Showing posts with label B2B Integration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label B2B Integration. Show all posts

Sunday, August 28, 2011

ANSI X12 Standard Documents List | EDI X12 Transaction Sets Explained

100 Insurance Plan Description
Used to transmit life insurance, annuity, and disability insurance product availability and features, historical
performance, investment options, distributions channels, and offering company information.
101 Name and Address Lists
Can be used to facilitate the rental or exchange of prospect name and address mailing lists between direct
marketing companies.
102 Associated Data
May be used to convey associated data. Associated data is defined as an object, a set of functionality-related
information not using the usual transaction set structure in segments. The complete set of information
constituting an object, including the information necessary to uniquely identify an object, is defined as a
package. Objects may include graphic, text, parametric, tabular, image, and spectral, audio, etc. data. The
character set repertoire of an object is not governed by the character set repertoire identified for any
accompanying transaction sets contained in the interchange.
103 Abandoned Property Filings
Used to report abandoned property filings information, such as uncashed checks or abandoned bank account
balances, to government agencies and may be used by the government agencies to distribute information on
abandoned property for publication to the general public. It may also be used to initiate an Electronic Funds
Transfer (ET) payment to transfer the value of the abandoned property to the government agencies.
104 Air Shipment Information
Used to transmit detailed bill of lading and rating information pertinent to an air carrier shipment. This
transaction set provides shipment detail information for the air carrier in terms of 1) sender information, 2)
shipment detail for multiple and single piece shipments, 3) consignee and third-party information, 4) detail and
charges for each shipment, and 5) shipment totals.
105 Business Entity Filings
Bi-directional transaction set used by business entities, governmental administrators and regulators to exchange
required business entity filing information, such as annual reports, registered agent changes and changes of
officers, partners and directors, and may include information about any required fees.
106 Motor Carrier Rate Proposal
Used by a motor carrier to propose rates and services to a shipper, receiver, or other relevant party.
107 Request for Motor Carrier Rate Proposal
Used by a shipper, receiver, or other relevant party that a motor carrier provide a rate and service proposal.
108 Response to a Motor Carrier Rate Proposal
Used by a shipper, receiver, or other relevant party to respond to a motor carrier’s rate and service proposal.
109 Vessel Content Details
Used to provide all the information necessary to report event details for a shipment and status for one or more
containers bound for a port. It is intended to accommodate the details for one status or event associated with
many containers, as well as more than one status or event for one shipment.
110 Air Freight Details and Invoice
Used to provide a customer with an air invoice for transportation and other charges related to shipments,
including Original Invoices, Past Due Billings, Balance Due Bills and Revisions.
111 Individual Insurance Policy and Client Information
Used to exchange policy and client information among organizations administering individual life and health
insurance contacts and their trading partners (e.g. agents, brokers). It is not intended to be used for group
insurance
112 Property Damage Report
Used to provide property damage information between property and casualty insurance companies, independent
agents, service and information providers. This information includes, but is not limited to providing cost
estimates involving functions such as demolishing, new constructions, damage repair and replacement.
113 Election Campaign and Lobbyist Reporting
Bi-directional transaction set is used by candidates, candidate committees, party committees, political action
groups, lobbyists and other entities to exchange disclosure data.
120 Vehicle Shipping Order
Used to notify a carrier of the impending arrival of a motor vehicle which the carrier is to ship to the destination
herein specified or on which that carrier is to perform a service. It may be sent to a carrier by the vehicle
manufacturer, by another carrier, or by an agent of the manufacturer.
121 Vehicle Service
Used by a carrier to notify a Vehicle Manufacturer that a requested movement or service has been performed on
motor vehicles or that a change in status has occurred.
124 Vehicle Damage
Used to provide vehicle damage information flow between Property Casualty (P&C) insurance companies,
independent agents, service providers, information providers, self-insurers and financial institutions. Business
functions consist of the estimating of vehicle damage and the detailed reporting of parts and labor cost connected
with repairing the estimated damage.
125 Multilevel Railcar Load Details
Used by the origin rail carrier or loading contractor to report the departure of a multilevel railcar and its contents
to the vehicle manufacturer. It is used by the vehicle manufacturer, origin rail carrier, or loading contractor to
forward data pertaining to the loaded railcar and its contents to the destination rail carrier or haul away carrier (s)
or both upon departure. It is also used by the destination rail carrier or unloading contractor to report to the
vehicle manufacturer, the arrival of a railcar at the destination rail ramp.
126 Vehicle Application Advice
Used by the vehicle manufacturer to notify a carrier as to the result of processing the transactions received from
the carrier during the previous day or payments being released today or both.
127 Vehicle Baying Order
Used to request or report the assignment of motor vehicle to a specific predetermined bay (parking space) in a
storage or shipping facility and to report conditions of a storage or shipping facility.
128 Dealer Information
Used by the shipper to notify carriers of the establishment of a new “Ship To” Location (e.g. Retail Dealer, Drop
Ship Point, or Body Vendor) or profile change to an existing “Ship To” Location in the carrier’s area of service.
129 Vehicle Carrier Rate Update
Used by either a carrier or the vehicle manufacturer to transmit new freight rates either as the result of a rate
