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EDI 856 Transaction

EDI 856 Advance Shipping Notice (ASN)

What is the EDI 856 Advance Shipping Notice (ASN) transaction set?

The X12 EDI 856 Advance Shipping Notice (ASN) provides detailed information suppliers send buyers about an order’s pending shipment and expected delivery. While an ASN message uses segments and elements defined by the ANSI X12 EDI 856 guideline, the specific order, content, and shipping details required in ASNs also differ by trading partner.

Associated with an EDI 850 Purchase Order, the EDI 856 or ASN delineates precisely what’s being shipped and how in advance of delivery. EDI 856 is generally required by purchasers of any size, making ASNs one of the most frequent EDI transactions.

EDI 856 is one of the most complicated transaction codes to implement. First, trading partners can customize requirements. Additionally, ASNs contain multiple levels of hierarchical information and source a massive volume of data.

Regulations may also apply to specific information required. For example, FDA regulation on traceability affects ASNs sent by perishable food shippers.

EDI 856 Data Elements

In addition to listing the contents of a shipment, the EDI 856 transaction includes order specifics, product descriptions, types of packaging used, carrier information and more. Components include:

  • Purchase order number and details
  • Item details and quantities
  • Ship date and expected delivery date
  • Shipment tracking information
  • Item tracking where applicable
  • Packaging type(s)
  • Packaging configuration in transport equipment
  • UCC128/GS1 Numbers

International shipments may have additional reporting requirements.

An EDI 997 Acknowledgement may be sent in response to receipt of an ASN.

 

EDI X12 Transactions in PilotFish Integration Engine

Example of EDI 856 Transaction in PilotFish Data Mapper

 

EDI 856 is used in concert with EDI 850 Purchase Order, EDI 855 Purchase Order Acknowledgement, EDI 810 Invoice, and EDI 820 Remittance Advice. Electronic documents and automation allow shipping, purchase order, and invoice processes to be more efficiently audited and reconciled. Modern supply chain management relies on EDI Integration of these key transactions for planning, analysis, and improved financial performance.

For more on PilotFish’s EDI tools and resources, go to X12 EDI Data Mapping, X12 EDI Parsing, and X12 EDI Transaction Summary.

We invite you to take advantage of PilotFish’s eiConsole for X12 EDI by downloading our software’s full, FREE 90-day Trial Version. Users can try out our new EDI Transformation Module and Format Builder. With the eiConsole X12 EDI Quick Start Tutorial, users can complete an end-to-end interface in less than 20 minutes and get a real sense of the ease of use of PilotFish’s Interface Engine solutions.

Product Note: The eiConsole may be purchased with X12 artifacts, or X12 artifacts may be licensed directly from X12.


EDI 856 Frequently Asked Questions


Absolutely. PilotFish’s integration tools are designed to support bidirectional data conversion. You can seamlessly convert data from various formats (e.g., CSV, XLS/Excel, TXT) to the EDI 856 Advanced Shipping Notice (ASN) format. Moreover, you can efficiently reverse the process, converting EDI 856 data back to CSV or other format. This flexibility is invaluable for technical users with diverse data interchange requirements. Watch our EDI 834 Conversion Video.


Absolutely. With PilotFish, you have the flexibility to retain a copy of the original EDI document. This is achieved through transaction attributes in our platform. Therefore, you can store the original EDI message as an attribute and easily reference it as required, eliminating the need for reconversion.


Essential EDI transactions useful in FSMA 204 compliance include EDI 850 Purchase Order, EDI 810 Invoice, EDI 856 Advance Shipping Notice (ASN), and EDI 997 Functional Acknowledgement. These transactions help maintain accurate and compliant records. Read more about essential FSMA 204 EDI transactions.


EDI 856 Advanced Shipping Notice (ASN) is already required by most food industry major retailers as well as other FSMA 204 specified recipients. With the addition of the KDEs (Key Data Element) required by FSMA 204, EDI 856 has become a critical document for compliance. Plus, its electronic format makes sending information easy and fast.(Note: EDI 856 (ASN) is not required by FSMA 204.) Learn more about FSMA 204 EDI compliance.


Check out our FAQ pages for more.


X12, chartered by the American National Standards Institute for more than 35 years, develops and maintains EDI standards and XML schemas.

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