Understanding Electronic Data Interchange Messaging

This chapter discusses:

Click to jump to parent topicPeopleSoft EDI Messaging

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is a method companies use to exchange data and transact business electronically. For example, using EDI a company can submit an order to a vendor, and the vendor can acknowledge and fulfill the order without paper changing hands or any contact between company representatives.

EDI provides a standard format for transaction data, allowing trading partners to communicate in a common language. As such, it is an important part of an electronic commerce strategy. Electronic commerce is a means to extend business processes to include suppliers, customers, and employees in a fully integrated supply chain. It can yield shorter cycle times, more efficient inventory management, and better knowledge sharing throughout your extended enterprise. To see these benefits, you need an integrated enterprise application system that you can extend and customize for your supply chain, while still maintaining enterprise information integrity.

EDI is a crucial part of business-to-business commerce. When computers exchange data using EDI, the data is transmitted in EDI Standard format so that it is recognizable by other systems using the same EDI Standard format. Companies who use EDI have their own translator software package to convert the data from the EDI Standard format to their computer system's format. Companies that exchange EDI data are called trading partners.

The following diagram illustrates the inbound and outbound transactions used by PeopleSoft:

PeopleSoft supported EDI transactions

Click to jump to parent topicCommon EDI Terms

Archive

To store data for possible future reference.

Data element

An individual piece of information within an EDI Standard document. You group data elements to form data segments.

EDI Standard

A standardized format that defines the syntax, structure, and content of the inbound and outbound document data.

  • ANSI ASC X12 - Cross-industry standard

  • WINS - Warehouse industry

  • UCS - Grocery industry

  • TRADACOMS - Retail - UK

  • EDIFACT - Commercial export and transport - international

  • ODETTE - Motor and component suppliers - Europe

In recent years, a United Nations committee has been working to reconcile ANSI ASC X12 with EDIFACT to further standardize EDI on an international basis.

Electronic Commerce

A business environment that includes computer-to-computer, application-to-application, and person-to-person exchange of information.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the paperless, computer-to-computer exchange of business transactions, such as purchase orders and invoices, in a standard format with standard content.

Inbound document

A document that you receive from your trading partner using EDI. Also referred to as an inbound transaction.

Mapping

The process of converting information from one table structure to another. The translation software performs this process.

Outbound document

A document that you send to your trading partner using EDI. Also referred to as an outbound transaction.

Segment

A predefined set of functionally related data elements.

Standard document

An EDI document that you exchange with your trading partner, such as a purchase order or sales order. Also called a transaction set in the ANSI ASC X12 or a message in the EDIFACT EDI standards.

Trading partner

A company (usually a customer or supplier) with whom you exchange EDI documents.

Translator software

The software that converts data from an application table format to an EDI Standard format, and from EDI Standard Format to application table format.

The data is exchanged in an EDI Standard format, such as ANSI ASC X12, EDIFACT, UCS, or WINS.

Click to jump to parent topicEDI Standards

To exchange documents with trading partners, you must convert the data to and from EDI Standard formats. EDI standards are the requirements for the format and content of EDI business documents. EDI standards determine the correct order and location of the units of data in an EDI document. All EDI transactions are defined by EDI standards.

EDI standards developers design and publish EDI Standard formats for various kinds of documents, such as purchase orders or invoices, that you might exchange with your trading partners.

All EDI standards include the following components:

Element

The smallest component in an EDI Standard.

Segments

Groups of elements.

Transaction sets

Also called messages, transaction sets are groups of segments.

EDI Standard format is comparable to the language that you speak. For instance, an element of the EDI Standard can be compared to a word. A segment in the EDI Standard is comparable to a sentence. A transaction set in the EDI Standard is comparable to a paragraph or a document. In the EDI Standard, just as in the language that you speak, elements (or words) are combined to form a segment (or a sentence). Segments (or sentences) are combined to create a Transaction set (or paragraph or document).

