What EDI onboarding actually looks like.
Eight steps for a single partner. Every one is a place things get stuck.
- 1. Partner alignment
Confirm the partner supports EDI, which document types (850 PO, 855 ACK, 856 ASN, 810 invoice), and their preferred transport (AS2, VAN, SFTP).
Where it goes wrong: Partner uses a non-standard flavor. Add 2–4 weeks. - 2. Choose transport
Sign a VAN contract or configure AS2. Exchange certificates and IP addresses with IT.
Where it goes wrong: Firewall rules and cert renewals block go-live for weeks. - 3. Document mapping
Map the partner's 850 PO fields to your ERP/Shopify data model. Includes SKUs, addresses, terms, and codes.
Where it goes wrong: Partner uses their own SKU scheme. You need to maintain a cross-reference forever. - 4. Development
Build the translations. Usually done by a consultant or EDI SaaS at $150–$250/hr.
Where it goes wrong: One field change from the partner = paid change request. - 5. Testing (867 / test envelopes)
Send test documents through the pipeline. Partner validates. Iterate.
Where it goes wrong: Partner's QA team is slow. Expect 3–6 weeks of back-and-forth. - 6. Certification / Go-live
Partner formally certifies your pipeline. First live PO flows.
Where it goes wrong: Certification lapses if partner updates their spec. Recertify. - 7. Exception handling
Build workflows for rejected orders, ASN errors, and invoice disputes.
Where it goes wrong: Where 80% of the ongoing labor lives. Nobody budgets for this. - 8. Ongoing maintenance
VAN fees, cert renewals, spec updates, adding new document types.
Where it goes wrong: Compounding cost across every partner - not per-partner one-time.
Install from the Shopify App Store. Point your wholesale inbox at your dedicated address. Process a real PO. Repeat for every customer - because there's nothing per-customer to configure.
Elapsed time: an afternoon.
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