What is the definition of EDI? I know that it stands for Electronic Data Interchange. But I keep hearing it referred to in other ways.
I hear that EDI applies to documents such as purchase orders, invoices, etc. I have heard that EDI competes with XML and that it competes with APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). So in this sense, I believe people are saying that EDI is the same thing as X12. Even though other standards compete with X12, EDIFACT, and VDA for example.
In my book, and on this site, I have chosen to have EDI mean what its name simply states. Moving data back and forth between different systems, regardless of what the data looks like as it is being interchanged.
I do not see EDI as competing with XML. XML is just a way of formatting data when you are exchanging that data electronically with a business partner.
I don’t think that I am being radical or anything, and I am willing to defend my definition. Words are important, and I know sometimes semantics can be nuanced, but there are also times when you just need to let the words mean what they say.
I work in an “EDI department” and X12 is one of the least used formats that we exchange with our trading partners.
I would like to be able to say that it’s mandatory that all EDI traffic has to be a machine to machine communication. That is not my experience, however. If you allow your trading partners to use HTTPS to upload files then they will more than likely use a browser from their desktop. Even if you only have SFTP/FTPS connections then some of your smaller trading partners will use FileZilla, WinSCP, or some other desktop client to send files manually. About 99% of your support time will be spent with these customers and their connectivity issues.
What are your thoughts and experience? Please leave a comment below.
About the picture: At the ruins of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Scotland. I can’t tell you why there were some open graves there. So I guess I really can’t tell you what it all means.