Two commonly used EDI standards are:

Both ANSI ASC X12 and EDIFACT also contain subgroups, including:

Click to jump to parent topicPaper Documents Compared with EDI Standard Documents

Information from a paper document corresponds to information in an EDI Standard document. The following example illustrates a paper purchase order:

Paper document

This example illustrates the same purchase order in EDI Standard format:

EDI Standard format

Click to jump to parent topicPeopleSoft Supported EDI Transactions

This table summarizes the EDI inbound or outbound transactions, their associated technologies, related applications, application-specific PeopleBook information, and application messaging setup information:

EDI Transaction

Inbound or Outbound

Technology

PeopleSoft Application

PeopleBook Reference (Application Setup)

Application Messaging Information

Advanced Shipping Notice

(X.12 856)

Outbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Inventory

See Creating Shipping Documentation.

See EIPs for Fulfillment Transactions.

File Layout Definition: ADVANCED_SHIPPING_NOTICE

Message Name: ADVANCED_SHIPPING_NOTICE

Channel Name: ADVANCED_SHIPPING_NOTICE

Subscription Name: N/A

Batch Publish Rule:

  • ADVANCED_SHIPPING_NOTICE

  • ASN_SETID_SHIPTO

  • ASN_SETID_SOLDTO

File Rule: N/A

Advanced Shipping Receipt

(X.12 856)

Inbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Purchasing

See Receiving Shipments.

See Using Messaging.

File Layout Definition: ADVANCED_SHIPPING_RECEIPT

Message Name: ADVANCED_SHIPPING_RECEIPT

Channel Name: ADVANCED_SHIPPING_NOTICE

Subscription Name: AdvancedShippingReceipt

Batch Publish Rule: N/A

File Rule: SCM_INBOUND_EDI

Billing Invoice

(X.12 810)

Outbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Billing

See Processing EDI Transactions in PeopleSoft Billing.

File Layout Definition: BILLING_INVOICE_NOTICE

Message Name: BILLING_INVOICE_NOTICE

Channel Name: BILLING_INVOICE

Subscription Name: N/A

Batch Publish Rule: BILLING_INVOICE_NOTICE

File Rule: N/A

Interunit Expected Receipt

(X.12 943)

Outbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Inventory

See EIPs for Fulfillment Transactions.

See Understanding Warehouse Management Systems.

File Layout Definition: INTERUNIT_EXPECTED_RECEIPT

Message Name: INTERUNIT_EXPECTED_RECEIPT

Channel Name: INTERUNIT_EXPECTED_RECEIPT

Subscription Name: N/A

Batch Publish Rule: INTERUNIT_EXPECTED_RECEIPT

File Rule: N/A

Interunit Receipt

(X.12 944)

Inbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Inventory

See Receiving and Putting Away Stock.

See Integrating to Warehouse Management Systems.

File Layout Definition: INTERUNIT_RECEIPT

Message Name: INTERUNIT_RECEIPT

Channel Name: INTERUNIT_RECEIPT

Subscription Name: InterunitReceipt

Batch Publish Rule: N/A

File Rule:

  • SCM_INBOUND_EDI

  • Electronic Data Collection Feature Data Rules

Inventory Adjustment

(X.12 947)

Inbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Inventory

See Making Stock Quantity Adjustments and Transfers Within the Business Unit.

See Integrating to Warehouse Management Systems.

File Layout Definition: INVENTORY_ADJUSTMENT

Message Name: INVENTORY_ADJUSTMENT

Channel Name: INVENTORY_MANAGEMENT

Subscription Name: InventoryAdjustment

Batch Publish Rule: N/A

File Rule:

  • SCM_INBOUND_EDI

  • Electronic Data Collection Feature Data Rules

Inventory Balance Notification

(X.12 846)

Outbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Inventory

See EIPs for Fulfillment Transactions.

