How to Create Goods Receipt in SAP: MIGO, MB1C, MB03

What is a Goods Receipt in SAP?

A Goods Receipt in SAP MM records the physical inward movement of materials against a reference document such as a purchase order, production order, or inbound delivery. Posting the receipt updates stock quantities and value, triggers an accounting entry, and closes the cycle from purchasing to inventory.

Two transactions are commonly used to create a goods receipt:

• MIGO — the modern, multi-purpose transaction that supports every movement scenario.
• MB1C — the classic transaction, kept for quick movements without a reference document.

Most teams use MIGO because it consolidates every movement type, vendor, plant, and storage-location option behind a single screen.

Process to Create Goods Receipt in SAP using MIGO

Follow the steps below to post a goods receipt against a purchase order with MIGO and then verify the resulting material document with MB03.

Step 1) Open MIGO and pick the purchase order

1. Execute the MIGO transaction.
2. Choose the A1 – Goods receipt process.
3. Choose R01 – Purchase order as the reference document.
4. Enter your purchase order number.
5. Click the Execute button.

Step 2) Confirm posting and document date

The material is transferred to the item overview section. Choose the posting date and document date — keeping today’s date as the default is recommended unless the receipt is back-dated for compliance reasons.

Step 3) Review header and item tabs

1. At the header level, open the Vendor tab to view vendor information.
2. Click on the line item number to reveal several tabs at the bottom of the screen; each tab shows specific information about the item.
3. Open the Material tab to see the general material master data.

Step 4) Check the quantity

Open the Quantity tab. You can post a goods receipt for less than the ordered quantity by changing the value here. The ordered quantity continues to appear at the bottom of the screen for reference.

Step 5) Verify the destination (“Where” tab)

The next tab contains information about the destination for the goods:

1. The movement type used for the receipt (usually 101 for a standard GR against a PO).
2. The destination plant and storage location.
3. The stock type upon receipt. In the example, the material is posted to Quality Inspection — an indicator set in the material master — so it is not available for use until confirmed to be in satisfactory quality.
4. The goods recipient and unloading point fields.

If you need to change the storage location or override the stock posting type, do it on this tab.

Step 6) Review purchase order data and post

The Purchase Order Data tab shows reference details from the PO:

1. You can change how the delivery completed indicator is updated on the purchase order. By default it updates automatically on posting, but you can change this if your process requires a different approach.

After reviewing every tab and confirming the data is accurate, flag the items as OK. You can then post the document.

Upon posting, SAP generates a material document, and a confirmation message displays the new material document number.

Verify the Material Document with MB03

Use transaction MB03 to look up the material document you just posted.

1. Execute the transaction MB03.
2. Enter the material document number and the document year.
3. Press ENTER.

You will see basic information about the document and its items.

Double-click an item to drill in.

The item-detail view shows additional information such as account assignment, batch, and value.

You have now posted a goods receipt and verified the resulting material document. The process is identical for production orders and inbound deliveries — only the reference document (R02 for orders, R08 for inbound delivery) changes.

Key Transactions and Movement Types

The table below summarises the most common transactions and movement types used during the goods-receipt process.

Transaction / Movement	Purpose
MIGO	Universal goods movement transaction — receipts, issues, transfers, and reversals.
MB1C	Quick goods movement without a reference document; ideal for initial stock upload.
MB03	Display a material document already posted.
MB31	Goods receipt against a production order.
Movement Type 101	Standard goods receipt against a purchase order.
Movement Type 102	Reversal of a goods receipt against a purchase order.
Movement Type 103	Goods receipt into blocked stock for vendor evaluation.
Movement Type 105	Release of blocked stock to unrestricted use.

Best Practices for Posting a Goods Receipt

The following habits keep goods-receipt postings clean, auditable, and easy to reconcile during month-end close:

• Match against the PO line: always post against a specific purchase order line item so three-way matching with the invoice works automatically.
• Confirm posting date: the posting date drives FI period; never back-date a receipt without finance approval.
• Use stock type intentionally: route incoming material to Quality Inspection or Blocked Stock when the quality team needs to clear it before consumption.
• Document partial receipts: note short shipments in the item text and inform purchasing so the PO can be closed or chased.
• Attach supporting documents: use the Service Notes or Generic Object Services to attach the delivery note for audit trail.
• Validate value postings: open FI accounting entries via the material document to confirm that the GR/IR clearing account moves as expected.

FAQs