ADC 184 

RDO-based SDRs 

1. Originator 

 a. Service/Agency: Defense Logistics Agency 

 b. Originator: DLA J-3731 

2. Functional Area: 

 a. Primary: Supply/SDR 

3. Requested change 

 a. Title: PDC 177, RDO-based SDRs 

 b. Description of Change: This change revises SDR business rules for routing SDRs 

resulting from Redistribution Order (RDO) shipments using the DLMS 842 transaction 

and the DOD WebSDR for distribution. This change provides new rules for routing 

action copy to the shipping depot and information copy to the material owner. 

 c. Background: Current DLA Distribution Depots Supply Discrepancy Reporting 

(SDR) Programs do not have the Capability to distinguish between discrepant 

Redistribution Order (RDO) shipments and discrepant Customer Return Shipments. 

Therefore, when a Distribution Depot submits a Supply Discrepancy Report for an RDO 

or a Customer Return, both of these types of Supply Discrepancy reports are sent to the 

SoS for action. Sending an SDR for an RDO to the SoS instead of the shipping depot for 

action is an incorrect process and causes unnecessary work for the SoS. Supply 

Discrepancy Reports for RDOs should be sent to the shipper who is responsible to correct 

the error, not to the SoS who had nothing to do with the error and cananot do anything 

about the error except contact the shipper by phone or email to notify the shipper that an 

error has occurred. This incorrect process has been the cause of inventory accuracy 

errors which often go undetected until a denial situation occurs. If Distribution Depots 

do not receive a Supply Discrepancy Report for shipment errors, the errors do not get 

corrected. This causes inventory accuracy errors to go unnoticed for long periods of time 

because no formal information is provided to prompt an inventory or inventory 

adjustment requirement. Receiving Distribution Depots have been totally reliant on 

phone calls or emails from another shipper or from the SoS (which seldom occur) to find 

out that they have shipped an overage, shortage or wrong stock. 

d. Procedures:
(1) With the implementation of this change, planned for Defense Distribution 

Standard System (DSS) increment 6.1, the Distribution Depot will have the capability to 

create, distinguish, and properly process an SDR resulting from a Redistribution Order 

(MILSTRIP A2_). This type of SDR will be identified internally by the Document Type 

R, Depot Originated, Redistribution Order Receipt, in the DLMS 842 transaction. The 

SDR will identify the shipping depot as the action activity. This “Type R” SDR will be 

passed through WebSDR/DAAS via 842 transaction and passed to the Action Activity 

identified in the transaction as the Distribution Depot shipping activity. Under DSS, it 

will then be dropped into the workload of the shipping depot. The transaction will also 

identify the material owner as the recipient of an information copy using a second N1 

loop (currently accommodated in the transaction format, but not currently programmed at 

DAAS/WebSDR). WebSDR/DAAS will send an information copy to the material 

owner, thus ensuring the material owner is kept in the information loop. Because the 

owner was designated as an information copy recipient on the original report, 

DAAS/WebSDR will generate an information copy to the designated owner when any 

additional transaction exchange for that SDR is passed back and forth between the 

initiator and action activity (e.g. replies), regardless of whether the reply transaction 

identifies the information copy recipient.

(2) Exception Procedure: DSS will be programmed to identify the material 

owner as the intended recipient of the SDR action copy if the discrepant RDO material is 

suspended in Supply condition codes J, K, L or Q, or if a receiving stock screening 

discrepancy is identified (DLA unique Q_ series Discrepancy Code e.g., to identify 

discrepant critical safety items/Customer Returns Improvement Initiative (CRII) is 

submitted on the SDR). If the material owner receives the action copy, the material 

owner will be responsible to provide disposition instructions to the submitting 

Distribution Depot. The shipper will not be identified as an information copy recipient 

on these transactions. 

(3) Application of the new type R SDR process. When a DLA Defense 

Distribution Depot receives a redistribution order (RDO) shipment from another DLA 

Defense Distribution depot and the material is (1) short shipment, (2) over shipment, (3) 

wrong material shipment or (4) the receiving depot identifies a DLA unique Q-series 

discrepancy (DLA Q-series discrepancy codes are addressed in a separate proposed 

change under development) or suspends the material into J, K, L or Q supply condition 

codes when they submit an SDR, the following processes will apply: 

