EDI Sub System II

This part of EDI sub system is in continuation with the previous post about EDI subsystem.

Handling Functional and Interchange Acknowledgments

An interchange acknowledgment is the message that the VAN sends to the subsystem to inform it about the transmission results. A functional acknowledgment (ANSI X12 transaction 997) acknowledges the receipt of data by the receiving system. This transaction verifies the successful receipt of an EDI document but does not guarantee successful data processing. The subsystems are responsible for generating this document on receipt of an EDI transmission.

For an outbound process, the status codes that the subsystem reports to SAP depend on the results of the acknowledgment. Status codes 14, 15, 16, 17, and 22 are returned to SAP.

Performing a Syntax Check

The EDI standards have a rigid structure. The segments and fields have the following characteristics.

1. Optional or mandatory
2. Conditional or non−conditional
3. Data format
4. Data length
5. Loop counts
6. ID codes (similar to SAP IDoc qualifiers)

These characteristics form the basis for a syntax check. If any rules are violated, the document processing can fail. To avoid wasteful transmissions, the subsystem checks the documents for conformance to the standards defined by the standards committee. The results of the syntax check are sent back to SAP using status code 07 or 08.

Handling Partner−Specific Processing

The subsystem also handles partner−specific processing.Several data elements in the EDI transactions have not been assigned a definitive meaning. The subsystem can handle this partner−specific processing.

Handling Errors

In the outbound process, the subsystem is responsible for reporting to SAP any errors, including translation errors, syntax errors, transmission errors, and connectivity issues. In the inbound process, until an IDoc is created, the subsystem is responsible for reporting and managing the errors. The subsystem provides the necessary monitoring and recovery tools. Once an IDoc is inside SAP, SAP has full responsibility for handling errors.

Communicating with Business Partners

Business partners can provide a direct connection to their network or subscribe to a VAN. The subsystem is responsible for establishing and terminating connections with the business partner's network or VAN to send and receive EDI transmissions. The subsystem is also responsible for processing acknowledgments from the VAN and communicating those to SAP.

Attaching EDI Headers and Controls

EDI transmissions have several header and trailer segments that act as control information The subsystem is responsible for attaching these segments to the document.

Archiving

All important documents, such as payment stubs or remittance advice transmitted to the trading partners, might have to be archived for auditing purposes and liability issues. The subsystems provide data archiving and management options.(51.8)