FAQ's

What is EDI?

Electronic Data Interchange — or EDI — provides the functionality to securely exchange files between two or more separate locations or businesses. Read more.

What are the benefits of EDI?

Using EDI can transform the fortunes of businesses, large and small, with benefits including reduced costs and improved cash flow to name just a few. EDI is a game changer for many businesses. Read more.

How do you get started with EDI?

There are a few things to think through when adopting EDI, depending on the demands of your business needs. Transaction volume, resources and support are all important factors of consideration when choosing the right solution. Read more

What is a EDI VAN?

A Value Added Network — or VAN — is a secure private network which acts as an intermediary to enable EDI connectivity between trading partners and other VANs. Read more.

What is an ASN?

An Advanced Shipping Notice (ASN) is an electronic notification of an upcoming delivery which is sent directly from a supplier or third-party logistics company to a buyer, in advance of the shipment. Read more.

What is EDI integration?

EDI integration is the electronic communication of business messages, such as orders and invoices, credit notes and ASN’s, internally between your own EDI system and your own back office accounts, warehouse or ERP systems, removing the need for manual re-keying of information. Read more.

What is EDI translation?

In many cases, when an EDI message is being sent from one organisation to another, each are using different industry standards or message sets. Read more.

What is an EDI Managed Service?

An EDI Managed Service is the main mechanism that businesses use to outsource their EDI requirements. These arrangements can provide important benefits for those companies without the necessary IT infrastructure to host and operate their own EDI solution. Read more.

What is an EDI mailbox?

An EDI mailbox is a file storage area within a computer which can be uniquely identified from connected mailboxes and VANs in other locations, and where EDI messages are consolidated and stored for retrieval by a vendor or supplier. Read more.

What is an EDI hub?

An EDI hub is usually an organisation that buys multiple products and services and does so by sending orders electronically to its suppliers, and receiving electronic invoices in return. Read more.

What is AS2 EDI?

AS2 is an industry standard introduced in 2002 to enable data to be sent directly and securely from one location to another. It was introduced as an affordable alternative to traditional EDI using a VAN, and many larger companies now use it to trade with their suppliers in an attempt to reduce costs. Read more.

What is EDIFACT?

EDIFACT stands for Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport and is a standard developed by the United Nations. The EDIFACT standard provides an internationally agreed message format, directories and guidelines for multi-country and multi-industry EDI communications. Read more.

What is Tradacoms?

Tradacoms is an EDI standard introduced in 1982 as a precursor to EDIFACT and subsequently maintained and extended by GS1 UK. The development of Tradacoms ended in 1995 in favour of the EDIFACT EANCOM subsets. Read more.

What is EDI ANSI X12?

ANSI X12 stands for American National Standards Institute X12 and refers to the American EDI standard developed in 1979. Read more.

What is EANCOM?

Developed in 1987, EANCOM was created as a subset of the EDIFACT standard. Read more.

What is EDI XML?

EDI via the XML open standard differs greatly to other standards-based EDI, because XML is made up of information gathered into tags rather than having set positions for the data like the EDIFACT and X12 standard. Read more.

When to consider changing your EDI provider?

There are a number of important factors that should be considered when reviewing your EDI solution, many of these can have a serious impact on business critical processes within your business. With this in mind, it's important you choose the best solution for your organisation. Read more.

Choosing an EDI provider

Choosing the best EDI provider for your business can be a difficult task, especially if you're not sure what the critical factors of a successful solution are. Read more