See Managing Consigned Purchases Inventory.

File Layout Definition:

  • INV_BAL_NOTIF_BUS_UNIT

  • INV_BAL_NOTIF_VENDOR

Message Name:

  • INV_BAL_NOTIF_BUS_UNIT

  • INV_BAL_NOTIF_VENDOR

Channel Name: INV_BALANCE_NOTIFICATION

Subscription Name: N/A

Batch Publish Rule:

  • INV_BAL_NOTIF_BUS_UNIT

  • INV_BAL_NOTIF_VENDOR

File Rule: N/A

Item Price List

(X.12 832)

Inbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Inventory

See Understanding Item Price List and Item Master Enterprise Integration Points.

File Layout Definition: ITEM_PRICELIST_LOAD

Message Name: ITEM_PRICELIST_LOAD

Channel Name: ITEM_CATALOG_PRICE

Subscription Name: ItemPriceListLoad

Batch Publish Rule: N/A

File Rule: SCM_INBOUND_EDI

Payments

(X.12 820)

Inbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Receivables

See Receiving Payments Electronically.

File Layout Definition: PAYMENT_LOAD

Message Name: PAYMENT_LOAD

Channel Name: PAY_AND_REMIT

Subscription Name: PaymentLoad

Batch Publish Rule: N/A

File Rule: N/A

Payments

(X.12 820)

Outbound

EDI Manager

Payables

See Processing Batch Vouchers.

N/A

Price Sales Catalog

(X.12 832)

Outbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Order Management

See PeopleSoft Enterprise Order Management 8.9 PeopleBook.

File Layout Definition: PRODUCT_PRICELIST_SYNC

Message Name: PRODUCT_PRICELIST_SYNC

Channel Name: N/A

Subscription Name: N/A

Batch Publish Rule: PRODUCT_PRICELIST_CUSTOMER_ID

File Rule: N/A

Purchase Order Acknowledgement and Purchase Order Change Acknowledgement

(X.12 855, 865)

Inbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Purchasing

See Using Messaging.

File Layout Definition: PURCHASE_ORDER_ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Message Name: PURCHASE_ORDER_ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Channel Name: PURCHASE_ORDER

Subscription Name: PurchaseOrderAcknowledgement

Batch Publish Rule: N/A

File Rule: SCM_INBOUND_EDI

Purchase Order and Purchase Order Change

(X.12 850, 860)

Outbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Purchasing

See Using Messaging.

File Layout Definition: PURCHASE_ORDER_DISPATCH

Message Name: PURCHASE_ORDER_DISPATCH

Channel Name: PURCHASE_ORDER

Subscription Name: N/A

Batch Publish Rule: PURCHASE_ORDER_DISPATCH_BU

File Rule: N/A

Request for Quote

(X.12 840)

Outbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Purchasing

See Using Messaging.

File Layout Definition: PO_REQUEST_FOR_QUOTE

Message Name: PO_REQUEST_FOR_QUOTE

Channel Name: PO_REQUEST_FOR_QUOTE

Subscription Name: N/A

Batch Publish Rule: PO_REQUEST_FOR_QUOTE_BU

File Rule: N/A

Request for Quote Response

(X.12 843)

Inbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Purchasing

See Using Messaging.

File Layout Definition: PO_REQUEST_FOR_QUOTE_RESPONSE

Message Name: PO_REQUEST_FOR_QUOTE_RESPONSE

Channel Name: PO_REQUEST_FOR_QUOTE

Subscription Name: PoRequestForQuoteResponse

Batch Publish Rule: N/A

File Rule: SCM_INBOUND_EDI

Return to Vendor

(X.12 180)

Outbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Purchasing

See Using Messaging.