(a) Short shipment: The receiving depot will identify what DLA depot 

shipped the shortage and the quantity short. Receiving Depot will prepare an SDR to 

report the shortage and use an action code of 1D (Material still required). The shipping 

depot will receive the action copy and the ICP will receive an info copy. The action copy 

will go to the shipping depot to notify the shipper that they did not comply with the RDO 

shipping documentation requirements. The SDR reporting depot (receiving depot) will 

send an information copy to the ICP to notify the ICP of the error and to provide the ICP 

with advanced notification of a possible change to their ICP inventory records. (The ICP 
has always received an information only copy from receiving depots when shortages of A 

or F condition material for customer returns or RDO shipments are reported). The reason 

the ICP receives an information copy for these types of shipments is because receiving 

depots (the initiator of the SDR) cannot do any thing about the error except report it to 

the ICP. Therefore no response from the ICP is expected by the SDR submitter (the 

receiving depot is simply reporting information). There are three reasons why the 

Shipping depot should receive the action copy and the ICP receive the info copy on an 

RDO shipment. 

 First: Per regulation, the DLA depot that shipped the material is responsible to ship 

material as directed by the applicable shipping documentation (shippers are not 

authorized to deviate from the shipping requirement without permission from the material 

owner). If they make a shipping error, they are responsible to correct the error by 

completing those shipping requirements whenever possible at no extra charge to the 

material owner. 

 Second and most important: Per DoD 4000.25-2M, the DLA Distribution Depot’s 

Distribution Standard System (DSS) is the inventory accountable record system which 

reports inventory record balances from the DLA distribution and storage sites to the ICP 

inventory systems. In other words, DSS tells the ICP inventory and accounting systems 

what, how much and where material is stored. It is most important that the DSS 

inventory record system is corrected at the shipping depot as soon as possible after a 

mistake is detected to ensure that the DLA accountable record system (DSS) properly 

reports correct inventory quantities at their storage sites to the ICPs inventory systems. 

 The third reason that ICP would receive an info copy SDR (not the action copy) is 

because the Receiving Depot (Depot submitting the SDR) reporting the error cannot do 

anything about a shortage from a Customer Return or RDO shipment as they were not 

responsible for the shipment. They are only the recipient of the shipment error. 

Therefore no response from the ICP to the initiator or the SDR will resolve the shortage. 

 Upon receipt of the type R SDR the shipping depot will work the SDR as a priority 

shipping discrepancy. An inventory will be immediately conducted to determine correct 

on-hand quantities of the NSN identified on the SDR. 

 If the inventory identifies an overage, the shipping depot will respond to the 

initiator of the SDR (the receiving depot) with a response code of 123 (Material will be 

reissued at no charge). In the comments field shipping depot will prepare an appropriate 

statement: (example: “Inventory conducted and verified shipment error. Material will be 

shipped at no charge to correct shipment error and depot on-hand record balance). 

Shipping Depot will prepare a “ZWT” or an “A5E” shipping document as applicable 

using the same document number as the original shipment document number with a 

suffix code. Type of shipment document used by the shipping depot (ZWT or A5E) will 

be determined by gain adjustments associated with the inventory of the NSN prior to 

shipment of the material. (Clarification of use of ZWT versus A5E type shipment 

document: If shipment error is discovered and material is shipped before a formal 
inventory and balance affecting adjustment occurs, the Depot will use a ZWT 

transaction –a non balance affecting shipping document transaction to ship the 

material to the customer. If a formal inventory and inventory adjustment occurs 

before the shipment error is discovered/corrected, material will be shipped on a 

A5E shipping document transaction– a balance affecting type shipping document. 

This balance affecting shipping transaction will offset the earlier inventory 

adjustment to correct the depots accountable record balance). When the shipping 

document is prepared, shipping depot will include the following information in the 

exception data in the body of the shipping document: “Receive this material under 

Document # ________________”. (document number identified will be the document 

number of the original shipment). The addition of this statement on the shipping 

documentation will notify the receiving depot to receive the material under the initial 

shipping document number for the PMR/due-in, which is still in the DSS system waiting 

to be completed/cleared. 

 If an overage of the correct NSN is not identified during the inventory, the shipping 

depot will reply to the SDR using response code 126 (material not available for 

reshipment) or 701 (SDR rejected. See remarks). In the comments block shipping depot 

will prepare an appropriate statement: (example: “Inventory conducted and no overage 

was discovered. No material will be shipped. OR “Inventory conducted and a shortage 

was identified. Loss adjustment recorded on Depot accountable record. No material will 

be shipped”). 