adjustment or as a rate proposal for new business.
130 Student Educational Record (Transcript)
Used by schools and school districts and by post-secondary educational institutions to transmit current and
historical records of educational accomplishments and other significant information for students enrolled at the
sending schools and institutions. Transcript may be sent to other educational institutions, to other agencies, or to
prospective or current employers. Transcript contains personal history and identifying information about the
student, the current academic status, dates of attendance, courses completed with grades earned, degrees and
diplomas awarded, health information (Pre-Kindergarten thru Grade 12 only), and testing information.
131 Student Educational Record (Transcript) Acknowledgment
Used to ensure that the original transcript did, in fact, come from the proper office at the education institution
indicated as the sender and that certain key elements of the transcript were received as they were sent. It also
provides the sending institution with confirmation that the original record was received by the intended recipient
and the date it was received. This information may then be relayed to the student or other individual who
requested the record transfer.
132 Human Resource Information
Used to transmit current and historical records of employment status, education, teaching credentials, work
experience, and other significant information on employees in an education environment. Data contained in this
transaction set may be sent to educational institutions, school districts, retirement systems, and state or other
agencies. Also this information can be useful in establishing credentials for consideration for employment,
certification, and administrative and statistical reporting, or community services.
133 Educational Institution Record
Conveys descriptive characteristics of postsecondary and elementary/secondary educational institutions. Data
contained in this record includes information about institutional location, type, student enrollment, staffing
governance, finance, programs, and services at the education institution.
135 Student Aid Origination Record
Used by lending institutions (“lenders”), colleges, universities and trade schools (“schools”), and loan guarantee
agencies (“guarantors”) to exchange information relating to the certification, approval and guarantee of specific
student aid. This information includes, but is not limited to, student and applicant identification, school
enrollment data, borrowing history, and the terms of the loan. This standard supports multi-program transactions
to exchange information about a student loan, or grant between schools and fund sources. A fund source could be
a guarantor and lender combination, state agency, private lender, scholarship agency, or the US Department of
Education.
138 Educational Testing and Prospect Request and Report
Used by educational institutions and employers to request and receive results of testing programs from testing
services and prospective student information from prospect services. Each transaction may include one prospect’s
identification, demographic information, academic background, goals and preferences, test identification, testing
conditions, scoring results, and test normalization analysis including national, regional, and local norms.
139 Student Loan Guarantee Result
Used by guarantee agencies (“guarantors”) to inform a lender, a school, or both as to the status of a student loan
guarantee. The guarantee result information includes, but is not limited to, the conditions of approval or denial of
a loan guarantee, notice of guarantee and loan disclosure terms, and information regarding previously guaranteed
loans.
140 Product Registration
Used to specify the manufacturer, seller, secondary warrantor, and purchaser or lessee of the product. It can
specify the date the product was sold, delivered, and placed in service as well as identify the product model and
serial numbers. It can specify the class of service expected from this individual sale, for example: industrial,
commercial, or household. This registration information can be used to divide sales commissions among sales
associates or attribute license fees to the proper manufacturer. It can be used to submit many product registrations
at one time to one receiving organization.
141 Product Service Claim Response
Used to transmit the status of a product service claim and the items accepted and rejected for payment from the
product service claim. Each product service claim submission could have represented the repair of several
individual products and each pair could have consisted of several repair actions involving parts and labor.
142 Product Service Claim
Used to transmit the servicing organization, claimant, manufacturer, seller, and purchaser of the product. It can
specify the product’s current usage, date the product was sold, delivered and placed in service as well as identify
product model and serial numbers and the serial numbers of any subassemblies. It can specify a malfunction or
recall condition, service performed, labor, parts, and any other associated costs. It can show the costs of the repair
and the date service was requested and when it was available to be placed back in service.
143 Product Service Notification
Used to transmit either a mandatory or a voluntary recall. While the recall transaction could be sent to a
consumer, it is more likely to be sent to a servicing organization to provide them notice of the recall and to
establish their authority to service the items specified in the recall notice. It could be sent to the seller if they are
required to notify the purchaser, and it could be sent to an owning organization where they are capable of
receiving EDI transactions, such as a large fleet owner of automobiles. It could be a recall from the distribution
channel of products. One recall notice is limited to one set of items sharing the possibility of the same problem.
The notice also can be a service bulletin which could specify a repair, engineering change, a field replacement, or
other such action to a product. The service action could be specified for the next time that product is being
serviced. It could just as well specify that the action must take place as soon as possible or it could be at a
specified particular date and time so as to coordinate the change at many product locations. This could happen,
