Ship Dates and Item Numbers

Ship Dates

The date of shipment for the bill of lading must be included on each invoice and is verified against the delivery ticket. In the event that the shipment date does not agree with the delivery ticket, the invoice is sent to the Fuel Group in Supply and is delayed for processing.

Item Numbers

Each item on a Union Pacific purchase order has its own specific item number. These item numbers also must be referenced on all:

  • Invoices
  • Shipping notices
  • Delivery documents
  • Packing lists
  • Credit memos
  • Correspondence
  • Any other purchase order-related documents

There are three types of item numbers:

  • Item Numbers for SAP Orders.

    For example: Item number 00010.

    • SAP items are assigned unique numbers beginning with 00010, 00020, etc. (items are in increments of 10).
    • SAP item numbers are 5 digits
  • Item numbers for stock purchase orders.

    For example: Item number 599-1234-0.

    • Stock items are assigned unique numbers within our stock material system.
    • Stock item numbers are 8 digits.
  • Item numbers for non-stock purchase orders.

    For example: Item number 001.

    • Non-stock items reflect the line numbers which appear consecutively on the purchase order.
    • Non-stock item numbers are 3 digits.

Delays in payment can result when an invoice does not contain references to Union Pacific item numbers or when the item numbers are incorrect. When item numbers do not exactly match the purchase order, a review and comparison of item descriptions must be made between the invoice and purchase order. If item descriptions cannot be matched, the invoice is forwarded to the purchasing representative for determination and resolution. If no determination can be made, the invoice must be returned to the supplier.

For EDI invoices, the lack of an item number constitutes a violation of the Rail Industry Guidelines. These invoices will be rejected automatically, and the supplier will be notified by phone or in writing.