EDI, or Electronic Data Interchange, is a widely adopted method for automating the exchange of business documents in a standard electronic format between applications. It simplifies the sharing of technical documents between business partners, requiring no special arrangements. Notably, SAP supports EDI creation through Application Link Enabling (ALE), enabling seamless data exchange among various systems within the SAP framework.

In the context of SAP, EDI facilitates the exchange of business documents between an organization's SAP ERP and an external partner's system. This enables efficient communication and automation between the two parties.

Does SAP offer EDI?

Certainly. SAP EDI facilitates the electronic exchange of business transactions across applications, offering a specific level of EDI capability among various architectures and tools. For instance, it utilizes Intermediate Documents (IDOCs) for essential tasks

Messaging: EDI transmits outgoing messages, such as order confirmations

Reception: Inbound messages, such as sales data, are received through the EDI system.
Conversion: The EDI converter transforms IDOCs into the EDI format.

This modern digital approach supersedes traditional methods, enhancing the efficiency of document sharing between companies.

What is SAP IDoc Interface?

Intermediate documents (IDocs) serve as a conduit within SAP, enabling the transfer of business transaction data between different platforms or systems in the form of electronic messages. This transfer can occur internally between systems or externally to other systems. IDocs, a well-established technology globally, provide a dependable communication method that has replaced less secure alternatives like couriers, fax, or emails.

Moreover, the transmission from SAP to a non-SAP system occurs through EDI, while exchanges between two SAP systems utilize application link enabling (ALE).

Usage of EDI for SAP Customers

Frequently, SAP users require EDI integration within their ERP systems to manage electronic purchase orders, advanced shipment notifications, and invoices. Within the SAP ecosystem, EDI messages can seamlessly map into IDocs and be directly posted into SAP ERP or S/4HANA. This integration is typically accomplished through third-party EDI platforms or services, such as VANs with SAP integrations, SAP's products like SAP Process Orchestration, or SAP Cloud Platform integration. It's common for SAP users to directly access flat files from the SAP application server for EDI processes.