EDIFACT — the dominant EDI standard for European B2B trade
In short: EDIFACT (UN/EDIFACT — Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport) is the UN standard for EDI, dominant across Europe for retail, distribution and logistics. It includes dozens of messages (ORDERS, DESADV, INVOIC, PRICAT), versioned periodically (D96A, D01B). Nearly every large European retailer runs on EDIFACT.
Key capabilities
- Global UN standard: Maintained by UNECE, adopted worldwide. Dominant across the EU for retail and distribution.
- Standard messages: ORDERS, ORDRSP, DESADV, RECADV, INVOIC, REMADV, PRICAT, INVRPT, IFTMIN, ORDCHG — and dozens more.
- Versions: D96A (most widespread in retail), D01B (newer), D01C — retailers publish the exact version required in their spec.
- Hierarchical segments: Envelope (UNA/UNB/UNH … UNT/UNZ), header, detail, summary. Each segment: a code plus elements separated by +.
- Vertical subsets: EANCOM (retail — the most relevant subset for supply chains), EDIFICE (electronics), CEFIC (chemicals), ODETTE (automotive).
- Nearly all retailers require EDIFACT: Kaufland, Carrefour, Lidl, Auchan, Metro, Mega Image and hundreds of others all use the EANCOM subset of EDIFACT.
What an EDIFACT ORDERS message actually looks like
An EDIFACT ORDERS message starts with the UNA/UNB/UNH envelope, then a header (BGM = order number, DTM = date, NAD = ship-to and bill-to identified by GLN), then a loop of order lines (LIN with GTIN, QTY with quantity, PRI with price), then a footer (UNS, CNT, UNT/UNZ). All fields are delimited by special characters (+, :, ') defined in the UNA segment.
The end user never sees this raw format — the EDI platform parses it and displays it in a human-friendly interface, or posts it directly into the ERP.
Frequently asked questions
What is EDIFACT?
EDIFACT (UN/EDIFACT) is the UN standard for electronic exchange of commercial data. It defines dozens of message types (ORDERS for purchase orders, DESADV for dispatch advices, INVOIC for invoices, and more), each with a hierarchical structure of segments and elements. It is the dominant EDI standard in Europe.
What's the difference between EDIFACT and X12?
EDIFACT is the UN standard, dominant in Europe. X12 is the ANSI standard, dominant in the US. Both serve the same purpose (EDI exchange) but use different message structures: X12 850 (order) ≈ EDIFACT ORDERS; X12 856 (ASN) ≈ EDIFACT DESADV; X12 810 (invoice) ≈ EDIFACT INVOIC. A modern EDI translator converts between them automatically.
What is EANCOM?
EANCOM is the EDIFACT subset developed by GS1 for retail. It simplifies general EDIFACT messages (removing rarely used segments) and adds retail-specific conventions (GLN for location identification, GTIN for products). Virtually all large retailers use EANCOM.
Which EDIFACT messages matter most?
For retail: ORDERS (order), ORDRSP (order confirmation), DESADV (dispatch advice/ASN), RECADV (receiving advice), INVOIC (invoice), REMADV (remittance advice), PRICAT (price catalogue), INVRPT (inventory report). For logistics: IFTMIN, IFTSTA. For automotive (ODETTE): DELFOR, DELJIT.
What is an EDIFACT version (D96A, D01B)?
EDIFACT publishes new versions twice a year (D01A, D01B for 2001, D96A for 1996, etc.). Each version adds or modifies segments. The retailer specifies which version it requires. Most common in retail: D96A for ORDERS/INVOIC, D01B for newer DESADV implementations.