Purpose

This tutorial describes how to test an EDI connection via EDI Solutions in tracezilla.

The test typically depends on which documents your customer requires to receive, as well as the specific scenarios the customer wants tested. If the customer has sent multiple test orders, you will usually need to test different scenarios.

Before you start

Before you begin testing, ensure that you have received the following from EDI Solutions:

IAID/Fallback EDI flow, which typically contains your company name and the customer's name
Test order information
Any specific customer requirements
Information on which documents need to be tested (ORDERS, ORDRSP, DESADV, INVOIC, etc.)

Note: Certain customers, such as ICA, Coop Sverige, and SOK, have specific requirements for the testing process. Therefore, always verify which documents and scenarios the customer wishes to test.

Step 1 – Verify the Setup

EDI Solutions integration

If this is the first time you are testing an EDI flow, you must start by verifying that the integration is active. You can find the integration in your company settings:

Company Settings → Integrations → EDI Solutions

Here, you need to:

Enter the information sent to you by EDI Solutions if it is not already entered.
Click Connect - only if you have entered new information.
Verify that the integration is active.

Your own partner

The default location (★) on Partner 1 (your own partner page) is used as the sender for all EDI documents.

Verify that:

The location has a valid GLN number. The GLN number can be added to the location on the EDI tab.

Stock Keeping Units

All SKUs must have a:

GTIN/EAN indicated in the Names & Identifiers tab

OPTIONAL: Any customer-specific EAN numbers can be inserted via a partner relation on the SKU in the Order EAN field. Additionally, a Parcel size must be specified for converting units of measure according to the quantity the customer orders. This is only relevant, if the customer wishes to order using an EAN different from the EAN on the Names & Identifiers tab, for example a pallet EAN.

Other Settings

Order Confirmation

If you need to handle an EDI flow with Order Confirmation, you must enable an extension. This extension is free to enable and adds extra fields to all newly created order lines on sales orders.

Go to: Company Settings → Extensions → Expected Inbound Quantity

Delivery note (DESADV / ASN)

If you need to handle an EDI flow with DESADV/ASN (i.e., delivery notes), you must ensure that you have specified your company prefix and extension digit under Company Settings → Labels and symbols → GS1, and specified the next number in the unique pallet number series under Company Settings → Automatic assignment of number.

Step 2 – Set up the customer for testing

Open the partner.
Go to: Misc. → Settings → EDI.

Set the desired order status

You need to configure the initial order status on the Partner under Misc. → Settings → EDI → First order status.

Before import of the test order, make sure you know whether the order should be imported with one of the following order statuses:

Draft – e.g., if you have set up an auto-inbound flow.
From EDI – a default status used to indicate that an order has not yet been processed in tracezilla since being imported.
Order – a standard order that does not need to be marked as confirmed after import.
Request for acceptance – e.g., seen with Coop Sverige in some cases.
Request for order confirmation – e.g., seen with ICA Sverige in some cases.

You will receive this information either directly from your customer or from EDI Solutions.

EDI Solutions will refer to the request for acceptance as ”ORDRSP – Order acknowledgment” or ORDRSP step 1. Please note that order confirmation is named almost identically: ”ORDRSP – Order confirmation” or ORDRSP step 2.

Remember to check the Enable box.

Specify IAID

You will receive information regarding the IAID from your customer or from EDI Solutions - if you have not received this information, remember to ask for it. It typically consists of your company name and the customer's name, but it may also contain numbers.

The IAID is entered into the Fallback EDI flow field and is used if you have manually created an order in tracezilla where the documents for the customer need to be sent via EDI.

When importing orders from EDI, the IAID is automatically provided by the customer, but it is not automatically filled into your master data - only on the individual, imported order. The IAID received in the individual order may vary from the default IAID if your customer uses two IAIDs e.g., seen with REMA Distribusjon Norge AS.

Please note: It is not possible to view the original order file from the customer, only the converted order in tracezilla. This means, that you are not able to check which IAID your customer has used. This is simply just used automatically in the documents, you send to the customer on the basis of the order.

