Everything About EDI Standards

These formats—known as EDI standards—define how data is organized, validated, and transmitted so that systems can exchange business documents reliably across industries and regions.

EDI standards eliminate the ambiguity of free-form documents (PDF, Excel, email) by using predefined segment structures, data types, and rules. This ensures consistent processing, reduces errors, and enables automation at scale across supply chains, logistics networks, and financial systems.

What Are EDI Standards?

EDI standards are formal specifications that describe the structure and syntax of electronic business documents. They define:

• Required and optional segments

• Allowed data types and formats

• Hierarchies and loops

• Codes, qualifiers, and validation rules

Standards typically fall into two categories:

Public / Cross-Industry Standards
Widely used, maintained by global or regional bodies, and implemented across many industries (e.g., EDIFACT, ANSI X12, TRADACOMS).

Private / Proprietary Standards
Created by individual companies or industry groups to support specialized processes (e.g., Railinc for North American rail).

Regardless of type, all standards serve the same purpose: ensuring two systems can exchange structured information without manual interpretation.

Why EDI Standards Matter

1. Reduced errors
Consistent formats eliminate issues caused by varied templates, free-text fields, and rekeying. Systems validate incoming messages automatically.

2. Interoperability with partners
Uniform document structures allow thousands of companies to exchange orders, invoices, shipment updates, and inventory data without custom file definitions.

3. Regulatory compliance
Many sectors—healthcare, finance, public procurement—require standardized electronic document formats to maintain auditability and security.

Widely Used EDI Standards

Below is a concise overview of major standards used across global industries.

ANSI X12 (North America)

Developed by ANSI’s Accredited Standards Committee (ASC X12).
More than 350 transaction sets spanning finance, insurance, transportation, communications, and supply chain operations.

UN/EDIFACT (International)

Created by UN/CEFACT.
The dominant standard outside North America, used heavily in logistics, retail, customs, agriculture, healthcare, and international trade.

TRADACOMS (UK Retail — Legacy)

Predecessor to EDIFACT in the UK. Still used in some retail environments but no longer actively developed.

GS1 Standards

Global identification system supporting barcodes, GLNs, SSCC labels, and message formats such as GS1 XML. Core to retail, healthcare, logistics, and traceability.

EDIA / TDCC

Originally developed for transportation and logistics in North America. Now used across several sectors for structured freight and carrier communications.

UCS (Uniform Communication Standard)

An X12 subset used throughout the grocery industry for high-volume, accuracy-sensitive transactions.

WINS (Warehouse Information Network Standards)

Another X12 subset focused on warehousing and distribution flows.

RosettaNet

XML-based standard for high-tech, electronics, and telecommunications supply chains. Highly process-oriented with detailed Partner Interface Processes (PIPs).

COMPORD

Used extensively in the North American steel industry for real-time order and shipment reporting.

ODETTE (Automotive – Europe)

Standards and protocols used across European automotive manufacturing, including messages for deliveries, forecasts, and transport.

EANCOM

Subset of EDIFACT developed by GS1. Widely adopted across retail, healthcare, construction, and publishing. Available in many local languages.

VDA (Automotive – Germany)

Germany’s automotive EDI specification, used by OEMs and Tier suppliers for logistics and production planning.

HIPAA (US Healthcare)

Defines EDI formats for claims, eligibility, remittances, and other regulated healthcare transactions.

HL7 (Healthcare — Clinical Data)

Supports real-time clinical data exchanges within and between healthcare systems. Often complementary to HIPAA transactions.

Oracle EDI Gateway

Standardized intermediate formats enabling Oracle ERP systems to integrate with third-party EDI translators.

SAP IDoc

SAP’s internal document format for exchanging structured data with EDI systems. Supports both inbound and outbound message flows.

SWIFT

Financial messaging standard used across global banking networks (SWIFTNet).

VICS (Retail — North America)

Interindustry retail standard derived from X12. Used for purchase orders, invoices, item data, and logistics messages.

UBL (Universal Business Language)

XML-based global business document standard used for invoices, orders, and procurement processes. Supports JSON and multiple syntaxes.

Trademark EDI (Retail)

Retail-focused EDI specification developed by UCC and the NRF for supplier–retailer communication.