Following EDI standards

During the planning process, Lawson recommends that all new EDI users commit to following one of the standards supported by Lawson: ASC X12 or UN/EDIFACT. ASC, the Accredited Standards Committee, is a national standards committee that develops standards for electronic commerce. ASC X12 is the accepted EDI standard for most industries in the United States, including healthcare. Most companies that use EDI within the United States follow the ASC X12 standard.

The ASC X12 standard is a set of rules and guidelines companies can use to transfer information using EDI. ASC X12 provides a common ground for transferring business documents electronically.

UN/EDIFACT (United Nations/Electronic Data Interchange For Administration, Commerce and Transport) standards are international EDI standards established under the auspices of the United Nations. UN/EDIFACT is supported by Lawson EDI Professional for Supply Chain only.

Think in terms of languages. If your computer uses German and your trading partner's computer uses Japanese, it is difficult to exchange and understand information. But if both computers translated data into English, a common language that both computers understood, you would be able to communicate. The standard that you use (ASC X12 or UN/EDIFACT) is the common link that allows different computer systems to communicate electronically.

By agreeing to follow the ASC X12 or the UN/EDIFACT (Lawson EDI Professional for Supply Chain only) standard, your company is protecting its EDI investment. After bearing the cost and effort of implementing an EDI system, your company wants to be able to do business with other EDI users. Adhering to one of these standards ensures that your company can communicate with most EDI trading partners in the United States.