A packing list in Aicountly Inventory is a posted document that moves goods out of your available stock and holds them for one consignee until a sale uses them or you unpack them. It lets the shop floor finish packing before the invoice is raised, without the same stock being promised twice.
What a packing list does to your stock
In Inventory, Packing List is one of the document types you can create from the document entry screen, described as "Pack goods for a consignee". When you post it, the lines move into a separate packed bucket. That stock is no longer free to sell, but it has not left your books either.
Think of a distributor who packs eight cartons on Thursday for a customer whose invoice will only be raised on Friday morning. Posting the packing list on Thursday keeps those cartons from being sold to someone else in between.
How it differs from a reservation or a delivery challan
A reservation holds quantity against an order before packing starts; our guide on reserving stock for an order in Inventory covers that. A packing list is the next step: the goods are physically boxed and ready, and the list carries the box details with it.
A delivery challan, on the other hand, is a dispatch document that travels with the goods. If you are unsure which GST document applies to a movement, read tax invoice, bill of supply or delivery challan first. A packing list does not replace any of them; it is your internal record of what went into which box.
Fill in the packing list
Start a new packing list and complete the document details:
- Document date is required. The Packing list no. can stay empty; the field says "Auto-generate" and Inventory numbers it for you.
- Consignee is the name as it should print. You can also enter the consignee's ledger id from Books.
- Default warehouse is where the goods are packed from.
- Reference holds the sales order, delivery challan or customer PO number.
Under "More details" you can add the delivery address, the number of boxes, weight in kg, dimensions (length x width x height in cm, for example 40 x 30 x 20), the transport mode, and notes. You can also tick handling instructions such as Fragile, Handle with care, Keep dry or This side up, and add box marks, one per line, which print on the packing list.
The lines go in the Items to pack card. If a line asks for more than you have, the form shows an "Insufficient stock" notice, so you find out before posting rather than at the loading dock.
The four states of a posted packing list
Once posted, each packing list has a packing status. The Packing lists register (under Documents) shows it beside the document status.
StatusWhat it means OpenPacked and waiting for a sale. LockedA sale draft is being prepared against it, or another document holds it. ConsumedA posted sale has issued the packed goods. No second sale may use the same list. UnpackedThe goods went back to available stock. The list stays on record.Lock, unlock and unpack
From the register, the row menu offers actions depending on the status and your permissions:
- Lock an open list while a sale is being keyed against it. You can enter a sale or draft reference so colleagues can see why it is locked.
- Unlock a locked list if the sale draft was abandoned. A "Force unlock" tick exists for when another sale still holds it, so use it only when you are sure.
- Unpack an open list when the order is cancelled. The dialog explains that packed goods go back to available stock and the list stays posted for the trail. A reason is optional but worth writing.
An unpacked list is not deleted. That keeps the pack and unpack history complete, so a later check of stock movements still adds up.
Find the right list quickly
The register searches by number, consignee or lock reference. You can filter by packing state (including "Not posted"), date range and warehouse. It is a quick way to answer "which packed cartons are still waiting for an invoice?" by filtering on Open.
A weekly routine
- Filter the register to Open and check each list is still tied to a live order.
- Unpack lists for cancelled orders so the stock returns to sale.
- Check Locked lists older than a day or two; an abandoned sale draft may be holding goods.
- When the invoice is raised, make sure it names the packing list so the list moves to Consumed. Our checklist of mandatory tax invoice fields helps you review the invoice itself.
If the goods move by road above the value threshold, remember the separate e-way bill requirement; see e-way bill basics. Rules and limits can change, so confirm specifics with your CA.
Key takeaways
- Posting a packing list moves goods into a packed bucket, separate from available stock.
- A list is Open, Locked, Consumed or Unpacked; only Open lists can be unpacked.
- Unpacking returns stock to available and keeps the record.
- Review Open and Locked lists weekly so packed goods do not sit unbilled.
If you already use Aicountly Inventory, the Packing lists register is the place to keep an eye on goods that are boxed but not yet billed.
