Articles in this section

Create EDI profiles for EDIFACT data in flows

To streamline EDI data processing, the trading partner configurations are centrally stored within the EDI profiles resource that can be used in your exports and imports, avoiding scattered configurations across flows, file definition rules, and mappings. This centralized approach reduces configuration time, minimizes errors, and offers a global view of EDI-related validations and values at the header level, allowing easy updates for specific trading partner configurations.

Note

The EDI profiles resource is available if you have subscribed to B2B Manager as part of the integrator.io license subscription.

Create EDI profiles based on EDIFACT files

  1. Sign in to your integrator.io account.

  2. From the left navigation, go to Resources > EDI profiles to create a standalone resource that you can later include in your export or import flow steps.

    resources-edi-profiles.png

    Or,

  3. From the left navigation pane, go to ResourcesExport or Import+Create exportto or +Create import to create the EDI profile resource in a standalone export or import; or, go to Flow builder (ToolsFlow builder) to create the EDI profile resource as part of a source or destination flow step. Click How would you like to parse filesEDI profile in the export (source), or click How would you like to generate filesEDI profile in the import (destination) as shown below.

    edi-profile-option-2-edifact.png
    edi-profile-generator-edifact.png

Two ways to create your EDI profile

In the EDI profiles page, you can create the EDI profile in either of the following ways:

  • By automatically extracting values from a sample file: You can upload a sample EDI file, and try the EDI profile extractor to automatically extract header segment values. This option is very quick, easy, and reduces the errors of manually entering values.

  • By manually entering values: You can manually enter values. This option is slow but is helpful If you don't have a valid EDI file or prefer to enter the profile values.

Option 1: Automatically extract values from a sample file to create EDI profile

edi-profile-extractor.png
  1. In the Create EDI profile from a sample file section, click Upload and try the EDI profile extractor.

  2. Select and upload a valid file from your system. The values for the header segments are automatically extracted from the uploaded sample file.

    Important

    Make sure that your sample EDI file is valid before you upload it.

  3. Enter a name for your EDI profile, and check all the extracted values in the settings. Note that you cannot preview the sample output.

  4. Click Save and close.

If your file is not valid, then you will receive an error. You can check your file, and retry the upload. If the error persists, click Skip file upload. See Option 2 below and enter the values manually.

Option 2 – Manually entering values to create an EDI profile

On the EDI profiles page, on the top-right, click Create EDI profile.

General
create-edi-profile-general.png

On the Create EDI profile window, in the General section, enter the appropriate details in the respective fields:

  • Name: This is a mandatory field. Enter a name for the EDI profile.

  • Description: Enter the description for the EDI profile.

  • EDI file type: Select EDIFACT. This setting is non-editable after the form is saved.

Identification (EDIFACT)

In this section, you can find the information on the permitted value for a given trading partner in the EDI enveloping section of a file. It includes two subsections – Interchange identification and Message identification.

create-edi-profile-interchange-identification.png

Interchange identification (EDIFACT)

  • UNB010-0001 (Syntax identifier): Coded identification of the agency controlling the syntax and of the character repertoire used in an interchange.

  • UNB010-0002 (Syntax version number): Version number of the syntax.

  • Trading partner ID qualifier: Code indicating the system of code structure used to designate the trading partner ID element being qualified.

  • Trading partner interchange ID: Identification code published by the trading partner for other parties to use as the ID to exchange data.

  • My ID qualifier: Code indicating the system of code structure used to designate the trading partner ID element being qualified.

  • My interchange ID: Identification code published by our customer for other parties to use as the ID to exchange data.

Message identification (EDIFACT)

create-edi-profile-message-identificaiton.png
  • Version number: Version number of a message type.

  • Release number: Release number within the current message version number.

  • Controlling agency: Code identifying a controlling agency.

Control number sequence (EDIFACT)
create-edi-profile-control-numer-sequence.png

Value: Unique reference assigned by the sender to an interchange.

After you enter the details and click Save on the Create EDI profile window, a new entry is created on the EDI profiles page.

Note

The control number sequence is not supported for each document type.

Manage EDI profiles for EDIFACT

Flows: From the EDI profile drop-down list, within a flow, you can

  • select an existing profile

  • edit an existing profile

  • create a new profile

Resources: From Resources → EDI Profiles, you can view all the EDI profiles in an environment. You can also create, edit, or delete an EDI profile. You can also view the Audit log to see changes, and check Used by to view the flows and integrations that use them.

edi-profile-actions.png
Edit EDI profile for EDIFACT

You can edit any existing EDI profiles. While editing an EDI profile, the EDI file can’t be edited. In integrator.io, on the EDI profiles page, at the end of an EDI profile row, in the Actions overflow (…) menu, select Edit EDI profile. After you edit the profile, on the EDI profiles page, the Last updated field will be updated with the latest timestamp.

View the audit log

Audit logs maintain a record of specific activities in your flows, including the fields that were changed, the type of change, and who’s responsible for the change. You can view your audit logs at a flow or EDI profile level. For more information, see View or download audit logs.

In integrator.io, on the EDI profiles page, next to the appropriate profile, from the Actions overflow (…) menu, select View audit log.

View_audit_log.jpg

Tip

In audit logs, pageProcessors and pageGenerators represent imports and exports, respectively. It’s a system naming convention that doesn’t affect your integrations or flows.

Audit_log.jpg

EDI profile preview for EDIFACT

Before executing the EDI profile at the flow level, you can preview the profile for validations. In integrator.io, on the Flow Builder page, from the export or import steps, after you select the Parser/Generation definition, click Launch to view the ‘EDI parser helper/generator’ Advanced Field Editor (AFE).

For the EDI parser helper and EDI generator, the EDI profile execution at the flow level is similar to that of the preview. When you open AFE, by default, the Auto preview is enabled and the EDI profile is executed.

  • In the EDI parser helper, the AFE must validate the EDI data received from the trading partner and convert the data to a JSON format. The preview and Auto preview options are applicable for the execution of the EDI profiles.

  • In the EDI generator helper, the AFE must recognize the EDI profile selection from import, replace the EDI data received from the trading partner, and convert the data to a target ERP format. The preview and Auto preview options are applicable for the execution of the EDI profiles.