I have Transport Management System. Now one of my carrier want to send me EDI document for Shipment Tracking. that document is EDI 214 (Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message).Now I'm not clear what I'll need at receiving side. I did some search on google and there are lot's of information regarding EDI and it's workflow. But I'm not clear what should I need at Receiver Side.
Do I need to open any port at my side for receiving document ? Do I need EDI Translator software ? Please Help me as I'm new to EDI.
Thanks so much for any help.
The good news is that receiving X12 is typically easier than generating X12, so your use case is simple relative to bi-directional communication. You are receiving X12 EDI 214s, so it is a single flow in one direction.
The best way to think about this is to ask 1) what is my input I am receiving? and 2) what is the output I want to generate? You are receiving an EDI 214, so presumably you want to generate a JSON/XML/CSV object with just the tracking data that you ERP (system of record) can ingest.
So you need a few things in a typical "EDI architecture"
File transfer protocol (an SFTP is easiest) that you trading partner can connect to and send files to
You need to translate that X12 to JSON (you should check out www.stedi.com/docs/edi-core to do that)
You need to "Map" that file to your output schema (and perhaps convert it to XML/CSV)
You need to post that file to your ERP system
You need to send an EDI 997 (acknowledgement) back to the sender to say "I got it" (think of a read receipt on SMS). Note: some times this is optional
EDI is text, formatted a specific way (aligned to a published standard). To receive files, you have options (but also depends on what the sender supports). Everything from email to 3rd party value added networks, to signed/encrypted HTTP pushes (AS2).
You'll need to agree how you're trading these electronic documents. Once you receive it, then you'll need to parse it. This can be done using 3rd party translators, or you can write it yourself. If the partner requires a 997 (an acknowledgement you received the file), you'll have to generate that. Most 3rd party tools will do that for you. 3rd party tools typically consist of a mapper (drag and drop from source to target) as well as communication mechanisms. Some are cheap, some are expensive. It depends on what you and the sender agree upon to get to the level of effort that you have.
For simplicity sake, you could just set up FileZilla FTP and have the sender place the order there. Then have a process (script, program, etc) to pick up the file, parse it into something your ERP/WMS can understand (XML, JSON, CSV, etc). Again, that assumes the partner supports clear FTP. Some partners demand encryption.
Related
Does anyone know what ZCD may refer to? It is described as a segment with a link back to PreManage for the patient!
Can anyone please provide more details?
The Z segments (segments those begin with the letter "Z") are custom segments. Those are not defined in specifications. They vary from vendor to vendor. Vendor may publish a document explaining usage of segment. Two connected parties should know in advance and decide the usage by mutual understanding.
As those are custom, and if there is no way to know what data they contain, it may be safe to neglect them hoping the sender have not put critical data in it.
Please refer to this:
Z-segments can be inserted anywhere in the HL7 message. A popular approach is to place the Z-segment within a group of segments that contain similar information, such as insurance. Z-segments are also often placed at the end of the message. The advantage of doing so is that this placement prevents systems configured to parse “standard” HL7 format from requiring any configuration modifications in order to process the message. The application simply reads the segments in the order expected and then extracts the data from the Z-segment (if needed) via parser modifications.
Working with unexpected Z-segments
Sometimes systems may send unexpected Z-segments, whether or not they were part of the original specifications. Even if you are not interested in the data in the Z-segment, you may still (depending on its location) need to take the segment into account while testing and developing your interface.
I'm learning about EDI and there are many acronyms and standards that seem to overlap.
What is the difference between EDI (and a EDI translator) and AS2 (which seem to be EDI over HTTP)? Then there is GS1, whith it's own subsets (GS1 EANCOM GS1 XML
GS1 UN/CEFACT XML) and EDIFACT.
Why would one use an EDI translator like BOTS together with an AS2 server ? Are they complementary?
Is there a map, a guide or explanation of how do all theese standars work together in the context of supply chain ? (i.e: a warehouse which ships to client's own warehouses or stores).
