Caterpillar supplier EDI integration

Overview

Understanding Caterpillar integration

Who this is for: Production, component and service parts suppliers to Caterpillar facilities and business units, and carriers moving Caterpillar freight.

Caterpillar buys parts, components and materials for many facilities and product groups, and it exchanges supply chain documents with suppliers electronically. Third-party onboarding documentation describes the core supplier set as the purchase order, the planning schedule with release capability, the advance ship notice and the invoice. Separate transportation channels exchange load tenders, tender responses and freight invoices with carriers.

A practical detail for suppliers is identity. Caterpillar uses a primary EDI identifier and a range of secondary identifiers, and the right one depends on the supplier's relationship with Caterpillar. Using the wrong identifier means documents are not delivered, so suppliers should confirm identifiers and specifications with Caterpillar before any mapping starts.

Caterpillar also requires compliance testing before production. Suppliers should collect Caterpillar's current specification documents, test each document with Caterpillar, and confirm which facilities and identifiers apply to them. Planning schedules should feed material planning so forecasts and releases update production plans without manual entry.