EDI Startup Checklist

 

1.  Collect the following information from each of your trading partners which will be required by your IT group and Cove.

•      Contact Information for the partners EDI contact.

•      List of transactions you will be exchanging with them.

2.  Advise each of your trading partners that you will be communicating CovalentWorks and provide them with the routing information provided to you by CovalentWorks.

3.  Based on who the controlling party is in the EDI relationship your will either provide your partner with the Cove X12 transaction specifications or you will get the documentation describing each transaction from them, which you have to conform to.

4.  Review each transaction set, comparing what they require or can provide, with what the Cove specification calls for.  This will cover at least the following areas:

•      Elements required by Cove or your partner.  If there is a discrepancy there are three choices:

•      Cove can add the required data

•      Your partner can add the required data

•      The data can be added at the transport level.  In many cases CovalentWorks can add the required data going in either direction (best way)

•      Values sent by Cove or the Partner.  Examples of this are the Shipping Method (ShipVia), INCO Terms (ViaTerms) and Payment Terms.  Your system may use FEDX-G for FedEx Ground.  Your partner may send FEDEXG.  Again, this can be resolved in one of three ways:

•      Cove can add the required data conversion code as a pre-processor ($)

•      Your partner can send the required data

•      The data can be converted (mapped) at the transport level by CovalentWorks (best way)

5.  Reconcile how you are going to identify account and item information.  To identify your trading partner you can use either the ACCOUNT or ALT_ACCOUNT fields in the customer record.  To identify an item you can use either; your item number, your trading partner’s item number (requires entering information in to the Cove CrossRef Table, the manufacturers part number (stored in the catalog record), or the number stored in your catalog record “Bar Code Item Number” field (usually the UPS).

6.  Provide CovalentWorks with the mapping information for each trading partner and transaction.

7.  You will then run a series of tests with Covalent Works for each transaction and partner.  Once these are complete you may then have to run test transactions with your trading partners before going live.  It is recommended that you do the test runs after making a test workspace by copying over your production database.

More:

EDI -Technical Notes