’re creating unnecessary inefficiencies and potentially risking customer satisfaction.

How to Improve Inbound Flow Control

This is one of the most straightforward areas in supply chain management to improve, often without major systems overhauls.

• Requiring detailed advanced shipping notices (ASNs) for all deliveries
• Updating POs with confirmed shipment and delivery dates
• Tracking transportation status, not just shipment confirmation
• Enforcing structured booking slots with full product detail
• Regularly reviewing and closing out partially fulfilled or outdated POs

Overall, inbound flow control is often overlooked in supply chain management, but it’s foundational to efficient warehouse and supply chain operations. With simple process improvements, better data inputs, and proactive supplier communication, your business can take full control of what comes in the back door.

Feel free to contact us if you would like to explore options and best practices in managing inbound supplier flows.