for example, in an interconnected computer system or a telephone switching system.
144 Student Loan Transfer and Status Verification
Used by lending institutions (“lenders”), guarantee agencies (“guarantors”), and secondary markets to send and
receive information regarding the transfer of ownership of a student loan. It can also be use to verify the status of
a student loan prior to and subsequent to the purchase of the loan. The loan status verification and transfer data
includes, but is not limited to, borrower, student, and loan detail information. A potential purchaser of a student
loan would use this transaction set to request information, from the guarantor of the loan, regarding loan status.
This transaction set would in turn be used by the guarantor to return the verified loan status information to the
requester. Subsequent to the purchase of the loan, this transaction set would be used by the purchaser to notify the
guarantor of a transfer of ownership.
146 Request for Student Educational Record (Transcript)
Used by educational institutions to which a student has applied for admission. This request is then sent to the
educational institution which the student is currently attending or previously attended..
147 Response to Request for Student Educational Record (Transcript)
Used to advise the requesting institution when the record will be sent or why it will not be sent.
148 Report of Injury, Illness or Incident
Used to report information pertaining to an injury, illness or incident to entities interested in the information for
statistical, legal, and claims and risk management processing requirements.
149 Notice of Tax Adjustment or Assessment
Used by a taxing authority to transmit to a taxpayer either a notice of adjustment to a prior filing, or a notice of
assessment of taxes due to the taxing authority, which may be a notice of warrant.
150 Tax Rate Notification
Used by taxing authorities to electronically transmit information concerning tax rates.
151 Electronic Filing of Tax Return Data Acknowledgment
Used to electronically acknowledge receipt of each tax return filed using the Electronic Filing of Tax Return Data
Transaction Set (813) and may indicate any error conditions. This is used by federal, state, or local tax authority
to acknowledge the status of an electronically filed tax return which has been electronically filed using
Transaction Set 813.
152 Statistical Government Information
Used to report pre-defined statistical government information.
153 Unemployment Insurance Tax Claim or Charge Information
This bi-directional transaction set is used by employment security agencies to notify employers or other agencies
of a possible charge to their employee’s unemployment insurance tax account and by employers responding to the
notice with supplemental information that might affect the chargeability of the claim. This transaction set can also
be used by employers to notify claimant(s)’ representative, e.g., union, to protest a claim.
154 Secured Interest Filing
Used to file Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) financing statement forms, liens, judgments, and other statements
of secured interest, and to exchange secured interest filing information.
155 Business Credit Report
Used to transmit business credit information to a trading partner. Maybe used to convey identification, location,
financial, payment experiences, banking, suits, liens, judgments and public filing details, operational, affiliate,
organizational, credit rating, and other information about a business report to support automated business decision
processing and update business data bases
157 Notice of Power Attorney
This bi-directional transaction set is used to notify entities of the existence of a power of attorney and to provide
information as to its applicability. This set may also be used to acknowledge powers of attorney or their
cancellation.
159 Motion Picture Booking Confirmation
Used to confirm Motion Picture business terms, conditions, and licensing agreement information from distributor
to exhibitor.
160 Transportation Automatic Equipment Identification
Used to allow participants to share automatic identification equipment information and data at interchange points.
161 Train Sheet
Used to allow railroads to exchange train sheet information and ensure that crews operating equipment on other
railroads are aware of current operating conditions.
163 Transportation Appointment Schedule Information
Used by transportation carriers and their trading partners to request and accept freight pick-up and delivery
appointments.
170 Revenue Receipts Statement
Used to report daily ticket sales information for each show within a contract week. A contract week is normally a
Friday through Thursday and is the period a film is shown in a theatre. Daily information is presented by show
and includes ticket category, price, attendance and time of entertainment events. This set is designed to report
multiple levels of detail from individual points of occurrence or form-consolidated points such as holding
companies (circuits).
175 Court and Law Enforcement Notice
Used to notify interested parties about important court events and actions related to a specific court case. It may
also be used to transmit information about a specific law enforcement or administration of justice event to
interested parties. This may include events like case dispositions, notices about criminal offenses, accidents or
incidents, arrest warrants, court orders, and administrative actions.
176 Court Submission
Used to submit a legal document or claim and supporting documentation to a court or other designated recipient.
It can be transmitted to the submitter to indicate the data and docket information assigned, or it can be transmitted
to the submitter to indicate claim disposition or an opinion deciding a case.
179 Environmental Compliance Reporting
Used by commercial and public facilities to submit environmental compliance reports to the Environmental
Protection Agency and state and local environment agencies. Also can be used to forward data or exchange
environmental compliance data amongst environmental agencies at all levels of government, and to return status
to the submitter.
180 Return Merchandise Authorization and Notification
Provides for customary and established business and industry practice relative to the returning of merchandise to
the vendor. This transaction set may satisfy request for returns, authorization or disposition of the return,
notification of return, or notification of consumer return.
