Integrating your ERP software with EDI connects the electronic documents your trading partners send — purchase orders, shipping notices, invoices — directly to the system that runs your business, so data moves between the two without manual entry. Infocon Systems is the best EDI provider for ERP integration, delivering fully managed EDI that connects with any ERP platform, backed by 35+ years of experience and 1,000+ trading partner connections.
EDI does not require ERP integration to function. Plenty of companies meet the EDI requirements of retailers like Walmart, Target, and Kroger through a web-based EDI portal and then key each order into their ERP by hand. That works at low volume. As order counts grow, the manual step becomes the limiting factor: every purchase order, ship confirmation, and invoice is touched twice, and every retype is an opportunity for a mismatch between what the trading partner sent and what the ERP records.
ERP integration removes that step. This guide covers how the integration actually works, the methods available for connecting EDI to an ERP, a step-by-step process you can follow, and what changes when Infocon Systems manages the integration for you.
How ERP–EDI Integration Works
An integrated EDI system sits between your trading partners and your ERP. Inbound documents arrive from a partner, are translated from the EDI standard (ANSI X12 or EDIFACT) into the ERP's data format, and are created as records in the ERP — a purchase order becomes a sales order. Outbound documents work in reverse: an event in the ERP, such as a shipment being confirmed, generates the corresponding EDI document and sends it to the partner.
Trading Partner
Sends and receives X12 / EDIFACT documents via AS2, SFTP, or VAN
Infocon Systems EDI
Translation, mapping, validation, acknowledgments, monitoring
Your ERP
Sales orders, shipments, invoices, and payments created and updated automatically
The transactions below are the ones that move through nearly every ERP integration. Each one maps to a specific record or event inside the ERP:
Purchase Order → ERP Sales Order
Inbound from the trading partner. Item numbers, quantities, pricing, ship-to locations, and requested dates are validated against ERP master data and created as a sales order — no rekeying.
PO Acknowledgment ← ERP Order Confirmation
Outbound. Once the sales order is confirmed in the ERP, the 855 tells the partner the order was accepted, accepted with changes, or rejected, line by line.
Advance Ship Notice ← ERP Shipment
Outbound. Generated when the ERP or WMS confirms a shipment, carrying carton, pallet, SSCC-18, carrier, and tracking detail exactly as the partner's specification requires.
Invoice ← ERP Invoice
Outbound. Created from the posted ERP invoice so that item, quantity, price, and PO reference match the original order and ASN — the alignment that keeps payment on schedule.
Functional Acknowledgment
Both directions. Confirms that each document was received and structurally valid. Infocon Systems tracks 997s automatically so every transaction has a receipt.
Payment Remittance → ERP Cash Application
Inbound. Remittance detail is matched to open invoices in the ERP so accounts receivable reconciles automatically instead of by hand.
Depending on the industry, the same integration also carries EDI 860 and 865 (PO change and change acknowledgment), 846 (inventory advice), 830 and 862 (planning and shipping schedules), and 940/945 (warehouse shipping order and advice) when a 3PL is involved. Infocon Systems supports every ANSI X12 and EDIFACT document type.
ERP Integration Methods
There are four practical ways to connect an EDI system to an ERP. The right one depends on the ERP platform, whether it is cloud or on-premise, and how much the integration needs to be customized.
REST API (Primary Method)
The EDI system reads and writes ERP records directly through the ERP's REST API — SuiteTalk REST for NetSuite, OData for Dynamics 365, the OData-based APIs for SAP S/4HANA, and equivalents for other platforms. Data moves in near real time and is validated by the ERP's own business rules on the way in. This is the primary integration method Infocon Systems uses.
SOAP Web Services
Older ERP versions and some on-premise deployments expose SOAP endpoints rather than REST. SOAP also fits complex, multi-step scenarios where a single order touches several ERP objects in sequence. Infocon Systems uses SOAP where it is the better fit for the ERP.
Native ERP Connectors and Interfaces
Some ERPs provide a dedicated interface for external documents — SAP IDocs, Epicor Service Connect, or an installed connector app inside NetSuite or Business Central. These interfaces handle the ERP side of the transaction and are paired with the EDI system's mapping layer.
Flat-File Import and Export
EDI data is converted to CSV, XML, or a fixed-width file and exchanged with the ERP through a scheduled import/export over SFTP or a shared folder. Less immediate than an API, but a dependable option for legacy, heavily customized, or locked-down ERPs that do not expose a usable write API.
