Operational Overview - EDI Order Processing

The Datafile Tradacoms orders application processes EDI files received. The processes involved in receiving these files are outside the scope of the application itself, but that process should place all the order EDI files into a specific folder. We recommend that the folder is called !INTRAY and that it is held within the Datafile start-up folder. The pathname of this folder is one of the constants held in the constants file, so an alternative folder can be used if preferred.

The first of the application processes is then run to deconstruct the EDI messages and create records in the EDI message file. This process creates three reports:

¨A printout of the message files themselves, structured with each segment printed on a separate line for clarity. If a message does not follow the correct structure, or there is a message condition that was not anticipated, then the deconstruction process may be halted before the end of that message. This is shown on the report, which should be reviewed at the end of the run. The process continues with any other message files that are present in the directory. EDI messages successfully deconstructed are transferred to a "processed” folder. EDI messages that fail are left in the original folder.

¨A validation report. This lists the essential details of each message received, but checks that essential information is present within the system, printing an error line for each error discovered. These messages almost always relate to data that is absent from your own system, such as your product code represented by the EAN given in an order line. You can add this data to the system and revalidate orders.Orders cannot be transferred automatically to the Datafile system until you have cleared their errors by a validation process.

¨Copy orders.Orders that do not have errors are then printed, a page per EDI order. Some orders may be marked by the system clearly for manual entry, and these orders are not transferred automatically to the Datafile system; examples include order amendments, order chasers, orders for goods on approval, and so on. Whether or not an order is considered automatic or marked for manual processing is controlled by the data in the general lookup file.

Orders that have passed the validation checks, and are not marked for manual entry, can immediately be passed to Datafile, this process being the second on the application menu.The reports above, however, need to be checked to see if any data correction needs to be made, though there is no time pressure (other than the need to process the orders through you company) to do so.

A re-validation procedure is supplied to allow you to recheck any pending orders in the EDI message file, as well as a procedure to reprint any order there.

There are two exception procedures supplied. One allows you to mark an EDI order for manual entry, and thus to remove it from being passed automatically through to Datafile. The other physically removes from the EDI message file all the records created from an EDI order message file – you might need to do this if a message file failed to deconstruct completely the first time through, and so another attempt must be made once the problem is resolved.

Finally, some file maintenance procedures are supplied that update the EAN location tables from your sales ledger accounts file; update the EAN product table from your stock or product file; and allow you to amend the Tradacoms tables.