 ICP will receive an information copy of all shipping depot responses for 

notification of shipment error and/or possible inventory adjustments to the accountable 

record at the shipping depot. ICP will use this information to make additional 

redistribution decisions for their material or cancel remaining PMR/Due-in requirements 

at the receiving depot as applicable.

(b) Overage: The receiving depot will identify what DLA depot shipped the 

overage and the quantity of the over shipment as compared with the shipment document 

information. Receiving Depot will prepare an SDR to report the overage and use an 

action code of 1B (Material being retained). The shipping depot (will receive the action 

copy) and the ICP (will receive an info copy). The action copy will go to the shipping 

depot to notify the shipper that they did not comply with the RDO shipping 

documentation requirements (Depot shipment error). The SDR reporting depot 

(receiving depot) will send an information copy to the ICP to notify the ICP of the error 

and to provide the ICP with advanced notification of a possible change to their ICP 

inventory and accounting records. (ICP has always received Information Only copy of 

SDRs submitted from receiving depots when overages of A or F condition material for 

customer returns or RDO shipments are reported). The reason the ICP receives an 

information copy for this type of shipment is because the Receiving Depot (the initiator 

of the SDR) cannot do any thing about the error except report it to the ICP. Therefore no 

response from the ICP is expected. There are two reasons why the Shipping depot 

receives the action copy and the ICP receives the info copy on an RDO shipment. 
First: Per regulation, the DLA depot that shipped the material is responsible to ship 

material as directed by the RDO shipping documentation. If they make an over shipment 

error, they do not have the authority to create a redistribution order to ship the material

back (that is an ICP function), but they must be notified of the error as soon as possible 

and take corrective action in the form of conducting an inventory and correcting record 

balances when applicable as quickly as possible. Per DoD 4000.25-2M, the DLA 

distribution depot’s Distribution Standard system (DSS) is the inventory accountable 

record system which reports inventory balances from the DLA distribution and storage 

site to the ICP inventory systems. It is most important that the DSS inventory record 

system is corrected at the shipping depot as soon as possible after a mistake is detected to 

ensure that the DLA accountable record system (DSS) properly reports correct inventory 

quantities at their storage sites to the ICPs inventory systems.

The second reason the ICP would receive an info copy (not the action copy) is because 

the receiving activity submitting the SDR to report the error cannot do anything about an 

overage of A or F condition material from a Customer Return or RDO shipment as they 

did not make the shipment. They are the recipient of the discrepant shipment. Therefore 

no response from the ICP to the initiator of the SDR will resolve the overage. 

Upon receipt of the type R SDR the shipping depot will work the SDR as a priority SDR 

to avoid potential denials due to an unauthorized over shipment or stock. Inventories will 

be immediately conducted to determine on-hand quantities of the NSN identified on the 

shipping discrepancy. If inventory identifies an over shipment error, the shipping depot 

will respond on the SDR using reply code 137 (additional comments provided). In the 

comments section recommended statement follows: (“Inventory conducted and over 

shipment was verified. Inventory record adjusted to correct on-hand record balance). If 

inventory conducted verifies that record balance is correct, shipping depot will use reply 

code 701 (SDR rejected. See remarks). In the comments area state: (“Inventory 

conducted and on-hand record balance is correct. SDR is invalid. No evidence of 

shipment error). 

ICP will receive an info copy of all shipping depot responses for notification of shipment 

error and possible inventory adjustments to the accountable record at the shipping depot 

as applicable. ICPs will use this information to make additional redistribution decisions 

for their material. 

(c) Wrong material shipment: The receiving depot will identify which 

DLA depot shipped the wrong material and the discrepant quantity. Receiving Depot 

will prepare an SDR to report receipt of the wrong material and use an action code of 1D 

(Material still required) indicating that the correct material is still required. The shipping 

depot (will receive the action copy) and the ICP (will receive an info copy). The action 

copy will go to the shipping depot to notify the shipper that they did not comply with the 

RDO shipping documentation requirements. The SDR reporting depot (receiving depot) 

will send an information copy to the ICP to notify the ICP of the error and to provide the 

ICP with advanced notification of a possible change to their ICP inventory records from

what they are expecting. (ICPs currently receive an Information only copy from receiving 
depots for wrong material shipments when shipments of A or F condition material for 

customer returns or RDO shipments are reported). The reason the ICP receives an 

information copy for these types of shipments is because receiving depots (the initiator of 

the SDR) cannot do any thing about the error except report it to the ICP. Therefore no 

response from the ICP is expected in the form of disposition instructions. There are three 

reasons why the Shipping depot receives the action copy and the ICP receives the info 

copy on an RDO shipment. 

