X12, EDIFACT and cXML equivalents
Your customer sends an ORDERS or an OrderRequest instead of an 850? Find the matching document in the other two standards, for every order-to-cash, inventory and warehouse document a distributor uses.
- 27 X12 documents
- EDIFACT and cXML side by side
- Sources for every mapping
27 documents
| ANSI X12 | UN/EDIFACT | cXML | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordering | |||
| EDI 850Purchase Order | UN/EDIFACTORDERSPurchase order | cXMLOrderRequest | Direct equivalent A new order is an OrderRequest with type="new". Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| EDI 855Purchase Order Acknowledgment | UN/EDIFACTORDRSPPurchase order response | cXMLConfirmationRequest | Direct equivalent The confirmation type says accept, reject, backordered or detail (line-by-line changes). Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| EDI 860Purchase Order Change Request – Buyer Initiated | UN/EDIFACTORDCHGPurchase order change request | cXMLOrderRequest (type="update") | Direct equivalent cXML sends the whole order again with type="update" (or "delete" to cancel) and a reference to the original, not just the changed lines. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| EDI 865Purchase Order Change Acknowledgment/Request – Seller Initiated | UN/EDIFACTORDRSPPurchase order response | cXMLConfirmationRequest | Closest match Neither standard has a separate seller change request: EDIFACT answers an ORDCHG with an ORDRSP, and in cXML the supplier proposes changes in a ConfirmationRequest (type="detail") and the buyer replies with an updated order. SAP Business Network maps the 865 this way. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · SAP Business Network X12 865 guide |
| EDI 869Order Status Inquiry | UN/EDIFACTOSTENQOrder status enquiry | cXMLOrderStatusRequest | Direct equivalent The buyer asks for the status of an order. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| EDI 870Order Status Report | UN/EDIFACTOSTRPTOrder status report | cXMLConfirmationRequest | Closest match cXML has no status report document; the supplier answers an OrderStatusRequest with a ConfirmationRequest that refers to it. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| Shipping and receiving | |||
| EDI 856Ship Notice/Manifest (ASN) | UN/EDIFACTDESADVDespatch advice | cXMLShipNoticeRequest | Direct equivalent The advance ship notice in all three standards. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| EDI 861Receiving Advice/Acceptance Certificate | UN/EDIFACTRECADVReceiving advice | cXMLReceiptRequest | Direct equivalent The buyer reports what it received against the order or ship notice. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| EDI 204Motor Carrier Load Tender | UN/EDIFACTIFTMINInstruction message | cXMLTransportRequest | Closest match IFTMIN is the general transport instruction, used for loads by road, sea or air. TransportRequest (cXML 1.2.030 and later) asks a carrier to move a consignment; SAP Business Network maps it to the 204. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) · SAP Business Network X12 204 guide |
| EDI 214Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message | UN/EDIFACTIFTSTAInternational multimodal status report | cXMLNo direct equivalent | No cXML equivalent cXML has no shipment tracking document. The nearest, TransportConfirmation, only reports a consignment as accepted, collected, rejected or cancelled, with no in-transit or delivery events; SAP Business Network maps it to the 214. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) · SAP Business Network X12 214 guide |
| Billing and payment | |||
| EDI 810Invoice | UN/EDIFACTINVOICInvoice | cXMLInvoiceDetailRequest | Direct equivalent EDIFACT marks a commercial invoice with BGM 380; cXML with purpose="standard". Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| EDI 812Credit/Debit Adjustment | UN/EDIFACTINVOICInvoice (credit note 381, debit note 383) | cXMLInvoiceDetailRequest (creditMemo or debitMemo) | Closest match EDIFACT and cXML send credit and debit notes as invoices with a different document type. An 812 can come from either side; a cXML memo always goes from supplier to buyer. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| EDI 820Payment Order/Remittance Advice | UN/EDIFACTREMADVRemittance advice | cXMLPaymentRemittanceRequest | Direct equivalent For the remittance a customer sends you. When the 820 is a payment order to a bank, the EDIFACT messages are PAYORD, PAYEXT or PAYMUL. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| Inventory, catalogs and planning | |||
| EDI 846Inventory Inquiry/Advice | UN/EDIFACTINVRPTInventory report | cXMLProductReplenishmentMessage or ProductActivityMessage | Closest match cXML uses a different document per direction: ProductReplenishmentMessage when the supplier reports stock to the buyer, ProductActivityMessage when the buyer reports its stock to the supplier. SAP Business Network maps both to the 846. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) · SAP Business Network X12 846 guide |
| EDI 852Product Activity Data | UN/EDIFACTSLSRPTSales data report | cXMLProductActivityMessage | Closest match The 852, usually from a retailer or other buyer, reports sales and stock together. EDIFACT splits them into SLSRPT and INVRPT; cXML sends the sales report as a ProductActivityMessage with processType="Sales". Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| EDI 832Price/Sales Catalog | UN/EDIFACTPRICATPrice/sales catalogue | cXMLCatalogUploadRequest | Closest match A cXML catalog is a file (CIF or a cXML Index) sent with CatalogUploadRequest rather than a transaction of its own. PunchOut replaces the catalog with a live link to the supplier’s site. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| EDI 830Planning Schedule with Release Capability | UN/EDIFACTDELFORDelivery schedule | cXMLProductActivityMessage or OrderRequest (orderType="release") | Closest match cXML splits the 830: the buyer’s forecast is a ProductActivityMessage (processType="Forecast") and releases against a scheduling agreement are an OrderRequest with orderType="release". A supplier’s 830 back to the buyer becomes a ProductReplenishmentMessage on SAP Business Network. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) · SAP Business Network X12 830 guide |
