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EDI message formats

Brief overview of common EDI formats

Business partners must agree on a messaging standard or specific message formats in order to use EDI with one another. A number of different message formats have emerged related to either the country where they are used or the particular industry.

These include:

  • EDIFACT
  • VDA
  • ANSI X.12
  • ODETTE
  • TRADACOMS
  • RosettaNet
  • SWIFT
  • XML
  • GALIA
  • ebXML
  • ELEMICA

Some are used worldwide, such as EDIFACT. The message formats are regularly updated by the presiding national or international bodies (e.g. UN, GS1, VDA).