EDI Section Outline

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EDI Section Outline

• What is EDI?
• What do we need (to use EDI)?
• What do we use EDI for?
• Advantages
• Disadvantages

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What is EDI?

• Definition
• EDI is a standardized electronic format,
  created in the 1960s, in which to place data
  that will be exchanged between software
  applications 1.
• There are 2 basic standards/models that are
  followed for constructing EDI Documents
• The American National Standards Institute
  (ANSI) X12
• Electronic Data Interchange For Administration,
  Commerce, and Transport (EDIFACT)

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What is an EDI Document?
An EDI document is a plain text file that
represents a standard transaction set, such as
the 204 v. 3050 (Bill of Lading). We will see
that this is not totally true.
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What is a Transaction Set?

• A specification for an EDI document that says
  what info goes where and how it should look
• The sets were/are developed by ANSI (actually
  ASC, Accredited standards committee X.12) based
  on what industry seemed/seems to need
• New versions of the transaction sets are
  frequently released. (Y2K)
• As of 1/1994 there were 187 Transaction Sets
• In 1995 there were around 250 sets
• Today there are around 275 Transaction Sets

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Layout of an EDI Transmission
Functional Group
Envelope
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Transaction Structure
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Example Bill of Lading Transaction
ST204000000001 N/L B2RDWYA23516LPP
N/L N9CN3674225455 N/L G6211YYMMDD
N/L N1SHSHIPPER NAME94123456789 N/L N39999
SHIPPER STREETADDITIONAL ADDRESS LINE
N/L N4SHIPPER CITYST00000 N/L N1SFSHIP FROM
COMPANY NAME N/L N39999 SHIP FROM
STREETADDITIONAL ADDRESS LINE N/L N4SHIP FROM
CITYST00000 N/L N1PFBILL TO COMPANY NAME
N/L N39999 BILL TO STREETADDITIONAL ADDRESS
LINE N/l N4BILL TO CITYST00000
N/L N1CNCONSIGNEE NAME"931234 N/L N39999
CONSIGNEE STREETADDITIONAL ADDRESS LINE
N/L N4CONSIGNEE CITYST99999 N/L N9"ST123
N/L G61DCDELIVERY CONTACT NAMETE(888)
999-9999 N/L More Here SE28000000001 N/L
Starting Segment
Beginning Segment Bx
Segment Terminator
Every Line is a Segment
Logical Group
Why is EDI so unreadable, complicated and filled
with worthless buzzwords and terminology that
only a select few know and understand? To make
money, stupid(and a lot of it). Plus its a
management thing so that they can sound like they
are worth something, Ivory Tower syndrome?
Data Elements
Element Separator
Transaction Set Trailer
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Standard Data Types

• AN - Alphanumeric
• 0-9, the characters A-Z and any special
  characters except , gt and any characters with a
  hex value lt 40
• R - Real
• A leading or -, 0-9 and an optional decimal
  point
• Nn - Numeric
• the n is the number of decimal places
• ID - A predefined ASC X12 identifier
• DT - Date
• Version 3050 or below format is YYMMDD
• Version 4010 YYYYMMDD
• TM - Time
• HHMM in military (24-hour clock) time format

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What do you need?

• A computer
• A data source, transaction sets
• Translation/Mapping software
• Communications software
• Communications hardware (modems)
• Optionally an EDI VAN (value-added network)
• A unique identifier
• A trading partner (TPA and TPP 838)

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Example EDI Scenario
EDI Doc
VAN
Sender Machine
EDI Document
EDI Document
EDI Doc
X- Lator
Client Machine
X- Lator
Raw Data
Raw Data
DB
DB
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Acknowledging a Transmission
EDI Doc
VAN
Sender Machine
Functional Acknowledgement (997)
EDI Document
X- Lator
Client Machine
X- Lator
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What do we use EDI for?