Thanks
From Walmart Getting Started with EDI
Implementation Guide ( http://cdn.corporate.walmart.com/5d/8d/897b4bb84a95bb05214bf897cee3/edi-getting-started-guide.pdf )
What is EDI?
a. Simply stated, EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is the
electronic exchange of business documents between suppliers and retailers.
b. EDI is comprised of two components: translation and communication.
i. During translation, a business document is changed—or “translated”—into
a standardized EDI format.
c. There are various EDI standards (or formats) that a company may use.
i. Please view “How is EDI data formatted?” for more information about the
EDI standards that we support.
d. Once a business document is translated into an EDI format it is communicated—
or electronically sent—to the intended recipient.
e. There are several methods of EDI communications available, but the method
utilized by Walmart and our suppliers is AS2.
What is EDIINT AS2?
a. EDIINT (EDI over the Internet) is a set of communication protocols, introduced by
the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) in 1995, used to securely transmit data
over the Internet.
i. Although EDIINT was initially designed to transport EDI data, it may also be
used to transfer non-EDI data.
b. One version of EDIINT is AS2 or Applicability Statement 2.
i. The UCC (Uniform Code Council) has facilitated the development and
interoperability testing of the AS2 standard.
ii. AS2 supports EDI or other data file transmissions over the Internet using
HTTP/HTTPS.
c. AS2 is a specification about how to transport data, not how to validate or process
the content of the data.
d. AS2 specifies the means to connect, deliver and receive data in a secure and
reliable way.
e. AS2 is not an asynchronous or FTP solution; it is an Internet Protocol based solution
that uses standard HTTP/HTTPS communications to transmit data.
f. For more information on EDIINT AS2, or for a list of interoperable-tested AS2
software providers, visit http://www.drummondgroup.com.
Getting Started with EDI – Implementation Guide
Last Modified On: 4/14/2014 Wal-Mart Confidential 5
g. For additional information see the EDIINT FAQ’s within Retail Link™ on the ECommerce/EDI
page.
How is EDI data formatted?
a. The information is formatted using EDI standards.
b. Walmart currently supports:
i. ANSI X12 (American National Standards Institute)
UCS (Uniform Communications Standards)
VICS (Voluntary Inter-industry Commerce Standard)
ii. EDIFACT (Electronic Data Interchange For Administration, Commerce and
T+ransport)
c. Walmart stays within the VICS and UCS guidelines for our major documents within
the United States and Canada. EDIFACT is only used for suppliers outside of the
U+S and Canada and those that will be directly importing merchandise for our
company.
I'm new to EDI and have to implement it in a legacy system.
I want to make sure I have the higher level overview correct:
1) Generate EDI file from my system for a given trading partner
2) Probably FTP it to them
3) response is ftp'd to me and I scrape that back into my system
Do I about have the concept down?
I understand most trading partners tweak the standards so there's quite a lot of work there?
You have the workflow down at a VERY high level
As always, the devil is in the details.
Terminology - segments / elements / delimiters
Enveloping the data (ISA / GS / SE segments)
Control numbers on the envelopes
Communication - is it really FTP? clear or secure? what about VAN or
AS2 protocols?
Business Logic - application side, or translation side? Which makes
more sense?
997 Reconciliation
Document Auditing (required? To what level?)
Partner testing protocols
Consider my environment for vendor facing EDI:
850 PO out
997 in to us
855 in to us
997 out from us
856 in to us
997 out from us
810 in to us
997 out from us
For customer facing EDI:
850 in to us
997 out from us
855 out from us
997 in to us
810 out from us
997 in to us
As you can see, a few documents in our life cycle for a transaction.
What documents are you working with? If it is an 837, generating an EDI file is not trivial. Even if it in an 856, you have to deal with hierarchical loops that you have to account for when translating (more so with the 837 though).