185 Royalty Regulatory Report
Used to provide royalty regulatory data for extraction of minerals and petroleum products from leased property.
The data can be sent to federal and state government agencies to meet regulatory requirements. The data can be
exchanged between private industry trading partners for information purposes.
186 Insurance Underwriting Requirements Reporting
Used by the information providers to report the results of specific services to their trading partners for information
to complete the insurance underwriting process on individually underwritten life and health insurance.
187 Premium Audit Request and Return
Used to communicate premium audit information between property and casualty insurers, and independent
premium audit service providers. This information includes, but is not limited to: premium audit request
information (i.e., type of audit being requested, policyholder name, business locations, class codes, estimated
exposures, date of coverage, producing agency, endorsements); and completed audit information (i.e., actual
classification codes and exposures, description of operations, sources of financial information, subcontractor
exposures) for the auditable general liability, commercial automobile and worker’s compensation lines of
insurance.
188 Educational Course Inventory
Used by schools and school districts and by postsecondary educational institutions to request and to transmit
information about educational courses that are currently being offered or that have been offered in the past by the
school, school district or postsecondary institution.
189 Application for Admission to Educational Institutions
Contains all the information, except for official transcripts, that students use to apply for admission to educational
institution. The individual student may send the application for admission directly to the educational institution.
In addition, entities other than the student may route or handle the application for admission. These entities
include high schools, high school counselors, admission application service providers and clearinghouses, other
educational institutions, testing agencies, and recommenders.
190 Student Enrollment Verification
Used by guarantee agencies (“guarantors”), lending institutions (“lenders”), educational institutions (“schools”),
secondary markets, and others to request and receive information required to verify a student’s enrollment status.
Federal regulations require lenders, guarantors, and schools to exchange student enrollment status information.
This information includes, but is not limited to, student identification, enrollment status and dates, and school
detail. The student’s current enrollment status affects various aspects of the student loan process, such as
student’s disbursement terms, deferment terms, deferment status, and repayment terms. Other entities such as the
Internal Revenue Service, insurance companies and student lending processors require reporting of additional
information including student address, grade point average, tuition and expenses paid, and expected degree date in
order for students or taxpayers to qualify for certain programs.
191 Student Loan Pre-Claims and Claims
Used by lending institutions (lenders), secondary markets, or student loan servicers to exchange information with
guarantee agencies (guarantors) regarding pre-claims assistance on student loans that are approaching a default
status and claim payment requests for defaulted student loans. This information includes, but is not limited to,
borrower identification, loan detail, payment history, and due diligence history. Federal regulations require loan
owners to file a pre-claims assistance request as part of their due diligence process, prior to filing a claim for
default reimbursement. Loan owners are also required to file specific information to submit a claim payment
request.
194 Grant or Assistance Application
Used by organizations submitting applications for grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance. These
applications will typically include project, budget, personnel, descriptive, and other related data.
195 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) License Application
Provides a uniform, singular, transmittal medium between applicants, coordinators, and license granting
authorities, for the submission, acknowledgment of new applications, and the re-submittal of corrections to
previously transmitted Federal Communications Commission (FCC) License Application.
196 Contractor Cost Data Reporting
Used to support contractor cost reporting requirements for actual costs and estimates at completion associated
with major research and development (R&D) and production contracts or programs. This includes non-recurring
costs by work breakdown structure elements summarizing all activities on a contract or proposal; non-recurring
and recurring functional cost or hour categories for selected work breakdown structure elements; progress curve
(learning curve) information detailing unit or average lot data by functional cost or hour categories; and summary
contractor business base information such as indirect expenses, rates and resources. This information can be used
to evaluate contractor proposals, make cost projections of a given program, develop historical databases to
develop statistical techniques, and make independent cost analysis of new acquisitions. This transaction set can
be used to convey proposed initial progress, updated or final (end of contract) cost information.
197 Real Estate Title Evidence
Used to transfer the data contained in standard Title Reports, Title Commitments, and Title Policy Forms of
American Land Title Association, as well as corresponding State Forms or other title evidence formats indicating
the results of the title examination process.
198 Loan Verification Information
Used to request, validate, or exchange standard loan verification information among entities involved in the loan
life cycle. These entities many include lenders, employers, depository institutions, credit agencies, investors,
mortgage insurance companies, and so on.
199 Real Estate Settlement Information
Used to transfer real estate settlement information among mortgage lenders, real estate closing agents, and other
interested parties.
200 Mortgage Credit Report
Used to transmit the data that comprises a mortgage credit report. It is the electronic response to the Mortgage
Credit Report Order Transaction Set.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

