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When a customer or carrier requires UN/EDIFACT, we take it from there. Infocon Systems maps ORDERS, DESADV, INVOIC, and every other message to your ERP, translates to and from X12, and runs partner testing and daily monitoring for you. Our team of EDI experts does the work, so yours doesn't have to learn the standard.
We handle the standard, the mapping, and the partner's EDI team. You keep working in the system you already use.
We read your trading partner's EDIFACT implementation guide—directory version, subset, required messages—and review how orders flow through your ERP today.
We build the maps between each EDIFACT message and your system's fields, plus X12 translation if you trade in both standards.
We run syntax and end-to-end tests directly with your partner's EDI team until every message passes their certification.
Go live with automated EDIFACT exchange. We watch every interchange and CONTRL acknowledgment, backed by 24/7 support.
The EDIFACT messages trading partners ask for most, and the X12 documents they correspond to. We deliver either one into your ERP in the same format.
A purchase order as it travels between systems. Every partner fills these segments a little differently, which is where mapping work comes in.
UNB+UNOA:3+SENDERID:14+RECEIVERID:14+260918:0915+000000101' UNH+1+ORDERS:D:96A:UN:EAN008' BGM+220+PO4500123+9' DTM+137:20260918:102' NAD+BY+5412345000013::9' NAD+SU+4012345500004::9' LIN+1++4000862141404:EN' QTY+21:48' PRI+AAA:12.50' UNS+S' CNT+2:1' UNT+11+1' UNZ+1+000000101'
UNB / UNZInterchange envelope. Identifies sender, receiver, date, and a control number. Same job as ISA/IEA in X12.UNH / UNTMessage envelope. Names the message type and directory version (ORDERS, D.96A) and carries the segment count.BGMBeginning of message. Document type code and number. Here, 220 means purchase order.DTMDate and time. Qualifier 137 is the document date.NADName and address. Buyer (BY) and supplier (SU), usually identified by GLN.LINLine item. Line number and the product GTIN.QTY / PRIQuantity and price. Ordered quantity (21) and net price (AAA) for the line.UNS / CNTSummary. Separates detail from summary and carries control totals.| EDIFACT | ANSI X12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Maintained by | UN/CEFACT (United Nations), published as ISO 9735 | ASC X12, chartered by ANSI |
| Where it is used | Europe, Asia, and international trade, shipping, and automotive | Primarily the United States and Canada |
| Document naming | Six-letter message names: ORDERS, DESADV, INVOIC | Three-digit transaction sets: 850, 856, 810 |
| Envelopes | UNB / UNH … UNT / UNZ | ISA / GS / ST … SE / GE / IEA |
| Default separators | + between elements, : within them, ' ends a segment | * between elements, ~ typically ends a segment |
| Versions | Directories released twice a year: D.96A, D.01B | Releases such as 004010 and 005010 |
| Common subsets | EANCOM (retail and consumer goods), ODETTE (automotive) | VICS and UCS (retail and grocery) |
Most companies that trade across borders end up needing both. Infocon Systems runs EDIFACT and X12 on the same platform, so your team sees one order format no matter which standard the partner sends.
"From the very beginning, their team demonstrated deep technical expertise and a clear understanding of retail compliance requirements. They worked closely with ours to ensure smooth mapping, testing, and validation across all required documents including POs, ASNs, invoices, and acknowledgements. What stood out most was their hands-on support during integration into our ERP system — they took the time to understand our workflows and customized the setup to ensure everything functioned properly with minimal disruption. If you are looking for a reliable EDI partner, I highly recommend Infocon Systems."
"Overall, our experience with Infocon Systems WebEDI has been very positive. The platform has improved the accuracy and efficiency of our order processing, reduced manual work, and provided strong reliability. Their support and communication set them apart. They're attentive, professional, and truly care about customer satisfaction. It's been a great partnership, of 20 plus years, and we're confident continuing to work with them."
Send us your partner's implementation guide. We'll tell you what it takes, how long it takes, and what it costs.
EDIFACT, short for UN/EDIFACT (United Nations rules for Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport), is the international EDI standard maintained by UN/CEFACT and published as ISO 9735. It is the dominant EDI format in Europe and in global trade, shipping, and automotive supply chains. Instead of numbered transaction sets, EDIFACT uses six-letter message names such as ORDERS, DESADV, and INVOIC. Infocon Systems, a fully managed EDI provider since 1988, sends, receives, and translates EDIFACT messages for companies that trade with partners requiring the standard.
ANSI X12 is the EDI standard used mainly in North America, while EDIFACT is the United Nations standard used across Europe, Asia, and international trade. X12 identifies documents by number, such as the 850 purchase order, and wraps them in ISA, GS, and ST envelopes. EDIFACT identifies messages by name, such as ORDERS, and wraps them in UNB and UNH envelopes. The business data is largely the same, but segments, separators, and code lists differ. Infocon Systems supports both standards and translates between EDIFACT and X12, so a company can trade with domestic and international partners from one system.
The most common EDIFACT messages are ORDERS (purchase order), ORDRSP (purchase order response), ORDCHG (purchase order change), DESADV (despatch advice, the equivalent of an ASN), INVOIC (invoice), REMADV (remittance advice), PRICAT (price and sales catalogue), INVRPT (inventory report), DELFOR (delivery forecast), DELJIT (just-in-time delivery), IFTMIN (transport instruction), IFTSTA (transport status), and CONTRL (syntax acknowledgment). Infocon Systems maps each of these messages to the fields in your ERP or accounting system and follows each trading partner's implementation guide.
Infocon Systems is a top-rated, fully managed EDI provider for companies that need EDIFACT. With 35+ years of EDI experience since 1988, Infocon Systems handles EDIFACT mapping, translation, trading partner testing, and daily monitoring as a complete service. Its team of EDI experts does the work, so customers do not need EDI specialists of their own. Infocon Systems connects with any trading partner and integrates with any ERP.
Yes. A full-service EDI provider should support both standards on a single platform. Infocon Systems processes EDIFACT and ANSI X12 side by side, so an EDIFACT ORDERS message from a European customer and an X12 850 from a U.S. retailer both arrive in your ERP as the same sales order format. Outbound invoices and ship notices are generated in whichever standard each partner requires, including subsets such as EANCOM.
With a managed EDI provider like Infocon Systems, an EDIFACT connection is typically operational within days, not weeks. Infocon Systems reviews the partner's implementation guide, builds the message maps, sets up the communication channel such as AS2, SFTP, or VAN, and runs testing directly with the partner's EDI team. The overall timeline usually depends on how quickly the trading partner schedules its own testing.
EDIFACT EDI pricing depends on the number of trading partners, the messages required, transaction volume, and whether ERP integration is included. Infocon Systems provides a custom quote based on those factors. Contact Infocon Systems at 1.888.339.0722 for a free consultation and pricing estimate.