| EDI 862Shipping Schedule | UN/EDIFACTDELJITDelivery just in time | cXMLOrderRequest (orderType="release") | Closest match Short-term, just-in-time releases against a scheduling agreement; cXML has no separate shipping schedule document. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| Warehouse (3PL) | |||
| EDI 940Warehouse Shipping Order | UN/EDIFACTINSDESInstruction to despatch | cXMLOrderRequest | Closest match INSDES tells a party holding your goods, such as a 3PL, to ship them. cXML has no warehouse order of its own; SAP Business Network sends an OrderRequest (for example a stock transport order) to the warehouse as a 940. Sources: UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) · SAP Business Network X12 940 guide |
| EDI 945Warehouse Shipping Advice | UN/EDIFACTDESADVDespatch advice | cXMLShipNoticeRequest | Closest match Neither standard has a warehouse-specific ship confirmation; the warehouse sends the ordinary ship notice. Sources: UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) · SAP Business Network X12 945 guide |
| EDI 943Warehouse Stock Transfer Shipment Advice | UN/EDIFACTDESADVDespatch advice | cXMLShipNoticeRequest | Closest match Stock you send into the warehouse is announced with the ordinary ship notice in EDIFACT and cXML. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| EDI 944Warehouse Stock Transfer Receipt Advice | UN/EDIFACTRECADVReceiving advice | cXMLReceiptRequest | Closest match The warehouse confirms what it received with the ordinary receiving advice. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| EDI 947Warehouse Inventory Adjustment Advice | UN/EDIFACTINVRPTInventory report | cXMLProductReplenishmentMessage | Closest match Stock adjustments (damage, cycle counts) travel as inventory reports; SAP Business Network maps the 947 to a ProductReplenishmentMessage. Sources: UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) · SAP Business Network X12 947 guide |
| Returns | |||
| EDI 180Return Merchandise Authorization and Notification | UN/EDIFACTRETANNAnnouncement for returns (answered by RETINS, Instruction for returns) | cXMLNo direct equivalent | No cXML equivalent cXML handles returns inside other documents: return lines in an OrderRequest (isReturn="yes") and a ship notice for the goods going back. RETANN and RETINS date from EDIFACT directory D.97B. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) |
| Acknowledgments | |||
| EDI 997Functional Acknowledgment | UN/EDIFACTCONTRLSyntax and service report | cXMLNo direct equivalent | No cXML equivalent cXML is acknowledged on the spot: every request gets a Response with a status code (200 OK, or a 4xx or 5xx error) over the same connection. Later problems can be reported with a StatusUpdateRequest. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT CONTRL message (UNECE) |
| EDI 999Implementation Acknowledgment | UN/EDIFACTCONTRLSyntax and service report | cXMLNo direct equivalent | No cXML equivalent The 999 (X12 5010 and later) also reports errors against the implementation guide; CONTRL covers syntax only. cXML: see the 997. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT CONTRL message (UNECE) |
| EDI 824Application Advice | UN/EDIFACTAPERAKApplication error and acknowledgement | cXMLStatusUpdateRequest | Closest match Business-level acceptance or rejection of a document, after the 997. A StatusUpdateRequest carries a document or invoice status (for example an invoice rejected); SAP Business Network maps it to the 824. Sources: cXML Reference Guide 1.2.071 · UN/EDIFACT message directory (UNTDID) · SAP Business Network X12 824 guide |
“Direct equivalent” means the standards pair the documents one to one. “Closest match” means the nearest document, with a difference the note explains. X12 numbers link to their document guides.
The three standards
X12, EDIFACT and cXML at a glance
| Standard | Where | What it looks like | Who sends it |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANSI X12 | North America | Numbered transaction sets (850, 856, 810) in segments such as BEG and PO1 | Retailers, distributors, manufacturers, carriers |
| UN/EDIFACT | Europe and most of the world | Named messages (ORDERS, DESADV, INVOIC); EANCOM is the GS1 subset retail uses | International customers and suppliers, automotive, retail |
| cXML | Procurement networks worldwide | XML documents (OrderRequest, InvoiceDetailRequest) sent over HTTPS | Buyers on procurement networks and e-procurement systems, PunchOut catalogs |
FAQ
EDI standards questions
What is the difference between X12, EDIFACT and cXML?
All three describe the same business documents. X12 is the American standard and numbers its documents (850, 810). UN/EDIFACT is the United Nations standard used across Europe and most of the world and names them (ORDERS, INVOIC). cXML is an XML format for procurement networks, sent over the internet one document at a time.
Who uses which standard?
A North American distributor trades X12 with most retailers, contractors and suppliers. Customers and suppliers in Europe and Asia usually send EDIFACT. Large buyers that purchase through a procurement network or e-procurement system send cXML orders and expect cXML confirmations, ship notices and invoices back.
Procurement network integrationsWhy does a document have no cXML equivalent?
cXML was designed for buying, so it covers ordering, shipping, receiving, invoicing and payment well, but not carrier tracking, returns authorizations or batch acknowledgments. cXML acknowledges each document on the spot with a status code, so it needs no 997.
Can one partner send X12 and receive cXML?
Not directly, but a translator can: an 850 can arrive as X12 and the same order can go into your ERP or another network in another format. That is what an EDI provider such as Comparatio does between your trading partners and Prophet 21, NetSuite or CloudSuite Distribution.
Do the equivalents carry exactly the same data?
No. They cover the same business step, but the fields and codes differ, and each partner’s implementation guide adds its own rules. A map between two formats is always built field by field.
What is cXML?X12, EDIFACT or cXML: your ERP sees one order
Comparatio translates every standard your partners use into Prophet 21, NetSuite or CloudSuite Distribution, and back.