Annotated List of References for Business Message Types

Steven O. Kimbrough

Originated: 25 March 2006.

Terminology

International Commercial Terms (Incoterms). International Commercial Terms (Incoterms) - a codification of international rules for the uniform interpretation of common contract clauses in export/import transactions developed and issued by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The thirteen Incoterms are: ...

From: http://www.itds.treas.gov/incoterms.html

Firms that Provide Business Forms

Adams Business Forms

(Accessed 20060325.) Adams Business Forms, http://www.cardinalbrands.com/adams/, of Cardinal Brands, Inc., sells various business (message) forms on paper and "tools to help businesses keep track of messages, finances, transactions, employees, taxes, and customers." They also sell "software compatible forms" described as "Forms [that] are compatible with QuickBooksPro and QuickBooks accounting software."

Form/message types sold: invoice, multi-purpose form, proposal, statement, sales book, sales/order book, and order book.

Business Nation

(Accessed 20060325.) Business Nation, http://www.businessnation.com/library/forms/, has a large number of "Business Forms and Business Letters" posted for free access. For example, this is what they have for "Acceptance of Counter Proposal":

Dear

Your counter proposal on the above referenced project
has been reviewed and is acceptable in its entirety.

We are enclosing an executed copy of the agreement along
with two copies for your files.

We are enthusiastically looking forward to this project
and are pleased about having the opportunity to work
together.

Here's their list: Accept(ance), Acknowledge(ment), Agreement, Announcement, Apology, Application, Assignment, Authorization, Cancellation, Certificate, Confirmation, Congratulations, Contract, Cover Letter, Disclosure, Explanation, Extension, Forms and Checklists, Guarentee, Notice, Offer, Order, Permission, Promissory, Promotion, Referral, Refund, Release, Reply, Request, Response, Return, Verify-Verification.

Entrepreneur.com

(Accessed 20060325.) FormNet at Entrepreneur.com, http://www.entrepreneur.com/formnet , has a number of useful forms. Among them is the class Inventory Forms: "Use these forms to track your inventory and accept or reject goods as they come in." They are: Delivery Rejection Notice, Inventory Report, Merchandise Return, Order Acceptance Notice, Out-of-Stock Notice, Price Quote Request, Purchase Order, Requisition Slip, Sales Summary Card, and Vendor/Supplier Checklist. Each form has a brief use description, e.g., "The Requisition Slip is used internally to formally order equipment and tools.", and is available as a Word file for downloading.

Message Types

Accept(ance)

Acknowledge(ment)

Agreement

Announcement

Apology

Application

Assignment

Authorization

Bill of Lading

See: http://www.itds.treas.gov/bills_lading.htm, which is quoted in here:

A bill of lading is a document which is issued by the transportation carrier to the shipper acknowledging that they have received the shipment of goods and that they have been placed on board a particular vessel which is bound for a particular destination and states the terms in which these goods received are to be carried. Separate bills of lading are issued for the inland or domestic portion of the transportation and the ocean or air transportation, or a through bill of lading can be obtained covering all modes of transporting goods to their destination.

Bills of lading, whether inland or ocean, can be issued in either non-negotiable (straight) form or in negotiable form. If the bill of lading is specified as being non-negotiable, the transportation carrier must deliver it only to the consignee named in the bill of lading, thus the bill of lading acts both as a receipt of goods and as an agreement to transport these goods to a specific destination and consignee in return for payment of the transportation charges. If the bill of lading is specifically labeled as being negotiable, ownership to the goods and the right to re-route the shipment are with the person who has ownership of the bill of lading properly issued or negotiated to it. Such bills of lading are issued to shipper's order, rather than to a specific, named consignee. Where collection and payment is through banking channels, such as under a letter of credit or documentary collection, negotiable bills of lading are required (except for air shipments). The exporter must endorse the bill of lading and deliver it to the bank in order to receive payment.

There are four types of bills of lading: inland, ocean, through, and air waybill.

Inland Bill of Lading - this is a a contract between a shipper and transportation company used when transporting goods overland to an exporter's international carrier.

Ocean Bill of Lading - this is a contract between a exporter and an international carrier for transport of merchandise to a specified foreign market overseas.