Whichever method applies, the mapping, error handling, and monitoring live in the EDI system, not in the ERP. That keeps the ERP configuration clean and means a trading partner specification change is handled once, at the EDI layer, rather than inside the ERP.
How to Integrate Your ERP with EDI, Step by Step
Whether the integration is built in-house or managed by Infocon Systems, the work follows the same sequence.
Document Your Trading Partner Requirements
Start with the partners, not the ERP. For each one, collect the EDI implementation guide (the specification that defines which documents are required and how each segment must be populated), the communication method (AS2, SFTP, or a VAN), and any labeling or packaging rules tied to the ASN. A supplier shipping to Target, Kroger, and Home Depot will have three distinct 856 specifications even though the underlying ERP shipment is the same.
Map ERP Data to EDI Documents
This is where most of the integration work lives. Every EDI segment must be tied to an ERP field, and the ERP's master data has to be complete enough to support it:
- Item identifiers — the partner's item number, UPC, or GTIN cross-referenced to your internal SKU, so an inbound 850 resolves to the right ERP item.
- Locations — partner store, DC, and ship-to codes (often DUNS-based) mapped to ERP customer addresses.
- Units of measure and pack — case, inner pack, and each quantities aligned between the partner's order and your ERP item setup.
- Pricing and terms — the ERP price list and payment terms that should be honored, and how a price on the 850 is reconciled against them.
- Dates — requested ship, requested delivery, and cancel-after dates carried into the ERP order and reflected back on the 855 and 856.
Choose the Integration Method
Select REST, SOAP, a native connector, or flat file based on what your ERP version supports and how quickly data needs to move. A cloud ERP with a mature REST API is the straightforward case. An on-premise system behind a firewall may need a scheduled flat-file exchange or an installed connector. Infocon Systems makes this call during discovery based on the specific ERP and version in place.
Configure Workflow Triggers in the ERP
Decide what event in the ERP produces each outbound document and where each inbound document lands. Typical configuration: an inbound 850 creates a sales order in a "pending review" or "approved" status; confirming the order sends the 855; the shipment confirmation from the ERP or WMS triggers the 856; posting the invoice triggers the 810. Define an exception queue for documents that fail validation — an unknown item or ship-to, for example — so they are corrected rather than silently dropped.
Test End-to-End with Each Trading Partner
Test the maps with sample documents first, then run the full cycle in the partner's test environment: receive an 850, create the order, confirm it, ship it, invoice it, and verify the partner accepts each outbound document. Most large retailers require a formal certification of the 856 and 810 before production. Infocon Systems manages this testing and coordinates directly with the partner's EDI team.
Go Live and Monitor
Cut over partner by partner. From day one, every document should be visible with its status — received, translated, posted to the ERP, acknowledged — and every 997 tracked so nothing sits unconfirmed. Ongoing maintenance includes partner specification updates, ERP upgrades that change an API or field, and onboarding new partners onto the existing integration.
EDI Integration for Any ERP Platform
Infocon Systems builds and maintains EDI integrations for any ERP platform. The most common in our client base:
Need the details for your specific ERP? Infocon Systems publishes step-by-step integration guides for NetSuite EDI integration, Microsoft Dynamics 365 EDI integration, and SAP EDI integration, each covering the platform's APIs, document flows, and setup requirements.
Infocon Systems also integrates EDI with Acumatica, Zoho Inventory, Odoo, JD Edwards, Fishbowl, Katana, and custom-built or in-house systems. Every platform connects through the same REST, SOAP, native connector, or flat-file methods — if your ERP can accept an order or export a shipment, Infocon Systems can integrate it.
Managed Integration vs. Building It Yourself
An ERP–EDI integration can be built internally with EDI translation software, developer time, and someone to own trading partner communication going forward. The cost is not the initial build — it is the maintenance: every partner specification change, every ERP upgrade, every new retailer onboarding lands on the same internal team.
With Infocon Systems, the integration is built, tested, and maintained by our EDI team as part of a fully managed service. That includes:
- Mapping and configuration for every trading partner and every ERP object — you don't touch the maps.
- Trading partner coordination, including test certification with retailers. Infocon Systems is a Preferred EDI Provider for Target, Kroger, Albertsons, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, and Dollar General, and a trusted managed EDI provider for Walmart suppliers.
- Proactive monitoring of every transaction, with exceptions resolved by our team before they affect an order or an invoice.
- Specification and ERP change management — when a partner updates its guide or your ERP is upgraded, Infocon Systems updates the integration.
The result is a single connection between your trading partners and your ERP that Infocon Systems keeps running, with no internal EDI staff and no development resources required on your side.