Are you planning on writing your own parser / translator? If so, why? Are you going to write your own acknowledgement reconciliation routine? Syntax validation? The best thing is to connect your legacy application with a commercial translator rather then reinvent the 30 year old wheel. Lots of drag / drop mappers that can connect to legacy systems (Delta is probably one of the best on the market, but there are some quality open source alternatives like BOTS) . The X12 standard has a little wiggle room for bastardization. I've seem some crazy implementations though. By and large, more partners conform rather than do what they want. The ones that have wild requirements usually opt for XML, as they have more range in the document structure and aren't limited by standard. If you have 4 partners and 2 are version 4010, and 2 are 5010, then you would have to code (or map) accordingly. There are tools out there to help, but again, the devil is in the details.
a good tutorial can be found at http://www.rdpcrystal.com/what-is-edi/
it shows the basic interaction between EDI parties as well as message information
My very old HL7 parser has just hit a snag as it is now getting some messages with a ZDS segment present. It was easy to fix by adding a ZDS object to my parser, but I am trying to find out what it is used for. Googling hasn't helped much. This is a sample
ZDS|PERFORM|p0001236^PATEL^ATEST^^^^^^HHB_INOP_PRSNL^^^^OTHER|20100714101800|CD:653
ZDS|TRANSCRIBE|p0001236^PATEL^ATEST^^^^^^HHB_INOP_PRSNL^^^^OTHER|20100714101800|CD:653
ZDS|SIGN|p0001236^PATEL^ATEST^^^^^^HHB_INOP_PRSNL^^^^OTHER|20100714101912|CD:653
So, I'm interested in what each field is though looking at this sample data, it seems I don't lose much by just dropping the whole segment.
In HL7, all segments that begin with the letter Z are considered to be custom and are not defined further by the HL7 standard. You will need to find out what system is responsible for generating these ZDS segments and ask the owners of that system to provide you their specification.
As Scott said, "Z" segments are custom and can vary from vendor to vendor. In the Cerner realm, however, ZDS segments are typically used for "Document Succession" purposes -- a means of document version tracking and synchronization between two supportive systems.
The ZDS segment is used to communicate document endorsement information (actions done or to be done) in Unsolicited Document Results. only a specific solution of Millennium use it, so if you don't need just ignore it.
I have a EDI file ...i want to test it ....so when I open it it opens in an EXCEL file,....there is some data I want to change....
BGS~EGI~PG~265\TIA~5008~~~16796~GA\BGS~EGI~PG~360\TIA~5008~~~22827~GA\BGS~EGI~PG~528\TIA~5008~~~18304~GA\
TO
BGS~EGI~PG~265\TIA~5008~~~0~GA\BGS~EGI~PG~360\TIA~5008~~~0~GA\BGS~EGI~PG~528\TIA~5008~~~0~GA\
Can it be done on EXCEL and the changes reflect in the EDI sheet?If do that in EXCEL and save ....how to save it?I did that but did not know which format to Save....xlt/xls/ etc. I save it as .xlt format.Is that the correct way?
Further the cursers just goes hay way when i click on a cell. How to control the cell?
pLEASE HELP
ATorras is on the right path. EDI is sort of a text format. I'd call it more of a binary format. (There's also XML EDI, but that's not what you're dealing with here.)
Depending on the size of the file, you may run into line limits in some editors. Others may be adding line breaks that may or may not cause issues with some EDI translators.
You can have EDI files with binary delimiters (such as segment terminators). This is not common, and it doesn't look like the case with your test data.
The file extension only matters to the translator or other software that's trying to find/send the EDI file. Basically you don't want to change the original extension.
I don't remember what the standards are for Unicode, etc., so that may be a concern in some cases. You'll want to preserve whatever encoding the original file uses.
Short version: Most of the time you can get away with using Notepad, vi, etc. Sometimes you can't. If you have access to dedicated EDI tools for parsing/editing/translating, use those. Never use Excel or Word. Always make a backup of your original first. Verify that your trading partner is getting what you expect.