Outbound EDI Pipelines

Outbound EDI documents originate, typically, in one of your back-end systems or ERP. Invoices, for example, typically originate in an Order Procurement system. Those invoices need to be sent to your partners, but they probably do not have the same ERP that you do. You need to convert them into a format that you have both agreed to. Since ERP and back-end systems vary widely, the Studio cannot make any assumptions about what your ERP data looks like. You have to give the Studio some "clues" about what constitutes an Invoice (for example), how to discover who it goes to, and what kind of format your trading partner expects.

This typical pipeline would be designed to process EDI documents to be sent to your trading partners.

Note on diagram key: The colors represented in the key refer to different Projects in which the resources are created. Note the use of a Core Project.

Among the many design resources used in this pipeline, the following are specifically made to work with outbound EDI integrations.

• Outbound Routes associate your ERP's document format with a business process that produces a business document your trading partner expects. When an ERP business document is received for outbound EDI processing, the Studio will group the data, search the Outbound EDI Routes for a match, and then call all the Business Processes that are attached to the Outbound EDI Route. The Business Process performs the activity of converting your ERP's business document into the business document your trading partner expects.
• Outbound EDI Business Processes are designed to transform one Data Group to one EDI Message (ST-SE). The Outbound EDI Business Process is executed for each Data Group. So, if there are 100 source Data Groups with each representing an individual invoice for Acme, then the Outbound EDI Business Process executes 100 times, once for each Data Group. This Business Process must be created using the Outbound EDI Business Process template, so that it inherits tasks and parameters specially designed to process outbound EDI data. 
• EDI Envelopers define unique sets of EDI values for outbound EDI processing. The EDI Enveloper contains the interchange and group element values; these are used to envelope the EDI message generated during outbound EDI processing.
• Control Number Generators (CNG) assign a sequential number to your trading partner's interchange, group, and message control numbers for outbound EDI documents. Control numbers are unique values representing each level of the EDI document (interchange, group, and message). The Studio assigns this number when creating the envelope as part of outbound EDI processing.
• Connection Business Processes are designed to output the completed, enveloped EDI document. It is executed for each completed, enveloped EDI document. This Business Process must be created using the Connection Business Process template so that it inherits tasks and parameters specially designed to output outbound EDI documents. 

Note: The diagram also shows two important resources: the Data Analysis Ruleset and the Application Interface. While not exclusive to outbound EDI, they will be required to analyze and group source data.