3PL EDI: warehouse orders, receipts and inventory between you and your 3PL
When a 3PL ships for you, the order, the shipping confirmation, the inbound receipt and the stock count all travel as EDI. Comparatio runs those documents between your ERP and the 3PL’s warehouse system, mapped to each 3PL’s own spec. Our engineers build and run every map.
- 940 · 945 · 943 · 944 · 947 · 846
- Each 3PL’s own spec
- Maps run by our engineers
Documents
The warehouse document set, and what each one does
Outbound orders go to the 3PL as 940s and come back confirmed as 945s. Inbound stock is announced with a 943 and confirmed with a 944. The 947 and 846 keep your ERP’s stock in line with the warehouse.
| Document | Direction | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 940 Warehouse shipping order | To 3PL | Built from your sales order when it is ready to ship | In production |
| 945 Warehouse shipping advice | From 3PL | The shipment is confirmed in your ERP | In production |
| 943 Stock transfer shipment advice | To 3PL | Tells the 3PL which inbound stock to expect | In production |
| 944 Stock transfer receipt advice | From 3PL | The receipt of inbound stock is recorded in your ERP | In production |
| 947 Inventory adjustment advice | From 3PL | Stock adjustments made at the warehouse | In production |
| 846 Inventory advice | From 3PL | Stock on hand at the 3PL | In production |
In production: on our production list of X12 sets (see Transaction types), with each 3PL’s own spec mapped during setup. Every inbound X12 document is answered with a 997.
How it works
Files, APIs and warehouse systems
Your ERP, their WMS
The 3PL keeps its own warehouse system. Comparatio translates between it and your ERP, so neither side changes how it works.
An API where the 3PL has one
For Extensiv (3PL Central), its REST API can replace the 940 file drop, switched on per site.
For 3PLs, too
A 3PL running Sphere WMS can exchange goods movements with a client’s SAP system as IDocs, through the same platform.
FAQ
3PL EDI questions, answered
Which EDI documents do 3PLs use?
The core set is the 940 warehouse shipping order and the 945 shipping advice that confirms it, the 943 and 944 for inbound stock, and the 947 and 846 for adjustments and stock on hand. Comparatio runs all six.
The 940, explainedDoes Comparatio support 940, 943, 944 and 945?
Yes, in production, with each 3PL’s own spec mapped during setup. 3PLs rarely send the textbook version, so we map the one your 3PL actually uses.
Our 3PL offers an API instead of EDI files. Can you use it?
For Extensiv (3PL Central), yes: its REST API can replace the 940 file drop, switched on per site. For the other WMS and shipping platforms we connect to, see the 3PL and warehouse page.
WMS and 3PL integrationsHow long does it take to connect a 3PL?
A new trading partner typically goes live in 4–8 weeks, paced mostly by how quickly the 3PL tests.
Other industries we run EDI for
Talk through your 3PL setup
Tell us which 3PLs you use and what they send today, and we’ll show you how the documents land in your ERP.