EDI concepts
EDI trading partner onboarding: from setup form to production
Onboarding a trading partner is the work between "you have to do EDI with us" and the first production order: exchanging IDs, connecting the transport, mapping each document to the partner's guide, and sending test files until the partner signs off. The partner sets the requirements and the pace; the supplier does most of the work.
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What trading partner onboarding covers
Onboarding a trading partner means getting from the partner's request to production traffic: both sides know each other's IDs, files reach the right mailbox, each document is mapped to the partner's implementation guide, and test files have passed. It is done once per partner, and again for each new document that partner adds.
The partner decides almost everything. Its implementation guide states the X12 version, the qualifiers, the segments it requires and the codes it accepts. Its EDI coordinator decides when a test has passed. Its compliance terms say what happens after a deadline. Kroger, for example, tells vendors that accepting a purchase order from a Kroger division "is consent to establish an EDI relationship", followed by a formal notice with a timeframe. The supplier's side is the mapping between its own systems and that guide, and the EDI mapping is where most of the onboarding effort goes.
The IDs and settings both sides exchange
Before any file moves, each side needs the other's identifiers. They go into the envelope of every interchange, and a VAN or the receiving system routes on them. X12 defines ISA06 as the code "published by the sender for other parties to use as the receiver ID to route data to them".
| Setting | Kroger publishes | The supplier provides |
|---|---|---|
| X12 version | 5010 | The same version in ISA12 and GS08 |
| ISA qualifier and ID | 08, 9254110060 | 01 (DUNS), 08 or ZZ, with its ID |
| GS application ID | 5137624388 | Its own GS ID |
| Connection | Its own VAN; other networks by interconnect | VAN, provider or direct connection |
| Documents | 850 or 875 and 824 in, 810 or 880 out | The 997 for every document received |
ISA06 and ISA08 are fixed at 15 characters, so an ID is padded with spaces. A test interchange from a supplier to Kroger opens like this:
ISA*00* *00* *ZZ*NORTHFIELD *08*9254110060 *261003*0915*^*00501*000000101*0*T*>~
GS*SH*NORTHFIELD*5137624388*20261003*0915*101*X*005010~
ZZ*NORTHFIELD is the supplier as a mutually defined ID, 08*9254110060 is Kroger, 00501 in ISA12 and 005010 in GS08 are the version, and ISA15 is T. In 5010, ISA11 is the repetition separator, here ^; in 4010 the same position is the interchange control standards identifier, U, which is one reason a map built for one version fails on the other. A mistyped ID or qualifier does not produce an error message from the partner. The file is routed to nobody, and the first sign is a 997 that never arrives.
What gets tested
A test file is checked at three levels, and passing one says nothing about the next:
| Level | Checks | Where a failure shows |
|---|---|---|
| Syntax | Segment order, required elements, delimiters, control numbers, segment counts | A 997 with rejected sets, or no 997 |
| Partner | The qualifiers, codes and references the partner's guide requires | An 824 or an email from the coordinator |
| Business rule | PO numbers that exist, quantities within the order, valid item codes, labels that match | An 824, or a receiving check at a dock |
Kroger uses the 824 application advice for the second and third level, with two severities: warnings, for inconsistencies that did not stop the document from being passed on, and fatal errors, for significant violations of its requirements. A 997 functional acknowledgment only covers the first level. Kroger's own FAQ says the 997 "does not imply acceptance of the contents".
A full test order shows how many files one cycle involves. For a Kroger store supplier with the 856, one test order produces:
- inbound: the 850, a 997 for each of the three documents the supplier sends, and an 824 on the 856 and on the 810, where Kroger reports on them, which is 1 + 3 + 2 = 6 files;
- outbound: the 997 for the 850, the 856 and the 810, which is 3 files.
That is 9 files per test order, each with its own control numbers to match. Three test orders, for example one full shipment, one split shipment and one cancelled line, make 27. A failed 856 adds at least three more: the corrected 856, its 997 and its 824.
