This is the On-line companion to my monthly column in Enterprise Reengineering The National Publication for BPR

Finding EDI Resources
(From the May 1996 issue)

In my previous column, I touched upon the benefits of keeping your information electronically based as it moves between suppliers and customers. Electronic data interchange, or EDI, is being widely pursued as the mechanism to ensure that suppliers and customers can communicate electronically.

I like to think of EDI as producing industry-specific data dictionaries.

You may be forced into EDI if your industry or large business partners are migrating towards it For example, the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 requires the broad use of electronic commerce and electronic data interchange by federal agencies.

The subject of EDI is especially well discussed on the Internet and there is a wealth of online information. If you are involved with EDI efforts, you would be foolish to not be using the 'Net as a valuable resource.

As well, most organizations involved with EDI standards are accessible through the Internet:

• ANSI chartered the Accredited Standards Committee (ASC-X12) to develop uniform standards for inter-industry electronic interchange of business transactions. ASC-X12 meets three times each year to develop and maintain EDI standards.
• Pan American EDIFACT Board (PAEB): represents the official coordinating body of UN/EDIFACT activity in the Pan American region. The PAEB is one of six regional EDIFACT boards in the world that support activities of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
• Data Interchange Standards Association (DISA): chartered by ANSI to serve as the secretariat to ASC-X12 and administrator for PAEB. In addition to providing support to these standards-setting bodies, DISA also serves the electronic commerce community by providing education about EDI and related technologies. For example, DISA has recently put together mailing lists for all the X12 subcommittees and a complete X12 Transaction Set Index .

If you are just learning about EDI, other sites to visit include:

• EC/EDI Acronyms Defined
• The Electronic Commerce Resource Centers
• Users' Groups of EDI Interest
• EDI and Electronic Commerce Resources on the Internet
• Electronic Commerce Jumpstation
• Thomas Ho's Favorite Electronic Commerce WWW resources (includes many real world examples of electronic commerce)
• Promenos Electronic Commerce Resources: A well-organized site with extensive pointers to EDI resources all over the Internet (including conference and event information)

Vendors who need EDI to interact with the federal government should visit the DOD Electronic Commerce Office. In order to engage in electronic commerce with the Department of Defense, you must either obtain value added network, or VAN, certification yourself or use the services of one of these VANs certified to provide access to FACNET .

So far, I have only been pointing to online resources to help you understand and implement EDI. One question that often comes up is whether the Internet can be used as the conduit for EDI. The alternative is to use a privately designed and funded VAN, which can be quite costly. A "must read" for this topic is RFC 1865, "EDI Meets the Internet: Frequently Asked Questions about EDI on the Internet." This is a nicely written document which covers all the bases and points to additional online resources. One of the most immediate possibilities of Internet EDI is using E-mail for transporting EDI content. This topic is covered in RFC 1767, "MIME Encapsulation of EDI Objects." With the emerging encryption mechanisms and standard E-mail attachment protocols, E-mail may prove to be the most economical way to conduct EDI among trading partners.

EDI represents a continued migration to an electronically based world. It takes time to adjust to the new frontier. Begin the process now. Spend time on the Internet and get used to the idea of electronic transactions. I recently purchased a new modem through a Web page at 6 p.m. and it was on my doorstep the next morning. While this is a simple example, it does help adjust your paradigm and expectations. Be prepared for all business transactions to become much faster.

Russ Haynal

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