Other Customer Master Data

Next, verify that the customer has:

✓ A valid GLN number
✓ EDI method EdiFact
✓ The correct delivery address(es) with GLN(s)

Step 3 – Import the test order or create a test order manually

In this step 3, you should either follow 3A or 3B - this is dependent on the information you get from EDI Solutions or your customer.

A) How to fetch a test order:

Go to Sales and click: Pull from EDI Solutions.

2. When importing the order, make sure to check the box for Fetch test orders. Click Yes, pull now.

Information will display in the dialog with how many test orders, that was successfully imported.

3. Next, verify:

Pickup date
Pickup location
Delivery date
SKUs
Quantity
Price

If the pickup date is 01.01.0001, or if the pickup location is missing, the information must be filled in manually. The customer does not send this data.

B) How to create a test order manually:

Go to Sales → Orders.
Click Create sales order.
Select the customer.
Pay attention to whether the customer requires you to specify a different invoice recipient than the customer itself (e.g., Coop Danmark).
Enter a reference number - preferably 4-10 digits.
Specify the order status. Note that it is not possible to select the order status Request acceptance when creating an order manually.
Verify the delivery address, delivery date, and any customer references.
Tip: Add a test tag to the order for easier identification.
Click Add order line and specify the SKUs to be sold, quantity, and price. Do NOT select a specific batch/lot from inventory.
Verify that the information is correct.

Step 4 – Optional: Send order acceptance or order confirmation

You should only send order acceptances and order confirmations if your customer has requested them and you have been instructed to do so by EDI Solutions. EDI Solutions maps/translates the codes from tracezilla's XML documents so they can be converted into your customer's XML format.

If the customer has not requested the documents, they will not be able to receive them, as the conversion will not be set up.

Order acceptance

If you need to send an EDI message for order acceptance, this happens automatically as soon as you import the test order from EDI, provided you have configured the status correctly in the partner settings (view Step 2).

The order acceptance message is assigned the same number as the sales order. You can see that it has been sent under the Documents tab on the sales order.

Order confirmation

If you have set the initial EDI status to Request for order confirmation in Step 2, this message and document type will only be sent once you have clicked Confirm (top right), created the order confirmation, and clicked Send in the dialog window.

This will also automatically take the same reference number as the sales order and can likewise be viewed under the Documents tab.

Testing deviations on an order

COOP, ICA, SOK, and others may sometimes wish to test deviations in item quantities on an order - if so, EDI Solutions will inform you.

If changes are made to the item quantity, this must be done before the order confirmation (the document) is sent. If you adjust the quantity, the Expected quantity turns red, and you must select a reason for the change from the list as well as the earliest delivery date.

If the order confirmation has already been sent, but there is a discrepancy between the quantity confirmed and the quantity shipped, the deviation must be specified when creating the SSCC - that is, if your EDI order flow supports sending of DESADV.

Remember to indicate minus in front of the number in case you deliver a lower quantity than the customer ordered.

Step 5 – Create a Test Purchase

Check the boxes on the sales order lines and click Create as... Purchase Order.
Create a purchase order with the reference TEST and with your company as the supplier.
Click Save and then Create.
- If you receive an error message here, this is likely due to the Permission settings on SKUs. If your SKU is not allowed to be added to a Purchase order, you would need to update your SKU settings temporarily to support the test order.
Follow the link to the purchase order.
Add fictitious best before dates.
Add fictitious batch numbers.
Click Recalculate at the top.
Follow the link back to the sales order.

Step 6 – Optional: Create and Send DESADV

If your customer requests that you send a DESADV (Despatch Advice - delivery note/packing list) via EDI, this must be created and sent before the invoice. It must accompany the physical shipment once you are no longer in the testing phase.

If you have not agreed with the customer to send a DESADV, this is not included in your EDI trade, and any attempts to send the document will be blocked by EDI Solutions, as no conversion will be set up from tracezilla's XML file to the customer's file format.

If you are unable to send a DESADV despite the customer requesting it via EDI, you must contact the customer directly. Reasons for this could include the use of external warehouses that cannot create a DESADV or provide you with the necessary information to create it.

Important for Deliveries to Swedish Companies

When delivering to companies like Coop Sverige, an outer packaging must be registered, such as a EUR-pallet or CHEP-pallet.

