It is a good idea to use the articles on writing quotes or order confirmation as templates for the delivery note. In principle, the delivery note is similar to an invoice for a shipment of goods: both list the delivered products and contain the usual formal details of a commercial letter (company name, your address, customer’s address, date, etc.).
However, the delivery note differs slightly from the invoice since the prices of the products aren’t listed. That’s why a delivery note isn’t a replacement for an invoice, so you must always produce an invoice.
The delivery note’s layout structure is really quite simple. In the heading, you should label the document with the quote number or delivery note number. In the main body of the text, the customer should be thanked for their order and then you should list the products contained in the shipment. An empty field should be left where the recipient signs to confirm they have received the goods. If you are using the traditional form of delivery note, you should ideally include another copy for the customer, which acts as proof that they accepted the state of the delivery.
In the meantime, however, more and more delivery notes are being sent by e-mail as soon as the goods are dispatched. Since the e-mail (as opposed to the goods) reaches the recipient immediately, this can be a way of reminding the customer that they are expecting a package. The customer also has an overview of the incoming order when they receive the delivery note by e-mail, which can be especially advantageous for large deliveries. For a digital delivery note, you do not need a space for the customer’s signature.
You have free rein when creating the delivery note since there are no compulsory fields to include. You might want to consider using a template though to make sure you don’t miss any important details. This checklist is a recommendation for what should be included:
- The name and address of your company as well as that of the recipient (including invoice and shipping address if they aren’t the same)
- Date of order, shipment, and delivery
- Order number/order name
- Packing list (description and quantity of individual goods)
- Subsequent deliveries, if these occur
As with all business correspondence, it makes sense to prepare a delivery note from your company that you can include with each shipment. If you don’t have one, there are multiple delivery note templates designed for Microsoft Word and Excel. It’s simple to do and totally free.