Transformation Services in practice

Transformation Services supports a variety of business processes in which the transformation of EDI messages into BOD messages and other message formats plays a decisive role. The messages are exchanged between applications that are connected to Infor ION and external trading partners.Transformation Services can be used in combination with Release Management, Shipping, Exchange Services, and an ERP system that is connected to ION. These are examples of supported business processes:

Incoming release orders

Exchange Services receives a release order message from an external business partner, for example, UN/EDIFACT DELFOR. Transformation Services transforms the external release order message into in-house PlanningSchedule or ShipmentSchedule BODs. Transformation Services sends the BODs to ION. Release Management receives the BODs from ION. Release Management calculates the new requirements. As the owner of the data, Release Management publishes the PlanningSchedule and ShipmentSchedule BODs with the verb Sync to ION. The PlanningSchedule or ShipmentSchedule BODs from ION are sent to the ERP system that integrates the new requirements. See the Infor ION Technical Reference Guide for a definition of the terms BOD, Noun, Verb, and an explanation of the ION Service Bus.

Shipment part I – Shipping

During the shipment process, CarrierRoute and Shipment BODs that have the statuses Staged and Shipped are created by the ERP system. The BODs are published by the ERP system that is the owner of the data with the verb Sync to ION. Shipping receives the CarrierRoute and Shipment BODs to print labels and waybills and prepare Advance Ship Notices (ASN). When the shipment is started and receives the status Shipped, Shipping provides modified BODs. These CarrierRoute and Shipment BODs include additional ASN information. Shipping uses the verb Process to publish the BODs to ION. Transformation Services receives the CarrierRoute and Shipment BODs from ION. Transformation Services combines the BODs in an internal document, and transforms the document into an external ASN message, for example, UN/EDIFACT DESADV. Exchange Services receives the message from Transformation Services and sends it to the external business partner.

Shipment part II – Release Management

During the shipment process, Shipment BODs that have the status Shipped are created by the ERP system. The BODs are published with the verb Sync by the ERP system that is the owner of the data to ION. Release Management receives the Shipment BODs with the status Shipped from ION and uses the information to update requirements and CUMs.

Invoice to customer

During the shipment process, Invoice BODs are created and published with the verb Sync by the ERP system that is the owner of the data to ION. The Shipping and Transformation Services areas receive the Invoice BODs from ION. The Shipping area uses the invoice data for the ATLAS and Intrastat procedure. Transformation Services transforms the Invoice BODs into messages with the required message format of the external business partner, for example, UN/EDIFACT INVOIC. Exchange Services receives the messages from Transformation Services and sends them to the external business partner.

Incoming self-billing invoice

During the shipment process, Exchange Services receives self-billing invoice messages from an external business partner, for example, UN/EDIFACT INVOIC (SBI). Transformation Services receives the self-billing invoice messages, transforms the messages into Invoice BODs (SBI), and publishes them to ION. The Invoice BODs (SBI) are sent from ION to the ERP system. The self-billing invoices are processed for accounting.

Integrating inventory consumption from logistics service provider

During the shipment process, Exchange Services receives inventory consumption messages, for example, UN/EDIFACT INVRPT, from an (external) logistics service provider. The messages indicate that the shipment is completed. Exchange Services sends the messages to Transformation Services. Transformation Services transforms the messages into InventoryConsumption BODs and publishes the BODs to ION. The InventoryConsumption BODs are sent from ION to the ERP system. The inventory consumption is processed and the requirements are reduced according to the booked goods movements. The BODs are published with the verb Sync by the ERP system that is the owner of the data to ION. The Release Management area receives the InventoryConsumption BODs and updates requirements and CUMs.