EDI Flows Overview: Inbound & Outbound EDI Process and Business Cycle Explained

Inbound Flow:
1) The inbound, EDI data needs to be collected.
2) The collected data should be De-enveloped (removing the headers) to get the message part also.
3) Using the header information (Interchange, Group, Message and version) the Envelope setup (Trading Partner setup) will be identified.
4) The Envelope setup contains (points) the Map which can be used to translate the data.
5) The translated data can be extracted to the specified directory.

Outbound Flow:
1) Collect the files.
2) Use the Typer map or Data extraction map to extract the data to identify the User and partner information.
3) These info can be used to identify the Envelope which points to a map.
4) The Map translates the data and Envelopes the data with the header segments.
5) The translated files can be extracted to the specified directory.

EDI And The Business Cycle

A typical business cycle may be as follows:
1. A buyer has a need for merchandise and creates a Request for Quote (RFQ) document.
2. The seller responds with a Quote providing the price and other pertinent information as to how the request would be
fulfilled.
3. Upon acceptance of the quote, the buyer sends a purchase order document to the seller requesting goods at quoted
prices.
4. The seller responds acknowledging that the goods can be delivered at the prices specified and in the time frame
indicated. A functional acknowledgment transaction may also be sent indicating successful receipt of any EDI transaction
without indicating any conditions or details of the business transaction.
5. The seller ships the goods and sends a shipping notice providing details regarding the carrier, product identification,
dates, and other information about the shipment.
6. The seller sends an invoice document, billing the buyer for the goods. There is also an EDI document that allows a
combined shipment and billing notice.
7. The buyer notifies his bank that payment is to be made (payment order) and uses another form of the same document
(remittance advice) to inform the seller that payment is being made.

