GRN Format (Goods Receipt Note) — Free Excel Template + Example

2026-06-17

Download a free GRN (Goods Receipt Note) format and Excel template — with a filled example, the field-by-field guide, and the receipt-to-QC-release process. For manufacturing and pharma stores/warehouse.

A Goods Receipt Note (GRN) is the record that confirms what you actually received against what you ordered — the document that links the purchase order, the supplier invoice and your stock. Get the format right and receiving is clean, payments match, and (in regulated plants) material can't move to production until QC clears it. Here's a ready-to-use GRN format in Excel, the field-by-field guide, and a worked example.

⬇ Download the GRN template (Excel) — free, no sign-up. Use it as-is or adapt to your ERP / SOP.

What is a GRN?

A GRN (also called a Goods Received Note or Material Receipt Note) is raised by the stores/warehouse when goods arrive. It records the quantity and condition actually received, checks it against the purchase order, and becomes the basis for stock update and the three-way match (PO ↔ GRN ↔ invoice) before payment. In pharma and other regulated industries it also carries the QC/quarantine status — received material stays in quarantine until QC samples and approves it.

What a GRN format must contain

This is the template — each field earns its place in the receiving and audit trail.

| Field | What goes in it |

|---|---|

| GRN No. / Date | Unique ID + date of receipt |

| PO No. / PO Date | The purchase order being received against |

| Supplier / Vendor | Name + code |

| Invoice No. & Date · Challan / DC No. | Supplier documents received with the goods |

| Vehicle / Transporter | (Optional) for traceability |

| Item code / Description | What was received |

| UOM | Unit of measure |

| Ordered Qty | Per the PO |

| Received Qty | What physically arrived |

| Accepted Qty / Rejected Qty | After inspection |

| Supplier Batch/Lot · Mfg / Exp | For materials (essential in pharma/food) |

| QC / Inspection status | Pending / Under test / Approved / Rejected |

| Quarantine location / GRN status | Where it's held + Open/Closed |

| Received by · Checked by · QA | Sign-offs |

| Remarks | Shortages, damage, deviations |

A filled GRN example

| Field | Example entry |

|---|---|

| GRN No. / Date | GRN-2026-0312 · 17 Jun 2026 |

| PO No. / Date | PO-2026-1184 · 02 Jun 2026 |

| Supplier | Acme Excipients Pvt Ltd (V-0091) |

| Invoice · Challan | INV-55821 / 16 Jun 2026 · DC-7741 |

| Item | Microcrystalline Cellulose PH-102 (RM-0457) |

| UOM | kg |

| Ordered Qty | 500 |

| Received Qty | 500 |

| Accepted / Rejected | 480 accepted / 20 rejected (one bag torn, wet) |

| Supplier Batch · Mfg/Exp | MCC-24-3391 · Apr 2026 / Mar 2029 |

| QC status | Under test (sampled, AR-2026-0789) |

| Quarantine / GRN status | Quarantine Rack Q-12 · GRN Open |

| Received / Checked / QA | Stores: R. Verma · QC: sampled · QA: pending |

| Remarks | 1 bag rejected (damaged in transit); supplier debit note raised |

Notice the received quantity isn't blindly accepted — 20 kg rejected for damage, the material sits in quarantine under QC test, and the GRN stays Open until QC approves. That's the difference between a GRN that controls material and one that's just a delivery receipt.

How to fill it (the parts people get wrong)

• Received vs Accepted quantity are not the same. Record what arrived, then what passed inspection. Shortages and rejections go in Remarks with a debit note / supplier complaint reference.
• Always reference the PO so the three-way match (PO ↔ GRN ↔ invoice) works and over-receipts are caught.
• Capture supplier batch + expiry for every material — without it you can't trace which batch went into which product, which breaks recall readiness.
• QC/quarantine status (regulated plants) — received ≠ usable. Material is quarantined until QC samples and releases it; production should only draw approved stock.
• GRN status — keep Open until accepted/closed. If you can't show open GRNs and pending-QC material on demand, that's a gap.

The GRN process

  PO approved  ->  Goods arrive at stores
     -> Verify against PO + invoice/challan
     -> Physical check (count, condition, batch/expiry)
     -> Raise GRN (received / accepted / rejected qty)
     -> [Regulated] move to QUARANTINE -> QC sample & test
     -> Approved -> stock updated to usable
        Rejected -> return / debit note / supplier complaint
     -> Three-way match -> invoice cleared for payment

GRN is the receiving end of procurement — it follows the purchase / PO approval workflow, feeds inventory, and in pharma connects to material qualification, QC release and the wider quality system.

Why a good GRN matters

• Three-way match — PO ↔ GRN ↔ invoice prevents overpayment and short-supply disputes.
• Stock accuracy — inventory only reflects what truly arrived and passed.
• Traceability & recall — supplier batch/expiry on the GRN lets you trace material into finished product.
• GMP compliance — in pharma/food, the quarantine-until-QC-approved flow is a requirement, not a nicety.

From template to live system

An Excel GRN is a good start, but on paper it drifts: received-vs-accepted gets fudged, quarantine material slips into production, and nobody has a live view of open GRNs or pending-QC stock. A workflow-based system makes receiving controlled — the GRN links to its PO, quarantine and QC release are enforced stages, stock only becomes usable after approval, and a built-in audit trail records every step.

Frequently asked questions

What is the GRN format?

The standard record for received goods: GRN number, PO reference, supplier, invoice/challan, item, ordered vs received vs accepted quantity, supplier batch/expiry, QC/quarantine status, sign-offs and remarks. Download the Excel template above.

Is the GRN template free?

Yes — the Excel template above is free and needs no sign-up. Adapt it to your ERP or SOP.

What is the difference between received and accepted quantity?

Received quantity is what physically arrived; accepted quantity is what passed inspection. The difference is rejected (damage, shortage, off-spec) and recorded with a debit note or supplier complaint.

What is GRN in pharma?

In pharma the GRN also records the supplier batch/expiry and the quarantine/QC status — received material is held in quarantine until QC samples and approves it before it can be used in production.

What is a three-way match?

Matching the purchase order, the GRN and the supplier invoice before paying — so you only pay for what you ordered and actually received.

Flobri runs goods receipt as a connected digital workflow — GRN linked to its PO, enforced quarantine and QC-release stages, stock that only becomes usable after approval, supplier batch/expiry capture, and a built-in audit trail — so receiving is controlled and traceable, not a pile of delivery notes. See how Flobri turns a process description into a live workflow.