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EDI Terminology Glossary
Though certainly not an exhaustive list, this glossary of EDI terms should provide definitions for terms you may be hearing as you investigate and learn more about EDI.
Advance Ship Notice (ASN)
An electronic version of a printed packing slip that tells a buyer that goods have been shipped, how they have been packed items and the estimated arrival time. Also referred to as a Delivery Notice or Dispatch Advice.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
The national standards body for the United States. ANSI, through its accredited standards committees, keeps the standards for all applications of technology and mechanics for U.S. Industry. Business documents in the U.S are often referred to by their ANSI code such as 850 (PO), 810 (Invoice) and 856 (ASN).
ANSI ASC X12
American National Standards Institute, Accredited Standards Committee X12, which comprises government and industry members who create EDI standards for submission to ANSI for approval and dissemination.
AS1
Applicability Statement (AS) 1. A protocol developed by the IETF to implement secure and reliable messaging over SMTP.
AS2
Applicability Statement (AS) 2. A newer protocol developed by the IETF to implement secure and reliable messaging over HTTP. Allows data to be sent over the Internet using the HTTP protocol.
AS3
Applicability Statement (AS) 3. The most recent protocol developed by the IETF to implement secure and reliable messaging over FTP.
Authentication
A mechanism that allows the receiver of an electronic transmission to verify the sender and the integrity of the content of the transmission through the use of an electronic "key" or algorithm shared by the trading partners. The algorithm is sometimes referred to as an electronic or digital signature.
Communications
The means of electronically linking two computers to exchange information.
Data Element
One or more data items, forming a unit or piece of information as defined in the data dictionary of a system of EDI Standards, and contained in an EDI message or transaction set. The term "data element" is often abbreviated as "DE" followed immediately by the data element number (i.e., data element 128 would be abbreviated as DE128) in some texts.
Data Segment
Intermediate unit of information in a message. A segment consists of a pre-defined set of functionally related data elements which are identified by sequential position within the set.
DSD
Direct Store Delivery. The practice of delivering product directly to store and notifying the store of the delivery electronically rather than by paper.
DUNS number
Dun & Bradstreet identification number often used in EDI transmissions.
EAN
International Article Numbering Association.
EDI Translation
The conversion of application data to and from a standard format.
EDI Translator
Computer software used to perform the conversion of application data to and from a standard. Usually licensed rather than developed in-house. May have subsystems for mapping, auditing, and document management.
Electronic Commerce
Conducting business between computers through the use of digital exchange.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
The computer-to-computer transfer of business transaction information using standard, industry-accepted message formats.
Element
The smallest item of information in the standard.
File
A collection of related records treated as a basic unit of storage in a computer system.
File, flat
A computer file where all the information is run together in a single character string.
File Structure
The format into which a file is arranged by the computer, so that the information it contains can be retrieved on demand.
FTP
File Transfer Protocol. A standard method of transmitting files from one computer to another over the internet.
Functional Acknowledgement
A transaction set transmitted by the receiver of an EDI transmission to the sender, indicating the receipt and syntactical acceptability of a message. It does not provide acknowledgement of the content of the message, just that the message has been successfully received and interpreted.Often abbreviated and referred to as "FA".
GCI
Global Commerce Initiative. A global industry user group which identifies issues hindering supply chain performance and suggests potential global solutions for data, messages, processes and associated requirements which it can offer to standards bodies such as GS1 for adoption.
GDD
Global Data Dictionary: a GS1 standard which allows all the potential attributes of an item to be defined. These attributes may include size, brand information, logistical information, etc.
GDS
Global Data Synchronisation.
GDSN
Global Data Synchronisation Network. Provides a framework that allows all datapools to interoperate and share data seamlessly.
GLN
A Global Location Number (GLN) is a unique number that is assigned to locations to enable them to be identified uniquely worldwide. These global location numbers can be used to identify any legal, physical and functional locations. Global locations numbers are reference keys to computer files where information about the company or location can be found. The GLNs replace the names and addresses of locations and are particularly useful when automating processes; they allow computers to route information to the correct destination with no manual involvement. GLNs must be used when identifying locations and trading partners within Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) business messages and data pools, and they can also be used in bar codes to identify a physical location or to provide relevant information for delivery or invoicing purposes.
GLOBAL Registry
A central service which holds pointers to data held in local datapools, provides an index for companies looking for product data held in local datapools and ensures datapools are fully compliant with GS1 standards.
GPC
Global Product Classification: a standard way of categorising products that provides a way to link different company classification systems and offers a common language for collaborative business processes.
GS1
A worldwide network of standards bodies and service providers which develops global supply chain standards and solutions used by over one million companies for bar coding, electronic business messaging, data synchronisation and through the EPCglobal Network, radio frequency identification.
