Guide
EPCIS vs ASN: what trading partners actually send
Manufacturers, wholesalers, and 3PLs use different file types to describe the same physical shipment. Know the difference so your receiving team does not treat a logistics notice as a traceability record.
Under DSCSA, trading partners must exchange transaction information (TI), transaction history (TH), and a transaction statement (TS)—collectively the 3T—and maintain interoperable traceability for serialized product. In practice, partners deliver accountability through EPCIS event files, while warehouse and ERP systems often speak ASN (Advance Ship Notice) or proprietary CSV formats.
A DSCSA program breaks when teams treat those documents as interchangeable. An ASN tells you what was picked and shipped; EPCIS tells you which serials changed custody in a standards-based event log.
ASN (Advance Ship Notice)
Typically an EDI 856 or wholesaler-specific CSV tied to your PO. Useful for receiving dock workflow: line items, quantities, lot numbers, sometimes serials.
- ✓ Matches purchase order to physical cases
- ✓ Drives put-away and invoice reconciliation
- ✗ Not a GS1 EPCIS event document
- ✗ May omit serial-level aggregation hierarchy
EPCIS (Electronic Product Code Information Services)
GS1 standard XML/JSON describing ObjectEvent and AggregationEvent records—who shipped which serials, when, and from which GLN.
- ✓ DSCSA interoperable traceability payload
- ✓ Serial-level chain of custody
- ✓ Feeds verification and exception workflows
- ✓ Supports AS2 and webhook automation
Side-by-side comparison
| Question | ASN / CSV | EPCIS |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Logistics & receiving match | Traceability & custody transfer |
| Serial accountability | Sometimes partial | Required for serialized events |
| DSCSA 3T | May be separate PDF/email | Often bundled with shipment events |
| Downstream verification | Not sufficient alone | Populates serial inventory for VRS |
| Typical delivery | SFTP, portal download | SFTP, AS2, API webhook |
What to do at receiving
The pattern is the same whether you are a pharmacy, wholesaler DC, or 3PL warehouse: match physically, ingest EPCIS into your L4 hub, resolve gaps before inventory moves downstream.
Step 1
Match the shipment physically
Confirm cases and quantities against ASN or packing slip.
Step 2
Ingest EPCIS into traceability
Load partner EPCIS into TracePharma before shipping downstream or dispensing serialized product.
Step 3
Resolve exceptions in-app
Missing serials or 3T gaps become tracked exceptions—not sticky notes on the dock.
Not sure what your partners send?
Share a redacted sample file—we'll identify whether you're getting traceability-ready EPCIS or logistics-only ASN data.
Evaluating DSCSA providers? Download our checklist of questions to ask before you sign.