EDIFACT (Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce, and Transport) is the international standard for exchanging structured business data electronically. Developed by the United Nations, it enables companies worldwide to exchange documents like orders, invoices, and shipping notices automatically—without paper or manual data entry.
EDIFACT is a machine-readable format that lets businesses exchange documents like purchase orders, invoices, and shipping notices automatically, reducing errors and speeding up transactions.
EDIFACT messages consist of segments (like UNH, BGM, DTM) separated by specific delimiters. Each segment contains data elements that carry specific information. Here's a real example:
UNB+UNOA:2+SENDER001+RECEIVER001+240101:1200+1' UNH+1+ORDERS:D:96A:UN' BGM+220+PO12345+9' DTM+137:20240101:102' NAD+BY+123456789::92' NAD+SU+987654321::92' LIN+1++1234567890123:EN' QTY+21:100' PRI+AAA:25.50' UNS+S' CNT+2:1' UNT+12+1' UNZ+1+1'
First published by UN/CEFACT
Standard message types
Countries using EDIFACT
| Standard | Region | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| UN/EDIFACT | Worldwide | International trade, Europe, Asia |
| ANSI X12 | North America | US & Canada domestic trade |
| TRADACOMS | United Kingdom | UK retail industry |
| VDA | Germany | Automotive industry |
Purchase Order - Request for goods/services
Invoice - Billing for goods/services
Despatch Advice - Shipment notification
Order Response - Order confirmation
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