Some Common EDI X12 Transactions
 Transactions that could be used to implement previous example:
 840 - Request for Quotation
 843 - Response to Request for Quotation
 850 - Purchase Order
 855 - Purchase Order Acknowledgment
 856 - Ship Notice/Manifest
 810 - Invoice
 820 - Payment Order / Remittance Advice

 Other common ANSI X12 transaction sets:
 811 - Consolidated Service Invoice/Statement
 813 - Electronic Filing of Tax Return Data
 832 - Price/Sales Catalog
 857 - Shipment and Billing Notice
 880 - Grocery Products Invoice
 997 - Function Acknowledgment

Industry Acceptance Of EDI

The transportation industry was one of the first to use EDI concepts. It was Edward Guilbert who
conceived EDI after experiencing problems moving paper-based information during the Berlin Airlift.
Back in the U.S. he founded the Transportation Data Coordinating Committee (TDCC), an organization
that was among the first in using EDI standards as we know them today.
Since the transportation industry effects so many others, soon other industries, such as grocers, were
asking about the electronic paperwork in use by the TDCC. The grocery industry Uniform
Communication Council (UCC), founder of the familiar UCS bar code, adopted their own set of EDI
standards.
As EDI use grew and was recognized as essential to other industries, the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) formed the X12 committee to address EDI standards. The United Nations sponsored
EDIFACT Boards (EDI for Administration, Commerce, and Transport) adopted a standard with a very
similar syntax to X12.

Transportation and EDI

Here we see an example of transaction flow for the transportation industry. The Ship Notice/Manifest
856 transaction soon became a major component of many EDI processes across industries. It supported
concepts such as Just In Time (JIT) and Continuous Flow Manufacturing (CFM).

Banking and EDI

Another industry that effects all others is the banking industry. Although the banking industry already
has specific industry standards for the formatting and transmission of electronic data, there are also a
number of EDI transactions that facilitate the communication of financial data to and from banks.
Banking standards rather than EDI, however, are generally used for bank-to-bank communications.
Retail and EDI

With high volumes of transactions, large inventories with millions of productions, and numerous
suppliers, the retail industry is one of the areas for high return on investment with EDI. Large retailers
are often EDI "hubs" forcing suppliers ("spokes") to accept purchase orders electronically in EDI format.
Vendor Managed Replenishment Systems (VMRS) allow vendors to supply retailers automatically, based
on electronic reports of product sales. This process eliminates purchase orders and reduces inventory
and retail "stock out" problems.
Quick response is a process that uses real-time transactions to trigger replenishment responses in the
supply chain for manufacturers or retailers. This improves inventory turns, product allocation and
replenishment times and helps retailers avoid running out of important stock.
"Enterprise Resource Planning" software solutions address interactions between the various functions
Sales, Distribution, Manufacturing, Materials, Finance, Human Resources, and Maintenance. They
provide a common, consistent system for capturing data organization wide, with minimum redundancy.
Throughout the process, bar codes may be used to capture product and process identification and often
are used to provide input to processes that produce data for EDI systems.
Vendor Managed Replenishment Systems

In the past a company's inventory was housed on-site. This often would be costly when supply
outweighed demand. In today's business environment it is become increasingly more cost effective to
rely on vendors to replenish a company's inventory as needed. Using this method, reliable transport is
essential to ensure a reliable supply based on supply and demand.
Healthcare And EDI

The use of Electronic Data Interchange permeates virtually all aspects of the healthcare system. In expediting the transfer of
important medical documents, EDI is vital in the health of the patient.
Examples of Healthcare Transactions

The diagram above shows the flow of information among the Healthcare Provider, the Policyholder, the Provider of Benefits, and
the Service Organizations and Banks.
Refer to the next visual for a list of these and other healthcare transactions.
Healthcare Transactions
Examples of Healthcare Specific EDI Transactions
 270 - Eligibility, Coverage or Benefit Inquiry
 271 - Eligibility, Coverage or Benefit Information
 272 - Property/Casualty Loss Notification
 273 - Insurance/Annuity Application Status
 274 - Health Care Provider Information
 275 - Patient Information
 276 - Health Care Claim Status Request
 277 - Health Care Claim Status Notification
 278 - Health Care Services Review Information
 279 - Health Care Services Review Request
 834 - Benefit Enrollment/Maintenance
 835 - Claim Payment/Advice
 837 - Healthcare Claim
EDI Today
Virtually all industries have adopted some form of EDI today. Examples of EDI documents include purchase orders, invoices,
power of attorney, and price information. Many industries use specific EDI documents such as motor carrier rates, student
records, tax returns, vehicle shipping orders. Companies want to achieve 100% electronic transaction volumes.
What Does EDI Involve?

