EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is the automated exchange of structured business documents between the IT systems of two companies. EDIFACT is the UN-standardized message standard for this. Two message types carry the flow of goods: ORDERS transmits the order directly into the supplier's ERP, DESADV gives advance notice of the delivery to the buyer — machine-readable, without manual entry.
Large industrial and retail corporations require EDI from their suppliers. Without integration, the document flow stays stuck with email and PDF: orders get retyped, delivery notices get forgotten, discrepancies are only discovered at goods receipt. With EDI, the media break disappears — and with it an entire category of exception handling.
EDI is a building block in the document flow between order and delivery. These terms connect directly.
Two EDIFACT message types carry the flow of goods: ORDERS transmits the buyer's order directly into the supplier's ERP, DESADV gives advance notice of the delivery to the buyer — machine-readable, without manual entry. Both run system-supported in the project mentioned.
The media break from email and PDF disappears: orders are no longer retyped, delivery notices are no longer forgotten, discrepancies no longer surface only at goods receipt. With the media break, an entire category of exception handling disappears.
For larger fulfillment takeovers, we use the seven-phase method: from requirements and master data through system integration, testing and stock transfer to go-live and handover to ongoing operations. Around 14 weeks is a planning guide for that scope; data quality, interfaces and stock transfer determine the actual date. Smaller or purely digital assignments receive a suitable introduction plan.
