TrueCommerce provides comprehensive trading solutions using the Tradacoms EDI format for leading UK retailers, including Tesco, Asda, and Morrisons.
Introduced in 1982 as a precursor to EDIFACT, Tradacoms was maintained by GS1 UK and widely adopted across retail. While development ended in 1995 in favour of EDIFACT’s subsets like EANCOM subsets, the Tradacoms format remains in use – particularly in UK retail and sectors such as books, news, textiles, and insurance.
Tradacoms Message Structure
A Tradacoms message follows a clear structure:
Header (ORDHDR): Purchase order header information
Main message (ORDERS): Core order data
Footer (ORDTLR): Closing message section
Messages are separated using MHD (Start of Message) and MTR (End of Message) tags. The standard defines around 25 transactions, plus additional message sets for industry-specific needs.
Tradacoms Messages and Specifications
The standard supports a variety of messages, grouped into customer-facing and supplier-facing transactions.
Customer-Facing Messages (Supplier to Customer)
Price Information (PRIHDR)
Acknowledgement (ACKHDR)
Delivery Note (DELHDR)
Invoice (INVFIL)
Supplier-Facing Messages (Customer to Supplier)
Purchase Order (ORDHDR)
Delivery Confirmation (DLCHDR)
Credit Note (CREHDR)
Statement and Remittance (SRMHDR)
Stock Snapshot (SNPSTS)
These messages are the backbone of EDI Tradacoms and often require careful Tradacoms mapping to ensure seamless communication.