 Application
 "Business documents"
 Translator
 "Standard format"
 Communications Vehicle
 "Electronic Exchange
Application Document Formats
 In the traditional business environment, there are no agreed upon standards for
paper documents or file formats
 Applications produce different document formats and require different information
 Locating and interpreting information on different document formats reduces
productivity
Multiple Application File Formats

 When computer applications create business documents, the files that generate the documents are in different formats
 Different file formats require that the receivers reformat or translate the file before it can be used in their own system
 Dealing electronically with many trading partners can be complex
Translation
 Most companies purchase or lease translation software
 Translation software translates business documents into a common EDI standard for transmission
to a trading partner
 Translation software also translates EDI Standard data into a format suitable for application
processing
 EDI outsourcing services are also available
Translation Software

 Bi-directional software which converts data to and from the EDI standard formats
 Some translators provide any-to-any translation capabilities
 Translators exist for all platforms (mainframe, mid-range, micro, PC)
Communications
 Transmission method is not addressed by the EDI standards
 Alternatives
 Value Added Network
 Point-to-Point (Direct)
 Proprietary Network
 Internet Service Provider
 Combinations of above
 Some communication products can be tightly coupled with translation
EDI System Components

Although the translator is the heart of any EDI system, the nature of EDI requires that the transactions be communicated with a
trading partner. And as the source or target of data processed by the translator, the application also plays a key role. These
components may be uncoupled from the translator, loosely coupled, or tightly coupled.
When the application and communication components are uncoupled from the translator the data may be physically moved from
one step in the process to another and the processing by the components is not synchronized or coordinated with no
communication between the components other than the passing of data files.
A loosely coupled system may involve one component launching or causing the execution of another component. The
communication program may pass status of communications back to the translator to allow administration at the translator with
information regarding the status of translation, enveloping, and communication.
A tightly coupled EDI system will often involve an Application Programming Interface (API) that is responsible for the execution
and status of all components of translation. The API may then provide the central point of control and administration of the EDI
process.
Traditional EDI System

The "traditional" EDI system uses Value Added Networks (VANS) for communcation between trading partners. VANS often
specialize in EDI data, using Interchange Control Header information to identify senders and receivers. They may also
interconnect with other VANS, allowing companies on different VANS to communicate without establishing connectivity to the
VANS of all their trading partners. VANS provide a high degree of security, reliability, and accountability for network
transmissions.
Other Forms of EDI
 Paper Oriented
 EDI to Fax - An EDI system may produce FAX output to be sent to a trading
partner.
 EDI to Print - Inbound or outbound EDI data may be printed for local processing
or for a trading partner.
 People Oriented
 Forms-based documents are available on the Internet allowing entry and
transmission of EDI data.
 VAN or Extranet access to EDI applications is also an option.
 New Methods for EDI:
 Allow more trading partners access to EDI function and thereby assist large
enterprises in achieving 100% EDI.
 Assist small and medium business (SMBs) with implementing EDI without the
complexity and cost involved with complex EDI systems and VAN requirements.

EDI Benefits:
There is no doubt that EDI can bring significant benefits to organizations. These can generally be classified into:
Strategic, operational, opportunity
Strategic benefits include:
Ø      Faster trading cycle.
Ø      Ability to adopt new business processes such as Just-in-Time manufacturing techniques.
Ø      Ability to win new business or retain existing customers leading to improvements in business efficiency. Ability to respond too highly competitive new market entrants.
Operational benefits include:
Ø      Reduced costs - paper and postage bills cut - reduction in money tied up in stock - manual processing costs (e.g. associated with verification, keying and re-keying of documents and the cost of manual filing systems).
Ø      Improved cash flow.
Ø      Security and error reduction.
Ø      Acknowledged receipt.
Opportunity benefits include:
Ø      Enhanced image
Ø      Competitive edge
Ø      Improved corporate trading relationships

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