The following pages thoroughly describe the parts that constitute the framework for an entire EDI Record.

Delimiter

The EDI record below, an example of a purchase order, will be used in this tutorial to explain the various key concepts of reading an EDI record. Each of the concepts on the following pages will be highlighted in red within the example EDI record in order to provide a visualization of the given concept. First, a delimiter separates the different fields of an EDI record. In this example of an EDI transaction, an asterisk (*) is used as a deliminators. Any given trading partner will consistently use the same character for delimiters.

ISA*00* *00* *08*6120930000 *12*9197472911 *06071
0*1925*U*00401*000000258*0*P*<~
GS*PO*6120930000*9197472911*20060710*1925*258*X*004010~
ST*850*2580001~
BEG*00*SA*1005061183**20060710~
REF*IA*513141~
CSH*N~
SAC*N**VI*OHNS~
ITD*08**1.000**10**30*****1.000 % 10 Net 30~
DTM*001*20060729~
DTM*010*20060722~
N1*BY*TSC*92*1113~
N3*115 GREYSTONE POWER BOULEVARD~
N4*DALLAS*GA*30157~
PO1*10*12*EA*3.14**IN*2405670*VN*1057*UP*023851010578~
CTT*1~
SE*14*2580001~
GE*1*258~
IEA*1*000000258~

Each of the deliminators (*) separates one field from another.

Element

An element is one field in an EDI record, that is, one singular fact. There is a delimiter (*) preceding and following each individual element.

00 and PO are both examples of elements enclosed by delimiters in this particular EDI transaction.

Segment

A segment is a group of the previously discussed elements within a given EDI record. Segments are most commonly identified with a 2 or 3 letter designation, such as GS or ISA. However, some segments are identified with a letter and a number, like N1 or N3. In this purchase order example, all segments except the first follow a delimiter of ~, which signifies the end of the previous segment. All segments terminate where the next segment commences.

The designation ISA signifies the start of its respective segment, which may include any given number of elements depending on the segment in question.
The GS segment, as all others except the first, follows the delimiter of ~

Element Names

Each segment may contain one or many elements. These elements can be identified by counting within a segment to the desired element’s particular position.

The third element of the ISA segment, 00, can be identified by counting past the delimiters to the third field. This particular element’s name is ISA03.

Qualifier

“Qualifier” is the term for an element whose value describes the content of the following element or elements.

The value of N101 in the N1 segment, BY, is a qualifier indicating that the values in the following elements refer to “buyer information.”

EDI Guide

Every trading partner has their own unique EDI requirements that are described in their EDI guide. You must have the trading partner’s EDI guide in order to accurately read an EDI record. The EDI guide explains which segments and elements are mandatory, conditional, and optional as well as the values that may be used for each element. The example below is an excerpt from the EDI Guide for Tractor Supply. Note that the N1 element from the previous page, a qualifier, is explained.

N1 – NAME, Purpose: To identify a party by type of organization, name, and code

REF. DES.	DATA ELEMENT NAME	ATTRIBUTES	VALUE & COMMENTS
N101	ENTITY ID CODE	M	“BY” = Buying Party
N102	NAME	C	“TSC”
N103	ID CODE QUALIFIER	C	“92″ = Assigned by Buyer
N104	ID CODE	C	“0″ + 3-digit TSC store/DC code

An EDI guide will also frequently contain general guidelines for transmissions, procedure for testing and moving to production, and contact information. Additionally, an EDI guide will specify which standards the trading partner uses. You should always consult with a trading partner’s EDI guide for the precise interpretation of their EDI transactions.

EDI Standards

Most trading partners use the ANSI X.12 standards for EDI transactions. However, a few automotive trading partners may use EDIFAC standards. A subset of the ANSI X.12 standards, VICS, is used by many retailers. EDI standards specify segment and element names as well as usage for transaction types and envelope construction. Envelope construction is one aspect of EDI standards that is uniform for all trading partners, and envelopes are discussed in more detail on the following page. Still, there is flexibility within these EDI standards for each trading partner to construct transactions that meet their needs.

Envelope

The first segment of most purchase orders, the ISA segment, is also known as the envelope because it contains the “address” for both the sender and the receiver of the EDI record. All EDI records must contain an envelope, as the purchase order example shown below does.

The “address” for the sender is the combination of the sender qualifier 08 (element ISA05) and the sender identification number 6120930000 (ISA06).
The “address” for the receiver is the combination of the recevier qualifier 12 (ISA07) and the receiver identification number 9197472911 (ISA08).

Transaction Set

A transaction set is a business document that is contained inside an EDI record as a group of segments. The beginning of the transaction set is marked by the ST segment, while the end is indicated by the SE segment.

Looping

The concept of looping refers to the repetition of a given segment or transaction set in one EDI record.

Here, the DTM segment demonstrates looping as it is repeated twice. In this example, the first DTM occurance signifies the “Cancel After Date,” while the second signals the “Requested Ship Date.” These are sample values that may be decided by referencing the corresponding trading partner’s EDI Guide.

Looping may also be used to allow an EDI record to contain more than one transaction. For example, two purchase orders could be contained in one EDI record when the purchase order set is repeated within the text of the record.

997 Functional Acknowledgment

A 997 Functional Acknowledgment is an EDI document that is best described as an electronic receipt. In the context of this tutorial, a Functional Acknowledgment would likely be sent to notify a trading partner that a purchase order like the one we have examined has been received. 997 Functional Acknowledgments are used to indicate to a trading partner that a specific EDI document has in fact been accepted and processed.

850 Purchase Order

An 850 Purchase Order is an EDI document that is a computerized rendering of an ordinary paper purchase order. Like normal purchase orders, an EDI 850 Purchase Order is a document used to indicate to the supplier the items the buyer wishes to purchase. In this tutorial we have analyzed a sample purchase order, one that would likely result in the reply of a 997 Functional Acknowledgment. The next page contains a demonstration of matching an 850 Purchase Order with a 997 Functional Acknowledgment.

Matching a Purchase Order with a Functional Acknowledgment

Now that we are armed with the knowledge of elements, segments, and envelopes, we have the aptitude to match incoming 850 Purchase Orders with outgoing 997 Functional Acknowledgments. First, the important link that matches the purchase order to the functional acknowledgment is known as the group control number. In the purchase order, the group control number is contained in the element GS06, while it can be located in the functional acknowledgment at the element AK1. The group control number is what allows us to match a purchase order with a 997.

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Delimiter

Element

Segment

Element Names

Qualifier

EDI Guide

EDI Standards

Envelope

Transaction Set

Looping

997 Functional Acknowledgment

850 Purchase Order

Matching a Purchase Order with a Functional Acknowledgment

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