GRN
Goods Received Note. A document raised by a customer receiving goods to confirm what has been received, so that invoices may be approved for payment.
GSMP
Global Standards Management Process. The governing body for the development of global data synchronisation standards within the GS1 framework. Open to industry participants and solution providers, the GSMP provides the process for developing business requirements and global standards for technical implementations.
GTIN
Global Trade Item Number. A unique identifier for each product.
Hub
EDI term for a company that initiates a B2B program with its trading partners, usually a buyer. See also Spoke.
Implementation Guide
A publication listing EDI messages that are in use in a particular industry or application. It indicates how the information in those messages should be presented on a segment-by-segment, and data-element-by-data-element basis, including which segments and data elements are needed, which are not and what code values will be expected in the application of that particular message.
Interconnect
Two VAN’s who link to one another’s address.
Invoice
A request for payment that communicates to a buyer the specific items, price, and quantities delivered that must be paid for by the buyer. Payment terms will usually accompany the billing information.
JIT
Just In Time. A technique of managing inventory pioneered in Japan, under which materials are delivered by suppliers to a manufacturer as they are needed for production, rather than for storage or inventory.
Mailbox
A file storage area within a computer, usually one used by a Network Service Provider, where information is placed until it can be retrieved by the intended receiver.
Mapping
The act of determining what pieces of information in the company's database should be placed into each data element of an EDI message or transaction set, or in reverse, what data elements of an EDI message or transaction set should be placed into the company's database.
Message Standards
The system of syntax, data elements, segments and messages (transaction sets) with which EDI will be conducted.
Purchase Order
A document issued by a buyer to a seller that details the terms of sale under which the buyer will purchase the seller's goods.
Purchase Order Acknowledgment
Confirmation to the buyer that the supplier will be filling the purchase order as requested.
Receiver
The party to whom the EDI message or transaction set is transmitted.
Segment
A part of an EDI message or transaction set, made up of a number of related data elements separated by a delimiter, conveying a part of the business transaction being made.
Segment Code
A code that uniquely identifies each segment as specified in a segment directory.
Segment Delimiter Character
Marks the end of a variable-length segment.
Segment Diagram
The schematic that depicts the format and composition of a segment.
Segment Directory
A listing of the segments unique to the specific system of EDI Standards being used, and usually part of the data dictionary.
Segment Hierarchy
The order of occurrence of segments within a transaction set.
Segment Identifier
A predefined code that identifies the segment.
Segment Name
A name that identifies the segment.
Segment Qualifier
A data element that gives the segment a specific meaning.
Segment Specifications
Distinct attributes of a segment, including structure and content.
Sender
The party who transmits the EDI messages.
Shipment Notification
An EDI transaction sent by the shipper of material to the receiver advising that the shipment has been sent, and providing details such as manifest, PO number, estimated time of arrival, carrier, etc.
Spoke
EDI term that refers to a trading partner, usually a supplier to a buyer company (known as a Hub).
Standards
Something established for use as a rule or basis of comparison. In the context of EDI, this usually refers to the system of message standards that are in use between trading partners.
Standards Body
A committee, usually made up of representatives of the users of a given Standard, and either accepted by industry or charged by a government to maintain the Standards in question.
Supply Chain
A sequence of events, which may include conversion, movement or placement, which adds value to goods, products, or services.
Trading Partner
The entity with which EDI is carried on. This may be either the sender or the receiver of information in EDI.
Trading Partner Agreement
The agreement between trading partners that sets forth electronic conditions and terms for conducting trade.
Transaction Set
A block of information in EDI, making up a business transaction or part of a business transaction. Outside North America, this is normally called a message.
Translation
The process of converting information to and from EDI standard formats.
Translator
A program used to convert information from flat file to EDI format, or from EDI format to flat file.
UCC
The Uniform Code Council. The organisation that oversees the standards for product identification and related electronic communications. The UCC oversaw the Universal Product Code (UPC) in the United States – now superseded by GTINs – as well as Uniform Communication Standards (UCS) for EDI in the grocery industry and Warehouse Information Network Standards (WINS) in the warehousing and transportation industry.
UCS
A subset of the ANSI X12 EDI standard.
Validation
The process of determining that compliance standards have been met by a particular document in an EDI transmission.
Value-Added Network
Often abbreviated as VAN, a third-party entity which handles the electronic exchange of information between subscribers to its services. Services provided by VANs include electronic mailboxing of EDI transmissions, protocol and speed conversion, and EDI record keeping for audit tracking.
VICS
A subset of the ANSI X12 EDI standard.
Web-EDI
A generic term for the transmitting of structured business messages over the internet. This may include solutions such as a logon to a portal and inputting commercial transactional information into a form on a website using an internet browser. This method requires an element of manual intervention.
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