• Create a hardware-independent standard for
  exchanging information
• Eliminate paper transactions
• Eliminate re-entry of data
• Speed up business transactions

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Subsets of ASC X.12

• AFPA - Paper Industry
• CIDX - Chemical Industry
• WINS - Warehouse Industry
• TDCC - Transportation Industry
• VICS - Retail Industry
• Grocery Industry

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Some Transaction Sets
180 - Return Merchandise Authorization and
Notification 185 - Royalty Regulatory Report 186
- Laboratory Reporting 188 - Educational Course
Inventory 189 - Application for Admission to
Educational Institutions 190 - Student Enrollment
Verification 191 - Student Loan Pre-Claims and
Claims 194 - Grant or Assistance Application 195
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC) License
Application 196 - Contractor Cost Data
Reporting 197 - Real Estate Title Evidence 198 -
Loan Verification Information 199 - Real Estate
Settlement Information 200 - Mortgage Credit
Report 204 - Motor Carrier Shipment
Information 210 - Motor Carrier Freight Details
and Invoice 213 - Motor Carrier Shipment Status
Inquiry 214 - Transportation Carrier Shipment
Status Message 217 - Motor Carrier Loading and
Route Guide 218 - Motor Carrier Tariff
Information 250 - Purchase Order Shipment
Management Document 251 - Pricing Support 260 -
Application for Mortgage Insurance Benefits 263 -
Residential Mortgage Insurance Application
Response 264 - Mortgage Loan Default Status 270 -
Health Care Eligibility/Benefit Inquiry 271 -
Health Care Eligibility/Benefit Information 272 -
Property and Casualty Loss Notification 276 -
Health Care Claim Status Request 277 - Health
Care Claim Status Notification 290 - Cooperative
Advertising Agreements 300 - Reservation (Booking
Request) (Ocean) 301 - Confirmation (Ocean) 303 -
Booking Cancellation (Ocean) 304 - Shipping
Instructions 309 - U.S. Customs Manifest 310 -
Freight Receipt and Invoice (Ocean) 311 -
Canadian Customs Information 312 - Arrival Notice
(Ocean) 313 - Shipment Status Inquiry (Ocean) 315
- Status Details (Ocean) 317 - Delivery/Pickup
Order 319 - Terminal Information
100 - Insurance Plan Description 101 - Name and
Address List 104 - Air Shipment Information 105 -
Business Entity Filings 106 - Motor Carrier Rate
Proposal 107 - Request for Motor Carrier Rate
Proposal 108 - Response to Motor Carrier Rate
Proposal 109 - Vessel Content Details 110 - Air
Freight Details and Invoice 112 - Property Damage
Report 120 - Vehicle Shipping Order 121 - Vehicle
Service 124 - Vehicle Damage 125 - Multilevel
Railcar Load Details 126 - Vehicle Application
Advice 127 - Vehicle Baying Order 128 - Dealer
Information 129 - Vehicle Carrier Rate Update 130
- Student Educational Record (Transcript) 131 -
Student Educational Record (Transcript)
Acknowledgment 135 - Student Loan Application 138
- Testing Results Request Report 139 - Student
Loan Guarantee Result 140 - Product
Registration 141 - Product Service Claim
Response 142 - Product Service Claim 143 -
Product Service Notification 144 - Student Loan
Transfer and Status Verification 146 - Request
for Student Educational Record (Transcript) 147 -
Response to Request for Student Educational
Record (Transcript) 148 - Report of Injury or
Illness 149 - Notice of Tax Adjustment or
Assessment 151 - Electronic Filing of Tax Return
Data Acknowledgment 152 - Statistical Government
Information 153 - Unemployment Insurance Tax
Claim or Charge Information 154 - Uniform
Commercial Code Filing 155 - Business Credit
Report 160 - Transportation Automatic Equipment
Identification 161 - Train Sheet 163 -
Transportation Appointment Schedule
Information 170 - Revenue Receipts Statement 175
- Court and Law Enforcement Notice 176 - Court
Submission
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Advantages

• Is a proven method for exchanging information
• There are standards in place for most popular
  business transactions
• Saves money and time over paper transactions

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Disadvantages

• Costly
• Muddled in terminology
• VANs
• Not human readable
• Standards are broken even within the document
  which defines them
• No flexibility for different companies in the
  same vertical market
• Version changes are not easily handled