EDI Onboarding — from contract to first live document in days
In short: EDI onboarding is the structured process of connecting a new supplier to a retailer's EDI requirements: account setup, GLN/GTIN mapping, protocol configuration and end-to-end testing before the first live purchase order flows.
Key capabilities
- Guided account setup: We create your Web EDI account, register your GLN and load your product catalog with GTIN codes in the first onboarding session.
- Retailer-specific mapping: Each of the 30+ supported Romanian retailers has a pre-built message mapping, so onboarding reuses proven configuration instead of starting from zero.
- End-to-end test cycle: Test purchase orders, order confirmations and dispatch advices are exchanged in the retailer's test environment before go-live.
- Under 7 business days: A first retailer connection typically goes from signed contract to live production traffic in under 7 business days.
The four stages of EDI onboarding
A well-run EDI onboarding follows four stages: account and partner setup (creating the Web EDI account, registering your GLN and the retailer's GLN), item mapping (loading your product catalog with GTIN codes so purchase order lines resolve correctly), protocol and message configuration (setting up the EDIFACT or ANSI X12 messages and the transport — AS2, OFTP2, SFTP, Peppol or VAN — the retailer requires), and end-to-end testing (exchanging test purchase orders, confirmations and dispatch advices in the retailer's sandbox before go-live).
Skipping or rushing any of these stages is the most common cause of delayed go-lives: incomplete GTIN mapping causes order lines to fail validation, and untested protocol configuration causes documents to bounce in production instead of test.
Why onboarding is faster with a Web EDI portal
Classic EDI onboarding, built around an on-premise server and custom mappings, commonly takes several weeks per retailer because each mapping is built from scratch. EDIconnect's Web EDI portal instead reuses pre-built, certified mappings for 30+ Romanian retailers, so onboarding time is spent configuring your own catalog and testing rather than building the mapping itself.
For a supplier connecting to their first retailer, this typically compresses the timeline to under 7 business days. Subsequent retailer connections are usually even faster, since the GTIN catalog and ERP connector are already in place.
Frequently asked questions
What is EDI onboarding?
EDI onboarding is the process of preparing a supplier and a retailer (or other trading partner) to exchange EDI documents automatically — covering account setup, partner identifiers (GLN), item mapping (GTIN), protocol configuration and testing.
How long does EDI onboarding take?
With EDIconnect, a first retailer connection typically goes live in under 7 business days from contract signature, assuming the supplier's product catalog and GTIN codes are ready.
What information do I need before onboarding starts?
Your company's GLN, a product catalog with GTIN codes for the items you sell to the retailer, and contact details for the retailer's EDI or vendor-compliance team if you have them.
Does onboarding include ERP integration?
Yes, if requested. EDIconnect can configure a connector to your ERP (SAP, Dynamics 365, NetSuite, Odoo, and others) during onboarding so documents flow automatically instead of being entered manually in the portal.
What happens after onboarding is complete?
You move to production: purchase orders arrive automatically, order confirmations and dispatch advices are generated from your portal or ERP, and invoices are sent electronically, including ANAF e-Factura where applicable.
Can I onboard multiple retailers at once?
Yes. Each retailer connection is configured independently, and many customers onboard 2-3 retailers in parallel during the first month, reusing the same GTIN catalog across all of them.