SAP Interface Technologies

EDI - Electronic Data Interchange

Defining EDI

Electronic exchange of business documents between computer system of

business partners, using a standard format over a communication
network
 Definitions

•Trading Partner – Parties involved in Business Transaction.

e.g. Vendor, Customer.
•Business Document – Legal doc. That defines transaction
conducted between trading partners. e.g. RFQ, PO, Po Change,
Invoice, Remittance advice.
Electronic Data Interchange Continues…

EDI Message – it governs the rules, format and contents of data in a transaction.
IMP advantage is STANDARDIZATION.

2 widely used standards – ANSI ASCX.12 and EDIFACT (Electronic Data

Interchange for Administration Commerce and Transport.)

Transaction – is equivalent to a Business doc. It is divided in 3 areas 1) Header 2)

Detail 3) Summary

Segment – equivalent to a record.

Segment Attributes – A unique ID, A name, A flag indicator For whether the segment
is optional or not.
Data Element – Smallest element of info. in a transaction and is defined in data
element dictionary
 Business Document Flow
Customer Request for quote
Quote Vendor
Purchasing Purchase Order
Order Acknowledgment Order mgt.
P/O Change
Shipping Notice
Receiving Shipping
Bill of Lading
Shipment Status Carrier
Billing
Invoice
Accounts
payable Accounts
Receivable

Remittance
Customer EFT Supplier Account Info
Account Info Bank Bank
Benefits of EDI process

• Reduced data entry errors

• Reduced processing cycle time
• Availability of data in electronic form
• Reduced paperwork
• Reduced cost
• Reduced inventories and better planning
 Components of EDI system

Vendor Customer
Application Application
Program Program
Business Business
Documents
EDI Documents

Value Added
Translator Network
Translator

EDI
SAP EDI Boundaries

EDI
IDoc
EDI EDI
Subsystem VAN Subsystem
IDoc

Status
EDI
Recipient
system say
EDI-Enabled Applications in SAP

EDI-enabled Application Selection IDoc

Application Program Format
Outbound
Application
Document
EDI-enabled Repository
Application
Inbound Application Posting IDoc
Program Format

Application
Document
Repository
Outbound Process

EDI-enabled Application Data Flow

Document
application Process Flow

Selection
Program Database
IDoc Repository
VAN
Outbound
trigger pgm. IDoc
file EDI EDI
Subsystem Document
 Outbound Process

It sends document from SAP system to a Business partner (Vendor, Customer, Bank).

Application Doc. (PO / SO) Is created and saved. This Application document is
formatted to an Idoc format.

The data in the App. Doc. Is suitable for internal programs. A Doc. In an Idoc format is
suitable for processing by EDI components.

The Idoc created resides in SAP D.B. repository. Now this is Transferred to O.S. layer
as a text file for processing by the EDI subsystem. The Doc. is still in Idoc format. The
only difference is the storage medium (Now O.S.)

IDOC to EDI standards conversion.This is IMP for EDI purposes. Translator (third party
software – EDI Subsystem) carry out translation process and report status back to SAP
system. After the Idoc has been delivered to EDI Subsystem, SAP does not have any
control over the process, but it maintains the status reported by the EDI Subsystem.

EDI Doc. is then transferred to the trading partner based on the partner’s settings.
EDI Subsystem reports status to SAP.
OUTBOUND with Message Control

Application Document is created.

Message Control is invoked.Messages are processed by the system and edited if req.
Validate against message control records of Partner Profile
Application Document is saved.
NAST record is created for every selected output with time and Medium (Timing (1) |
Output type (NEU)| Medium (EDI) | Language)
Execute RSNAST00 (if not to process immediately)
Determine processing program from TNAPR table
RSNASTED is started which Reads Partner Profile and Gets Process Code (ME10) which
point to FM
EDI_PROCESSING is a Form Routine in RSNASTED)
FM is invoked. (IDOC_OUTPUT_ORDERS)
Idoc is saved in D.B.
Execute RSEOUT00 (if the mode is set to “Do not collect Idocs” the Idoc is immediately
passed to O.S. layer automatically using program RSEOUT00 and if “Collect Idoc” option is
set then the Idocs are buffered in the system until RSEOUT00 is run explicitly)
Idoc File is created.
Call RFC_REMOTE_EXEC (if start subsystem)
Inbound Process

EDI-enabled Application Data Flow

Document
application Process Flow

Posting
Database
Program Repository
IDoc
VAN
Inbound
trigger pgm. IDoc
file EDI EDI
Subsystem Document
EDI Subsystem

EDI Subsystem are translators developed by third party

independent software vendors which convert application-
specific message to standard EDI format
Responsible for converting an EDI document in a standard EDI
format to an IDoc file and vice versa.
Configuring basic EDI setting

WE46
IDoc Interface Settings
 RFC Destination

RFC Destination

RFC Destination – Logical name used to identify a remote

system on which function needs to be
executed.
Configuring basic EDI setting

SM59
Setting RFC destination
Port

it is used to determine the EDI Subsystem prg. (If installed),

the dictionary path where the Idoc file needs to be created at
the O.S. layer., Idoc file name, & RFC destination.
Configuring basic EDI setting

WE21
Port Definition
Partner Profile

It specifies various components used in an outbound process,

the mode in which it communicates with subsystem and the
person to be notified in case of errors.

It is created for each Business partner

Configuring Partner Profiles

 General View
 Message Control View
 Outbound View
 Inbound View
Configuring Partner Profiles

WE20
Partner Profiles
Message Control

Message Control it’s a cross application technology.

Message Control component allows you to
ENCAPSULATE business Rules without having to
write ABAP program. It separates the Logic of
generating Idoc from logic of application.
Components in Message Control

Application

Procedure * Active Procedure

Procedure

Output Type Output Type Output Type

Mail EDI Fax

Access Access Access

Sequence Sequence Sequence

Condition Condition Condition

table table table

Data Data Data Data Data

field field field field field
Configuring Message Control

NACE
Output Control
Select: Application  Condition Records
Configuring Message Control

Select Output type and create Condition Records

Configuring Message Control

Select key combination for creating condition records

Configuring Message Control

Create/Change condition records

Error handling using Workflow

Exception Determine User gets User checks the

raised recipients notified via Inbox and executes
a work item the work item

Restart the Fix the Yes Can error

process error be fixed?

No
Purge the
End IDoc
EDI Configuration Complete