The outer packaging should automatically be added to the sales order via an automatic service line or order line. Therefore, verify that the packaging is included on the sales order before the delivery note is sent.

You can find EAN codes for outer packaging on GS1s website.

Send Delivery Note (DESADV)

Some customers, including ICA and Coop Sverige, require an electronic delivery note (DESADV) to be sent as part of the EDI test. If this is the case, EDI Solutions will inform you.

Create and Send a DESADV

Open the relevant sales order.
Verify that all batches have the necessary traceability information, such as batch number, best before date, or other relevant references for example EUDR. If this information is missing, it must first be registered on the inbound order (the test purchase).
Go to the Deliveries tab.
Click the blue button and select Go to delivery.
Select all item lines by ticking the box above the lines, to the left.
Click Add SSCC (the button above the item lines). You can do this if you have configured settings for automatic assignment. If not, you must add it manually to the individual lines.
Verify that the quantity on each SSCC corresponds to a physical pallet.
If tracezilla has not automatically distributed the items across multiple pallets, you can create additional SSCCs by clicking Add SSCC on the individual item line. If you want to set up the number of cartons per pallet, this can be done in the SKU settings.
Go to the Documents tab.
Click Create delivery note.
Next to the created delivery note, click the EDI Solutions button.
Open the XML file in Google Chrome and review the file.
If the file looks correct, click Yes, send in tracezilla to confirm transmission to EDI Solutions.
Send an email to EDI Solutions stating the document number of the sent delivery note. If the document has multiple versions, you should also provide the version number of the version that was sent.

It is possible to automate the sending of delivery notes via EDI. When SSCCs are created and the order is marked as dispatched, a delivery note is automatically sent.

Step 7 – Send Invoice and Credit Note

Click Create invoice at the top right.
Set the invoice date to today's date. The invoice action must be Go to invoice.
Click the EDI Solutions button and then View document.
Open the XML file in Google Chrome and review the file.
If the file looks correct, click Yes, send in tracezilla to confirm transmission to EDI Solutions.
Click Create credit note.
Remember to change the date to the same date the invoice was created (i.e., today's date).
Select a credit reason from the dropdown list. Note: Coop Sverige will only accept the credit reasons: 1) Discrepancies or adjustments or 2) Wrong price.
Select Invoice Action: EDI Solutions.
Select Yes to Cancel order after creating credit note! and click Create.
Click View document and save the XML file for potential future reference. Click Yes, send.
Click Go to order.
Follow the link to the purchase order.
Click Cancel order and confirm.

Step 8 – Complete the Test

Write an email to EDI Solutions listing all references to the document numbers and confirming they have been sent. EDI Solutions will then track the documents and forward/convert them to your customer if they look correct.

After this, you simply need to wait for the documents to be accepted by the customer. Please note that it can take anywhere from a few days to several months from the time a test is performed until your customer accepts the test documents.

Step 9 – After the Test is Approved by All Parties

When the EDI customer has approved the documents and the customer goes live—a date is typically set, or you will receive a notification via email—do the following:

Check that the IAID has been entered in the Fallback EDI flow field on the customer's partner page.
Click Misc. → Set EDI flow on open sales.
Type "esguess" in the field and click Yes, confirm!
Note: If you do not have any open sales orders for the customer, you will receive an error message. Simply refrain from setting flows if there are no open sales orders for the customer.
Update the partner's invoice action to EDI solutions.

If multiple partners require this setting, you can configure the invoice action using a bulk action.

Typical EDI Errors

The customer does not have a GLN

Solution: Find the relevant partner and enter the GLN number at the appropriate location.

The item is missing a GTIN/EAN

Solution: Go to Inventory > Item types (SKU), find the item type, and add the EAN under the Names and ident. tab.

The invoice recipient is incorrect

Scenario A: The wrong partner was accidentally added as the customer.

Pay close attention to whether the customer wants you to handle this in a specific way. For example, some customers have publicly available tables showing the correct invoice recipient/customer/delivery combination, while others may have sent this information to you when the agreement was created, typically during correspondence regarding item registration.

