Create an EDI Integration
Lesson 6 of 22 7 min read
Add an EDI Integration, understand the cards on its tile (especially State), and add a Configuration for each document type the retailer exchanges.
With the preparation done, the EDI Integration itself can be created. The Supply Lens team usually does this for you, but as the admin you should know what's on the screen, what each card controls, and where the settings in the rest of this module live.
Before you start
- Your organisation party has a VAT identifier and a GLN.
- You have the list of Customer-Assigned Codes your trading partners have given you.
Create the Integration
EDI Integrations are created the same way as any other Integration.
- Go to the Integrations screen.
- Click + Add Integration in the top-right.
- Find the EDI Integration you want and click Add.
- Fill out the form. Your VAT and GLN identifiers are already filled in from your organisation party; this is where the Customer-Assigned Codes are entered.
- Click Connect.
Good to know
The Customer-Assigned Codes you enter while setting up the EDI Integration are added to your organisation party automatically. You don't need to add them separately.
The Integration tile
Click the arrow on the Integration to expand its tile.
| Activation | Whether the Integration can run at all. Disabled means nothing is sent or received. |
|---|---|
| State | Whether the Integration transmits as Live or Test. This usually only has an effect on EDI Integrations, which is why it matters here. Other Integrations can leave it unset. |
| Configurations | What the Integration sends and receives: one Configuration per document type, each holding the settings covered in this module. |
| Schedule | How often the Integration runs. With the schedule disabled you have to run it manually. |
| Default Unit of Measure | Forces every quantity on this Integration into one unit of measure. Leave unset to use each product's default. |
| Manual Operation | Run the Integration now, outside its schedule. |
| Remove | Permanently removes the Integration and its secure credentials. Documents already created are kept. |
State and identifiers work together
Party identifiers can be limited to an Integration state of Live or Test. If the
retailer gave you a separate test code, check which state the Integration is in before
blaming the retailer for a routing error.
Add a Configuration per document type
Each message the retailer exchanges with you needs a Configuration.
- Go to Settings → Integration setup → Integrations and click the EDI Integration to expand it.
- Click Configurations.
- Click + Add in the top-right to open Add configuration.
- Choose a document type, such as
Order,ShipmentorInvoice. - Choose Send, Receive or both. These are from Supply Lens's point of view: a retailer's purchase order is received by Supply Lens; an invoice to the retailer is sent.
- Click Create Default JSON to fill in the default settings.
- Click Save.
The default JSON is where every setting in the next four lessons lives. Some settings, like the time zone, appear on every document type; others belong to just one.
Northfield Pantry's Configurations
Greenway sends purchase orders and expects an acknowledgement, a despatch advice and an
invoice. On Northfield's EDI Integration, the Supply Lens team adds four Configurations:
Order (Receive), Order Acknowledgement (Send), Shipment (Send) and Invoice (Send). The
Integration is left in Test state until Greenway's EDI team signs off the test cycle.
Recap
- Create the EDI Integration from + Add Integration; your VAT and GLN are pre-filled.
- Customer-Assigned Codes entered during setup are added to your organisation party automatically.
- The State card (Live or Test) mainly matters for EDI and works alongside identifiers scoped to a state.
- Add one Configuration per document type; Send and Receive are from Supply Lens's point of view.
- Create Default JSON fills in the settings that the rest of this module explains.
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