 First: Per regulation, the DLA depot that shipped the material is responsible to ship 

material as directed by the RDO shipping documentation. If they make a wrong material 

shipment error, they are responsible to correct the error by completing those shipping 

requirements to get the correct material to the designated storage site whenever possible 

at no extra charge to the material owner. 

 Second, and most important: Per DoD 4000.25-2M, the DLA Distribution Depot’s 

Distribution Standard System (DSS) is the inventory accountable record system which 

reports inventory record balances from the DLA distribution and storage sites to the ICP 

inventory systems. DSS tells the ICP inventory and accounting systems what, how much 

and where material is stored. It is most important that the DSS inventory record system 

is corrected at the shipping depot as soon as possible after a mistake is detected to ensure 

that the DLA accountable record system (DSS) properly reports correct inventory 

quantities at their storage sites to the ICPs inventory systems for both NSNs involved.

 The third reason that the ICP would receive an info copy (not the action copy) is 

that the receiving activity submitting the SDR to report the error cannot do anything 

about a wrong material shipment from a Customer Return or RDO shipment as they were 

not responsible for the shipment. They are only the recipient of the shipment error. 

Therefore no response from the ICP to the initiator of the SDR will resolve the wrong 

material issue. 

 Upon receipt of the type R SDR for a wrong material shipment, the shipping depot 

will work the SDR as a priority shipping discrepancy. Inventories will be immediately 

conducted on for wrong NSN that was shipped and the correct NSN that was not shipped. 

Loss/gain adjustments will be taken for the wrong NSN that was shipped and for the 

correct NSN not shipped as applicable. If an inventory for the correct NSN shows an 

overage, the shipping depot will prepare a “ZWT” or an “A5E” shipping document using 

the same document number as the original shipment document number with a suffix code 

“A”. The type of shipping document used by the shipping depot (ZWT or A5E) will be 

determined by gain adjustments associated with the inventory of the correct NSN to be 

shipped prior to shipment of the material. When the shipping document is prepared, the 

shipping depot will include the following information in the exception data in the body of 

the shipping document: “Receive this material under Document # ____________”. 

(document number identified will be the document number of the original shipment). 

The purpose and requirement for the above statement on the Shipment documentation is 

to notify the receiving depot to receive the material under the correct PMR/Due-in 

document number which is still in the DSS system waiting to be completed/cleared. 
 Receiving and shipping depots will not request or authorize return or movement of 

wrong material received at a depot on a type R discrepancy. The ICP will make all 

material movement decisions for wrong items received and stored at the DLA 

Distribution Depots. 

 If an inventory identifies an overage of the correct NSN that should have been 

shipped, the shipping depot will respond to the initiator of the SDR (the receiving depot) 

with a response code of 123 (Material will be reissued at no charge). In the comments 

field the shipping depot will prepare an appropriate statement. (example: “Inventory 

conducted and verified shipment error. Material will be shipped to correct shipment 

error). 

 If inventory of correct NSN does not identify an overage, but an inventory of the 

wrong material identifies a shortage, the shipping depot will reply to the SDR using 

response code 126 (material not available for shipment). In the comments block the 

shipping depot will prepare an appropriate statement. (example: Inventories conducted on 

both NSNs identified on complaint verify shipment error. However No material will be 

shipped. Accountable record corrected. 

 ICP will receive an info copy of all shipping depot responses for notification or 

shipment error and possible inventory adjustments to the accountable record at the 

shipping depot as applicable. ICP will use this information to make additional 

redistribution decisions for their material or to cancel existing PMR/Due-in requirements 

at the receiving depot as applicable. 

 Current SDR processes do not have capability to notify an additional ICP if the 

wrong material shipped belongs to an ICP other than the owner of the material identified 

on the original shipment documentation. This gap will be addressed and corrected in 

future systems changes. However the ICP will be notified systemically of an inventory 

balance correction at the DLA sites as they occur per DoD 4000.25-2M requirements. 