Solution: You must generate a new invoice to get the correct customer information on it. This can be done by following the credit note guide.

Scenario B: On a sales order, you can specify a separate invoice recipient who is a different partner than the customer.

This means:

The Customer is the one buying the goods.
The Invoice recipient is the one receiving the invoice.

You select an invoice recipient for the order by checking the box Invoice must be sent to someone other than the customer.

Note: Remember to create the credit note beforehand; this information will only be included when a new invoice is created.

If you want this to be filled out automatically in the future, you can set up a relation so that a specific customer always has a fixed invoice recipient.

Go to the customer's partner page, select the invoice recipient based on the order type Sales, and set the role to Invoiced to.

Solution: Pay close attention to whether the customer wants you to handle this in a specific way. You must create a new invoice to get the correct customer information on it. This can be done by following this guide. Once you have credited the order, apply the correct invoice recipient to the order and then generate a new invoice. Follow the credit note guide.

Price deviation

If you trade with Salling Group, be aware that they may agree to send orders with per-piece prices, even if they order case/colli items.

If this is the case, the price error may occur because tracezilla defaults to sending the case/colli price, which is standard for most EDI customers. However, you can configure an EDI setting on the partner so that the price is always reflected per piece in the EDI files.

Solution: Verify that the prices you have specified in your price list or framework agreements for the customer are correct according to what was agreed upon. Also check your units of measure on the invoiced item types.

EDI Glossary

What is EDI? EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is the electronic exchange of business documents between companies. Instead of sending documents manually via email, they are automatically exchanged between systems.

What is an EDI message? An EDI message is an electronic document sent between two companies. This could be an order, a delivery note, or an invoice.

What is an EDI partner? An EDI partner is a company with whom you exchange EDI messages. This could be a customer, a supplier, or a wholesaler.

What is an ORDERS message? An ORDERS message is an electronic sales order received via EDI. In tracezilla, the sales order is automatically created through the integration with EDI Solutions.

What is a DESADV? A DESADV is an electronic delivery note (despatch advice) sent via EDI when goods are dispatched. It contains information about the products being delivered, as well as the associated SSCC numbers. The delivery note can be created under the Documents tab on the delivery. Press Create delivery note and then EDI Solutions.

What is an INVOIC – Debit? An INVOIC – Debit is an electronic invoice with a positive total amount. It is used to charge for delivered goods or services.

What is an INVOIC – Credit? An INVOIC – Credit is an electronic credit note. It functions as an invoice with a negative total amount and is typically used for returns or credits.

What is a GLN number? A GLN (Global Location Number) is a unique number that identifies a company, a delivery address, or another physical location. GLN numbers are used in EDI to ensure documents are sent to the correct recipient. You can add a GLN number to a location by going to Partners > find the relevant partner > find or create the location > under the EDI field, add the GLN number in the Global Location Number box.

What is a GTIN or EAN number? A GTIN (Global Trade Item Number)—also known as an EAN number—is a global item number that uniquely identifies a product. In tracezilla, this number must be inserted on the item type under the Names and ident. tab.

What is GS1? GS1 is the international organization that develops and maintains standards for trade and logistics, including GLN, GTIN, and SSCC. You are assigned your company prefix from GS1, which you use to generate barcode numbers. These numbers are called EANs, and they are used to identify an item in a given packaging. Additionally, your company prefix is included in all SSCCs you generate. On the GS1 website, you can find guides, including codes for credit reasons, EANs for outer packaging, and code values for T0290 VAT exempt. You can also look up key information used in connection with EDI trade.

What is an SSCC number? An SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) is a unique serial number that identifies a logistics unit, such as a pallet. SSCC numbers are used in DESADV messages so the recipient can identify individual pallets upon receipt. An SSCC number is added to an order's delivery. It is possible to add SSCC numbers individually for each batch or as a bulk action by selecting all batches and pressing the Add SSCC field.

To be able to add SSCCs via bulk action, you must enter your company prefix and extension digit in Company Settings > Labels and Symbols > GS1, as well as specify the next number in the unique pallet number series in Company Settings > Automatic Assignment of Numbers.

Processing test orders via the EDI Solutions integration