Food and beverage manufacturing
Orders, shipments and lot data that keep up with perishable products
Food and beverage manufacturers ship to grocers, distributors and foodservice operators under tight delivery windows, with lot and date data that receiving and traceability depend on. ECOM connects those customers and your suppliers to your ERP and warehouse, so orders, ship notices, invoices and inventory stay accurate.
What is food and beverage EDI?
Food and beverage EDI includes standard orders, ship notices and invoices, along with product details the industry depends on, such as lot numbers, production and expiration dates and catch weights. Grocery and foodservice customers may require specific documents or versions, and traceability rules such as FDA's Food Traceability Rule increase the importance of accurate lot-level data.
Who it's for
Different roles, different workflows
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Suppliers to grocery retailers
Orders, acknowledgments, ship notices with lot and date data, and invoices that match each grocer's requirements and receiving appointments.
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Foodservice manufacturers
Orders and ship notices with broadline and specialty distributors, often with catch weights and different pack levels.
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Manufacturers buying ingredients and packaging
Purchase orders, confirmations and ship notices with ingredient and packaging suppliers, including those without EDI systems.
How the workflow runs
From the order to the receiving dock, with lot and date data intact
Food and beverage documents carry data that other industries do not need. Lot numbers, production and expiry dates and catch weights have to travel from the warehouse pick into the ship notice and label, because receiving, rotation and traceability depend on them.
- 850OrderGrocer or distributor orders by item and pack
- WarehouseProduce and pickLots, production and expiry dates, catch weights recorded
- 856Ship noticeLot and date data per pack, matching the GS1-128 labels
- 810InvoicePromotional pricing and allowances as agreed
- 812AdjustmentsDeductions and credits traced to their cause
- 01
Take the order
Grocer and distributor 850 purchase orders post as sales orders, with each customer's items, packs and delivery windows.
- 02
Record lots at the pick
The warehouse or 3PL records the lots, dates and catch weights actually picked, not the ones planned.
- 03
Ship with matching data
The 856 carries lot and date data per pack, matching the GS1-128 labels on the pallets, before the shipment arrives.
- 04
Invoice and reconcile
Invoices reflect promotional pricing and allowances; 812 adjustments and remittance deductions are traced to the order or shipment behind them.
Challenges
Integration challenges in food and beverage
Lot and date accuracy
Ship notices need correct lot numbers and dates for receiving, rotation and traceability.
Tight delivery windows
Late or inaccurate documents disrupt receiving appointments for perishable products.
Promotions and deductions
Trade promotions create complex pricing, and deductions arrive through remittances and adjustments that need research.
Inventory across warehouses
Product held in your own and third-party warehouses must be reported accurately to customers and planners.
How we help
How ECOM supports food and beverage companies
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Retailer and distributor connectivity
Orders, acknowledgments, ship notices and invoices with grocers, distributors and foodservice customers.
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Lot-level ship notices and labels
Lot numbers, dates and catch weights from warehouse data in ship notices, with GS1 labels to each customer's rules.
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Supplier integration
Ingredient and packaging orders, confirmations and ship notices by EDI, through a browser or as converted documents.
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ERP and warehouse integration
Orders into the ERP; shipments, inventory and invoices out of ERP and warehouse systems, including 3PL warehouses.
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Deduction research
Remittance and adjustment data captured and traced to the orders and shipments behind each deduction.
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Visibility
Monitoring of time-sensitive orders and shipments.
PRISM products
Which PRISM products apply
Each partner connects in the way it can support. These products cover the connections and visibility this industry needs most.
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PRISM-EDI
Exchange of orders, ship notices, invoices and adjustments with grocers, distributors and suppliers, translated to and from your ERP.
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PRISM-WebEDI
Browser-based documents and label printing for partners without EDI systems.
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PRISM-SmartConvert
Orders and supplier documents that arrive as PDFs or emails converted into ERP-ready data.
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PRISM-SCV
Monitoring of time-sensitive transactions and their exceptions.
Systems integration
What food and beverage EDI connects to
Lot and date data has to flow from the systems that know it into every document that needs it.
| System | What flows | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| ERP | Orders, pricing and promotions, invoices and deductions. | Promotional pricing and allowances must match what customers expect to be invoiced. |
| Warehouse or 3PL | Picked lots, dates, catch weights and pack data. | Ship notices and labels built from the warehouse's actual picks, not from order data. |
| Inventory and planning | Inventory positions and product activity. | Feeds to customers follow each program's requirements. |
Documents and standards
Common transactions
Common X12 documents in food and beverage. Grocery partners may also use industry-specific documents.
| Code | Document | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 850 | Purchase Order | The customer orders product. |
| 855 | Purchase Order Acknowledgment | Confirms availability. |
| 856 | Advance Ship Notice | Details shipment |
| 810 | Invoice | Bills the customer. |
| 846 | Inventory Inquiry/Advice | Shares inventory positions. |
| 852 | Product Activity Data | Shares sales and inventory data. |
| 812 | Credit/Debit Adjustment | Communicates adjustments. |
Scenarios
Typical integration scenarios
Suppliers to grocery chains
Meet grocer EDI, labeling and receiving requirements.
Foodservice manufacturers
Exchange orders and ship notices with broadline distributors.
Trading partners
Food and Beverage partners we connect with
Examples of retail trading partners ECOM can connect your business with.
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Frequently asked questions
Why are lot numbers important in food EDI?
Lot numbers and dates support receiving, rotation and recalls, and they are central to traceability requirements.
Can you include catch weights in ship notices?
Yes. When your warehouse system provides catch-weight data, it can be mapped into ship notices and invoices.
Does ECOM help with FDA food traceability requirements?
ECOM can integrate and exchange the data your traceability program requires. Compliance responsibilities remain with your organization and are scoped together.
Discuss your grocery or foodservice requirements
Share a customer's requirements or a document that keeps failing. An ECOM specialist will review it with you.