(4) For RDO shipments where the Receiving Distribution Depot identifies a DLA 

unique Q series Discrepancy or where the material is suspended into J, K, L or Q supply 

condition codes during the receipt process and an SDR is submitted, the following 

process will apply: 

 The action copy will be sent to the ICP with an action code of 1A, Disposition 

Instructions Requested. The ICP will be required to respond to the receiving depot 

(submitter of the SDR) with disposition instructions as to what the ICP wants done with 

the suspended material and condition code change requirements as applicable. 

 e. Transaction changes 

(1) The DLMS 842 transaction will accommodate identification of multiple 

organizations to receive action and information copies. This will be reflected within the 
header N1 loop using the N106 to designate the transaction recipient. The information 

copy will be distributed according to existing rules using 842, email, or Component 

format. For DLA ICPs other than BSM, WebSDR/DAAS will send the Information 

copy to the CDCS/SAMMS ICP system using an S7R transaction. This transaction will 

use the same format as an S7A transaction except it will contain an S7R in the third 

position to identify the type “R” SDR to the DLA ICP legacy system CDCS/SAMMS. 

WebSDR will use the following message codes: Message Action Code ‘A’ Add, and 

Depot Action Code ‘A’ Information Only. WebSDR Control Number will be in position 

28-38.

(2) Revise the email format to reflect both the action activity and the information 

activity and the text name for the new Type R, “Depot Originated, Redistribution Order 

Receipt.” 

(3) Revise the DLMS Supplements 842A/W, Standard SDR and 842A/R, SDR 

Reply, as follows: 

 Location Revisions Reason 

1 2/1050/LQ01 D Court Document Type Code 

DLMS Note: 

Use to identify the Type Document Code. 

This is a DLA data element used to identify 

the type of discrepant report and type of 

shipment involved. Code list is based 

upon DLAH 4140.4, CDCS Handbook. 

Valid entries are: 

6 – SDR; Customer originated, direct 

vendor delivery 

7 – SDR; Customer originated, depot 

shipment 

8 – SDR; Depot originated, depot receipt 

from non-procurement source 

9 – SDR; Depot originated, vendor 

delivery to depot 

R– SDR; Depot originated, redistribution 

order receipt 

An ANSI data maintenance action will be 

taken to obtain a more appropriate code 

for use in a future version/release.

Updates note to 

reflect identification 

of new type of SDR 

 f. Alternatives: No alternatives identified at this time 
4. Reason for change: DSS currently does not have the capability to correctly identify 

discrepant RDO shipments or to send them to the correct action activity. This DSS 

system change will improve SDR processing to send the correct information to 

DAAS/WebSDR to properly route type R (RDO) SDRs by sending them to the correct 

action activity. However, it is also important that the owner of the material is kept in the 

loop by providing them with information copies of the initial SDR and any subsequent 

replies/disposition information in order to ensure that material owners have adequate 

information to make inventory adjustments, redistribution decisions and PMR 

cancellations when applicable. Under new DSS procedures the receiving DD will create 

SDRs for shortage, overage, incorrect item, and missing technical documentation 

discrepancies. Wrong items and overages will generally be retained in place using 

existing business rules. There are no credit/debit actions involved since this is a 

redistribution based upon a Redistribution Order (MILSTRIP A2_ or DLMS 

945/W0506=NI). 

This change will improve DAAS/WebSDR processing/business rules by ensuring 

WebSDR has the capability to always send information copies to any component activity 

once the initiating activity has identified that an additional party should be included on 

any responses/replies on the Supply Discrepancy report. The requirement to pass 

informational copies to additional parties as identified on the initiators SDR is part of the 

DLAI 4140.55 mandated requirements. 

5. Advantages and Disadvantages: 

 a. Advantages: This will improve SDR processing allowing DLA systems to trigger 

specific actions related to RDO discrepancies. Information copy to owner will alert 

owner to potential action resulting from shipping discrepancy. 

 b. Disadvantages: None specifically identified. 

6. IMPACT:

 a. Data Content/Procedures: This change will impact future processing of the new 

type R Supply Discrepancy between DAAS/WebSDR and DLA ADRS/DSS, ISDR/DSS 

system programs which are planned for implementation in January 2006 for DSS 6.1 

increment. It will also impact DLA ICP, CDCS/SAMMS and BSM systems to be 

implemented in January 2006. This change request will impact DAAS/WebSDR, as it 

will require changes to WebSDR processing when the DSS system sends Type R 

transactions reflecting multiple transaction recipients to WebSDR. No impact to NonDLA Component systems has been identified. Component systems are not required to 

recognize the Document Type Code, however, it would be useful if this is done during 

modernization. 

 b. Publications: This change will also impact DOD 4000.25-M, DLMS publication 

and 842A and corresponding DLMS Supplements.