24 Sep 2023

EDI : What it is and What it is for -Cogentialit


  Updated On 26 Mar, 2025
EDI : What it is and What it is for -Cogentialit

What it is and What it is for

Find out what EDI is and why it guarantees simplicity and efficiency in data exchange with your network of commercial partners.

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is the most consolidated technology in the B2B field, especially in markets such as large-scale distribution or production chains, because it favors the dematerialization and exchange of documents typical of relationships between business operators (price lists, purchase orders, invoices, etc.). The EDI Service is essential for both large and small businesses. With the help of API Integration services, you can easily get connected with our trading partners.

After all, an exhaustive definition of electronic commerce, commonly known as eCommerce, is not limited to the classification of the activities of buying and selling goods and services online but extends to all those electronic transactions that take place between the parties involved, whether they are transactions between companies and final consumers (Business-to-Consumer) or commercial transactions between companies (Business-to-Business). For this reason, EDI assumes a fundamental role: it allows replacing traditional paper methods, speeding up and making the order-payment cycle more secure.

What EDI Technology is for

The great advantage of EDI is certainly the ability to normalize electronic documents so that they can be exchanged electronically and automatically between the various commercial partners, thanks to the use of a common language, following industry standards, to allow dialogue with the various Information Systems and integration with the ERP.

EDI allows businesses to:

  • Eliminate human errors
  • Automate the registration, verification, and reconciliation between bills and invoices
  • Reduce management costs
  • Facilitate the retrieval of tax documents because they are already prepared for electronic storage
  • Foster business growth and connect partners/suppliers/customers all over the world securely

Seamlessly connect with your EDI partners with the help of API integration for more productivity.

Common EDI Transaction Types

Some common EDI transaction types are listed below for your understanding:

  • EDI 310 - Freight Receipt and Invoice (Ocean)
  • EDI 315 - Status Details (Ocean)
  • EDI 753 - Request for Routing Instructions
  • EDI 754 - Routing Instructions
  • EDI 810 - Invoice
  • EDI 850 - Purchase Order
  • EDI 864 - Text Message
  • EDI 870 - Order Status Report

The Advantages of EDI in Outsourcing

In the past, large companies have chosen to design their IT systems in-house, convinced that, with a large initial investment, maintaining control over the entire infrastructure would bring savings in the long run.

In recent years, many of those companies have begun to migrate to outsourced EDI models, realizing that hardware "control" turns out to be more of a cost than a benefit. The responsibility for maintaining the infrastructure—along with the necessary resources for storing and protecting data, continuous updates, and customizations—leads to an imbalance in the cost-benefit ratio. As with many other services, companies today understand that the benefits of EDI are maximized when outsourced.

Cogential IT EDI Service

Many companies have already chosen the Cogential IT EDI service to digitize the exchange of documents and information. With years of experience in the data interchange sector, both nationally and internationally, we offer consolidated, constantly evolving, and highly customized EDI services.

Thanks to Cogential IT's cloud-based EDI service, you can electronically send purchase orders, delivery notes, invoices, and payment orders with the utmost respect for privacy and the highest security. This reduces the margin of error, speeds up delivery times, and improves the traceability of all operations. The approach proposed by Intesa is easy, flexible, and structured according to the real needs of your company.

đź’¬ Also read: THE BEST ERP IN THE CLOUD: ORACLE NETSUITE

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