电子数据交换 | EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

What is Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)?

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the electronic interchange of business information using a standardized format; a process which allows one company to send information to another company electronically rather than with paper. Business entities conducting business electronically are called trading partners.

Many business documents can be exchanged using EDI, but the two most common are purchase orders and invoices. At a minimum, EDI replaces the mail preparation and handling associated with traditional business communication. However, the real power of EDI is that it standardizes the information communicated in business documents, which makes possible a "paperless" exchange.

The traditional invoice illustrates what this can mean. Most companies create invoices using a computer system, print a paper copy of the invoice and mail it to the customer. Upon receipt, the customer frequently marks up the invoice and enters it into its own computer system. The entire process is nothing more than the transfer of information from the seller's computer to the customer's computer. EDI makes it possible to minimize or even eliminate the manual steps involved in this transfer.

The process improvements that EDI offers are significant and can be dramatic. For example, consider the difference between the traditional paper purchase order and its electronic counterpart:

1.A Traditional Document Exchange of a Purchase Order

This process normally takes between three and five days.
.Buyer makes a buying decision, creates the purchase order and prints it.
.Buyer mails the purchase order to the supplier.
.Supplier receives the purchase order and enters it into the order entry system.
.Buyer calls supplier to determine if purchase order has been received, or supplier mails buyer an acknowledgment of the order.

2.An EDI Document Exchange of a Purchase Order

This process normally occurs overnight and can take less than an hour.
.Buyer makes a buying decision, creates the purchase order but does not print it.
.EDI software creates an electronic version of the purchase order and transmits .it automatically to the supplier.
.Supplier's order entry system receives the purchase order and updates the system immediately on receipt.
.Supplier's order entry system creates an acknowledgment an transmits it back to confirm receipt.

什么是电子数据交换（EDI）？

电子数据交换（EDI）是使用标准格式的商业信息的电子交换;允许一家公司以电子方式而非纸质方式向另一家公司发送信息的流程。以电子方式开展业务的商业实体称为贸易伙伴。

许多商业文档可以使用EDI进行交换，但最常见的两种是采购订单和发票。 EDI至少取代了与传统商务沟通相关的邮件准备和处理。然而，EDI的真正强大之处在于它使商业文件中传达的信息标准化，这使得“无纸化”交换成为可能。

传统发票说明了这可能意味着什么。大多数公司使用计算机系统创建发票，打印发票的纸质副本并将其邮寄给客户。收到后，客户经常标记发票并将其输入自己的计算机系统。整个过程只不过是从卖方的计算机向客户的计算机传输信息。 EDI可以最大限度地减少甚至消除此转移中涉及的手动步骤。

EDI提供的流程改进非常重要，而且非常引人注目。例如，考虑传统纸张采购订单与其电子订单之间的差异：

1.采购订单的传统文件交换

此过程通常需要三到五天。
.买方做出购买决定，创建采购订单并打印出来。
.买方将采购订单邮寄给供应商。
.供应商收到采购订单并将其输入订单输入系统。
.买方致电供应商以确定是否已收到采购订单，或供应商邮寄买方确认订单。

2. EDI文件交换采购订单

这个过程通常在一夜之间发生，可能需要不到一个小时。
.买方做出购买决定，创建采购订单但不打印。
.EDI软件创建采购订单的电子版本并自动发送给供应商。
.供应商的订单输入系统收到采购订单并在收到后立即更新系统。
.供应商的订单输入系统创建确认并将其发回以确认收货。