File Layout Definition: RETURN_TO_VENDOR

Message Name: RETURN_TO_VENDOR

Channel Name: RETURN_TO_VENDOR

Subscription Name: N/A

Batch Publish Rule:

  • RETURN_TO_VENDOR_BU

  • RETURN_TO_VENDOR_VENDOR

File Rule: N/A

Sales Order

(X.12 850)

Inbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Order Management

See Using Sales Order and Quotation Messages.

File Layout Definition: SALES_ORDER_LOAD

Message Name: SALES_ORDER_LOAD

Channel Name: SALES_ORDER_LOAD

Subscription Name: SalesOrderLoad

Batch Publish Rule: N/A

File Rule: SCM_INBOUND_EDI

Sales Order Acknowledgement

(X.12 855)

Outbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Order Management

See Using Sales Order and Quotation Messages.

File Layout Definition: SALES_ORDER_ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Message Name: SALES_ORDER_ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Channel Name: SALES_ORDER_ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Subscription Name: N/A

Batch Publish Rule: SALES_ORDER_ACK_CUSTOMER_ID

File Rule: N/A

Sales Order Change

(X.12 860)

Inbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Order Management

See Using Sales Order and Quotation Messages.

File Layout Definition: SALES_ORDER_CHANGE_LOAD

Message Name: SALES_ORDER_CHANGE_LOAD

Channel Name: SALES_ORDER_CHANGE_LOAD

Subscription Name: SalesOrderChangeLoad

Batch Publish Rule: N/A

File Rule: SCM_INBOUND_EDI

Sales Order Change Acknowledgement

(X.12 865)

Outbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Order Management

See Using Sales Order and Quotation Messages.

File Layout Definition: SALES_ORDER_CHANGE_NOTICE

Message Name: SALES_ORDER_CHANGE_NOTICE

Channel Name: SALES_ORDER_CHANGE_NOTICE

Subscription Name: N/A

Batch Publish Rule: SALES_ORDER_CHG_CUSTOMER_ID

File Rule: N/A

Sales Quote

(X.12 840)

Inbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Order Management

See Using Sales Order and Quotation Messages.

File Layout Definition: SALES_QUOTE_LOAD

Message Name: SALES_QUOTE_LOAD

Channel Name: SALES_QUOTE_LOAD

Subscription Name: SalesQuoteLoad

Batch Publish Rule: N/A

File Rule: SCM_INBOUND_EDI

Sales Quote Acknowledgement

(X.12 845)

Outbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Order Management

See Using Sales Order and Quotation Messages.

File Layout Definition: SALES_QUOTE_NOTICE

Message Name: SALES_QUOTE_NOTICE

Channel Name: SALES_QUOTE_NOTICE

Subscription Name: N/A

Batch Publish Rule: SALES_QUOTE_NOTICE_CUSTOMER_ID

File Rule: N/A

Shipping Notification

(X.12 945)

Inbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Inventory

See EIPs for Fulfillment Transactions.

See Integrating to Warehouse Management Systems.

File Layout Definition: SHIPPING_NOTIFICATION

Message Name: SHIPPING_NOTIFICATION

Channel Name: SHIPPING_NOTIFICATION

Subscription Name: ShippingNotification

Batch Publish Rule: N/A

File Rule: SCM_INBOUND_EDI

Shipping Order Release

(X.12 940)

Outbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Inventory

See EIPs for Fulfillment Transactions.

See Integrating to Warehouse Management Systems.

File Layout Definition: SHIPPING_ORDER_RELEASE

Message Name: SHIPPING_ORDER_RELEASE

Channel Name: SHIPPING_ORDER_RELEASE

Subscription Name: N/A

Batch Publish Rule: SHIPPING_ORDER_RELEASE

File Rule: N/A

Vouchers

(X.12 810)

Inbound

Application message

Flat file (FLO)

Payables

See Processing Batch Vouchers.

File Layout Definition: VOUCHER_BUILD

Message Name: VOUCHER_BUILD

Channel Name: VOUCHER

Subscription Name: VOUCHER

Batch Publish Rule: N/A

File Rule: None