From test to production
The step to production is a decision by the partner, and some partners add an observation period. Kroger describes three phases for the ASN:
| Phase | What the partner checks | Exit |
|---|---|---|
| Testing | Test transmissions pass the standards, 997 and 824 come back accepted, labels are applied correctly | The EDI coordinator accepts the tests |
| Evaluation | The site ASN coordinator watches ASNs load into the receiving system and compares them with the trucks that arrive | Accuracy confirmed on live shipments |
| Production | No new errors via 997 or 824, stable ASN generation, 100% accuracy on license plates, case codes, quantities and dates | Certified |
Technically the change is small: the envelope switches from ISA15 T to P, and the partner points your IDs at its production system. The control numbers continue to rise. A partner that tracks interchange numbers rejects a repeat, so a production file must not reuse a number already sent in testing.
The scope of an approval differs per partner. Kroger states that a vendor approved for one store division "is approved for all store divisions in the EDI support area", which covers the 24 store divisions on its list with one test cycle. Some Kroger documents still have division-specific tests, and other retailers route each division to its own ID.
Onboarding does not end at go-live
The setup stays tied to the IDs and the connection that were tested. Changing VAN or provider moves your mailbox and can change your ISA ID, and the partner has to update its side before files reach it. Kroger runs a separate "Partner/Vendor set-up changes" request for this. A new document, such as an 846 added to an existing 850 and 810 relationship, goes through testing on its own.
After go-live the partner keeps measuring. Kroger expects every 997 within the time set by the standard or within 24 hours, whichever is shorter, in both directions. Its FAQ puts the burden on the sender: "As the sender, it is your responsibility to verify The Kroger Co has acknowledged transmissions." A missing 997 that nobody notices is treated the same as a document that was never sent. Retailer-specific rules are on EDI with Walmart and EDI with Kroger.
What this means for your integration
Most of an onboarding is mapping and checking: the partner's guide against your ERP data, document by document, until the partner's 824s come back clean. The transport and the IDs take a form and a few emails; a mapping that confuses cases and eaches takes test rounds.
We build the EDI integration to your ERP and your partners' guides, run the test cycles against the partner's test environment, and switch to production when the partner signs off. After go-live we host and monitor it: every document is matched to its 997 and 824, an acknowledgment that is late raises an alert, and a new document or partner is added to the same integration. Tell us which partner is asking.
Frequently asked questions
What is an EDI trading partner?
Any company you exchange EDI documents with: a retailer that sends you purchase orders, a supplier you send orders to, a 3PL, a carrier. Each one is set up separately, with its own IDs, its own document list and its own implementation guide, even when it uses the same X12 version as the others.
Do I have to use the EDI provider my retailer recommends?
Not at the retailers that publish their position. Kroger states that it "does not require the use of a specific VAN or EDI provider" and asks a vendor on another network to have an interconnection set up. Walmart accepts AS2, SFTP, a VAN or a solution provider for drop-ship suppliers. See EDI VAN for how interconnects work.
What is the difference between testing and certification?
Testing is the exchange of test files until they pass. Certification is the partner's decision that you can move to production, and at some retailers it includes a period of live shipments under observation. Kroger names three phases for the ASN: testing, evaluation and production.
Does each division of a retailer need its own onboarding?
It depends on whether the divisions share systems. Kroger states that a vendor approved for one store division is approved for all store divisions in its EDI support area, because the systems are shared. Some documents still have division-specific testing. Another retailer may route each division to its own ID, which means a separate setup per division.
What happens if I do not set up EDI in time?
The retailer sets the deadline. Kroger sends a formal notice with a timeframe, and after the deadline it applies a fee of 1% of the invoice amount or $250, whichever is greater, per transaction that is not sent or received electronically. Other retailers publish their own terms; the ones that can be read are collected under EDI compliance.
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