Through Bill of Lading - A document that establishes the terms between a shipper and a transportation company covering both the domestic and international transport of export goods between specified points for a specified charge. For example, an air shipment can be covered with a through bill of lading; however, ocean shipments require both an inland bill of lading (for domestic transport) and an ocean bill of lading (for international transport).

Air Waybill - An airway bill is a bill of lading which covers both domestic and international flights transporting goods to a specified destination. It establishes the terms between a shipper and an air transportation company for the transport of goods. Included in the document are the conditions, limitations of liability, shipping instructions, description of commodity, and applicable transportation charges. In addition, the air waybill is a non-negotiable document which serves as a receipt for the shipper, indicating that the carrier has accepted the goods listed and obligates itself to carry the consignment to the airport of destination according to specified conditions.

Examples

Locally, as a JPG and another example as a JPG.

Cancellation

Certificate

Confirmation

Congratulations

Contract

Cover Letter

Delivery Rejection Notice

This form is used to notify a vendor, supplier or shipper that you are rejecting a shipment of goods and that you request a refund.

Examples

From http://www.entrepreneur.com/graphics/formnet/INV0011.doc as a Word document. Also, locally.

Disclosure

Explanation

Extension

Forms and Checklists

Guarantee

Guest Check

Restaurant orders.

Examples

Locally as a JPG.

Inventory Report

This form is used to keep a balance of the inventory on hand in a given department. Use a different form for each item in inventory.

Examples

From http://www.entrepreneur.com/graphics/formnet/INV0007.doc as a Word document. Also, locally.

Invoice

Examples

Locally, Adams Business Forms, as a JPG.

Merchandise Return

Use this form when a customer returns or exchanges merchandise. Record the item or items returned, the customer's information and the method of reimbursement.

Examples

From http://www.entrepreneur.com/graphics/formnet/INV0008.doc as a Word document. Also, locally.

Miscellaneous Forms

Examples

U. Penn patient visit encounter form, as a JPG.

Multi-purpose form

Notice

Offer

Order, Order book

Order Acceptance Notice

This form is used to notify a vendor, supplier or shipper that you have inspected and accepted a shipment of goods.

Examples

From http://www.entrepreneur.com/graphics/formnet/INV0009.doc as a Word document. Also, locally.

Out-of-Stock Notice

Use this short form to inform a customer that you are out of stock of a product they have ordered.

Examples

From http://www.entrepreneur.com/graphics/formnet/INV0013.doc as a Word document. Also, locally.

Packing slip

Examples

Locally, a shipper's packing form, from Adams, as a JPG.

Permission

Price Quote Request

This form is used to request a price quote from a supplier, vendor or another department within your company.

Examples

From http://www.entrepreneur.com/graphics/formnet/INV0005.doc as a Word document. Also, locally. http://www.entrepreneur.com/graphics/formnet/INV0005.doc

Promissory

Promotion

Proposal

Purchase Order

This form is used to issue the order for a purchase to a vendor or supplier.

Examples

From http://www.entrepreneur.com/graphics/formnet/INV0004.doc as a Word document. Also, locally.

Locally, a RediForm purchase order, as a JPG.

Quotation

Examples

Locally, Adams Business Forms, as a JPG.

Receipt

Receiving Record

Examples

Locally, Adams Business Forms, as a JPG, and as another JPG.

Referral

Refund

Release

Reply

Request

Requisition Slip

The Requisition Slip is used internally to formally order equipment and tools.

Examples

From http://www.entrepreneur.com/graphics/formnet/INV0003.doc as a Word document. Also, locally.

Response

Return

Sales book, Sales Summary Card

Used to keep track of sales of a given item.

Examples

From http://www.entrepreneur.com/graphics/formnet/INV0002.doc as a Word document. Also, locally.

Locally, a sales order form from Adams, as a JPG.

Sales/order book

Statement

Classified by Adams Business Forms with invoice forms as a billing form.

Vendor/Supplier Checklist

This checklist will help you create files for your suppliers and vendors; it includes the different kinds of information you should keep regarding each of your suppliers and vendors.

Examples

From http://www.entrepreneur.com/graphics/formnet/INV0006.doc as a Word document. Also, locally. http://www.entrepreneur.com/graphics/formnet/INV0006.doc

Verify-Verification

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