EDI Documents

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) documents are standardized formats for business documents that allow different companies to exchange data electronically. In our Transportation Management System (TMS), we use several EDI document types to communicate with our trading partners.

Note: Throughout this documentation, "TP" refers to Trading Partner and "TG" stands for Transportation Group (the transportation company).

Document Lifecycle

The complete lifecycle of EDI documents in our transportation management system:

Overview of EDI Documents in Our TMS

Our TMS implementation uses the following EDI documents for communication with trading partners:

EDI Document	Name	Direction	Purpose
EDI 204	Motor Carrier Load Tender	Incoming (TP → TG)	Used by customers to tender shipments to our transportation system
EDI 990	Response to Load Tender	Outgoing (TG → TP)	Our response to accept or reject a load tender
EDI 214	Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message	Outgoing (TG → TP)	Provides updates on shipment status
EDI 210	Motor Carrier Freight Details and Invoice	Outgoing (TG → TP)	Contains freight invoice details

Notification Events

The system provides automated email notifications for critical events in the EDI workflow:

EDI 204 - New Load Tender Received

• Trigger: When a new EDI 204 Load Tender is received from a trading partner
• Recipients: Configured distribution list of TG staff members
• Content: Load tender details including shipment number, pickup/delivery locations, and dates
• Purpose: Ensures immediate awareness of new shipment opportunities requiring response

EDI 210 - Invoice Successfully Sent

• Trigger: When an EDI 210 Invoice is successfully transmitted to a trading partner
• Recipients: Accounting and operations staff
• Content: Invoice number, customer details, amount, and transmission confirmation
• Purpose: Provides confirmation that invoices have been delivered for payment processing

EDI 210 - Invoice Validation Errors

• Trigger: When an EDI 210 Invoice fails validation due to missing or invalid fields
• Recipients: Accounting staff and system administrators
• Content: Error details, affected fields, and corrective actions required
• Purpose: Enables rapid correction of invoice issues before resubmission

Notification Configuration:

• Email notifications are sent through the EDI2XML platform
• Distribution lists are configurable per company and document type
• Notifications include relevant document details and direct links to the web portal
• Error notifications include detailed troubleshooting information

EDI Integration Flow

The following diagram illustrates how EDI documents flow between our system and trading partners:

Detailed Document Descriptions

EDI 204 - Motor Carrier Load Tender

This document is received from trading partners to tender shipments to our transportation system.

Process Flow:

1. EDI2XML connects to the trading partner's mailbox at predefined intervals (every 15 minutes)
2. Collects incoming X12 204 Motor Carrier Load Tender messages
3. Sends functional acknowledgment to the EDI partner when requested
4. Converts the received EDI document into an appropriate format for the Web Portal
5. Sends email notifications to a distribution list about received documents

EDI 990 - Response to Load Tender

This document is sent to trading partners in response to their Load Tender (EDI 204).

Process Flow:

1. TG staff enters necessary response data into the EDI2XML web portal
2. EDI2XML processor connects to the web portal at predefined intervals
3. Upon detecting new information, the processor:
   • Collects the information from the web form
   • Builds the corresponding outgoing X12 document
   • Connects to the trading partner's mailbox via SFTP and delivers the file

EDI 214 - Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message

This document provides updates on shipment status to trading partners.

Process Flow:

1. TG staff enters shipment status update information into the EDI2XML web portal
2. EDI2XML processor connects to the web portal at predefined intervals
3. Upon detecting new status information, the processor:
   • Collects the status information from the web form
   • Builds the corresponding outgoing X12 document
   • Connects to the trading partner's mailbox via SFTP and delivers the file

EDI 210 - Motor Carrier Freight Details and Invoice

This document contains freight invoice details sent to trading partners.

Process Flow:

1. Invoice data is created in QuickBooks
2. TG staff initiates invoice export from QuickBooks into the EDI2XML web portal
3. Staff may review and approve the invoice data in the portal
4. EDI2XML processor connects to the web portal at predefined intervals
5. Upon detecting new invoice information, the processor:
   • Collects the invoice information from the web form
   • Validates all required fields and data formats
   • If validation passes:
     • Builds the corresponding outgoing X12 document
     • Connects to the trading partner's mailbox via SFTP and delivers the file
     • Sends email notification confirming successful transmission
   • If validation fails:
     • Logs the validation errors
     • Sends email alert to TG staff with error details
     • Prevents transmission until issues are resolved

QuickBooks Integration

Our TMS is integrated with QuickBooks to streamline the invoicing process and ensure accurate financial data across systems.

Integration Process

1. Invoice Export

   • Invoices are exported from QuickBooks to the EDI web portal
   • TG staff can review and approve invoices before EDI conversion
   • Any discrepancies can be corrected before sending to trading partners

2. EDI 210 Generation

   • Approved invoice data is converted to EDI 210 format
   • All required fields are mapped according to trading partner specifications
   • Document is transmitted via SFTP to the trading partner

Technical Implementation

Our EDI integration is implemented through the EDI2XML platform, which acts as an intermediary between Transportation Group and our trading partners. The platform handles:

• Document conversion between X12 EDI format and web portal format
• Secure file transfers via SFTP
• Email notifications for document events and errors
• Web portal for data entry and document viewing
• Real-time validation and error reporting

Connectivity Details:

• EDI Standard: X12
• Connectivity Method: SFTP
• Processing Frequency: Every 15 minutes
• Notification Method: Email alerts with detailed information
• Error Handling: Automated validation with immediate staff notification