972-836-7750 Request a demo Talk to an expert
Talk to an expert Request a demo Call sales 972-836-7750

EDIFACT message guide · Finance

INFENT Enterprise accounting information

The UN/EDIFACT message used to exchange enterprise accounting information for accounting, audit, consolidation, reporting and analysis.

Sent by
Enterprise or its accountant
Received by
Auditor, parent company, administration or analyst
Standard
UN/EDIFACT · Batch message
X12 equivalent
No direct equivalent

What is the EDIFACT INFENT message?

INFENT is the UN/EDIFACT enterprise accounting information message. The directory defines it as a message used to exchange enterprise-related accounting information between enterprises, public or private bodies and others who use it for accounting, auditing, cost accounting, consolidation, reporting, financial analysis and administration.

It belongs to a family of accounting messages with LEDGER, ENTREC, BALANC and CHACCO, which carry ledgers, entries, balances and charts of accounts. INFENT carries the summary accounting information, such as financial statements, of an enterprise. It suits groups that consolidate many entities.

How the EDIFACT INFENT message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT INFENT Enterprise accounting information message. Enterprise or its accountant sends it to auditor, parent company, administration or analyst. It usually starts the exchange. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and DTM (Date/time/period) and body and segment groups: the required SG1 loop with NAD (Name and address) and the required SG4 loop with SEQ (Sequence details) and IND (Index details). 5 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT INFENT message worksEnterprise accounting information: who sends it, where it fits and what the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeINFENTSENDEREnterprise or itsaccountantRECEIVERAuditor, parentcompany,administration oranalystCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYNo business reply expected2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDsUNB … UNZMessage INFENTUNH … UNTSTART OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG1 · repeats up to 99NADName and addressMandatory group SG4 · repeats many timesSEQSequence detailsINDIndex details+ 5 conditional groups, starting with:CTACCINADAUTBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditional groups are listed by the trigger segment that starts them; a group is sent only when its data applies.Conditional segments outside groups are not drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in the UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for INFENT. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.
How the EDIFACT INFENT message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT INFENT Enterprise accounting information message. Enterprise or its accountant sends it to auditor, parent company, administration or analyst. It usually starts the exchange. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and DTM (Date/time/period) and body and segment groups: the required SG1 loop with NAD (Name and address) and the required SG4 loop with SEQ (Sequence details) and IND (Index details). 5 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT INFENTmessage worksEnterprise accounting information: who sendsit, where it fits and what the directory marksmandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeINFENTSENDEREnterprise or itsaccountantRECEIVERAuditor, parentcompany,administrationor analystCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYNo business reply expected2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDs(UNB … UNZ)Message INFENT (UNH … UNT)START OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG1 · repeats upto 99NADName and addressMandatory group SG4 · repeatsmany timesSEQSequence detailsINDIndex details+ 5 conditional groups, starting with:CTACCINADAUTBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditionalgroups are listed by the trigger segment thatstarts them; a group is sent only when its dataapplies. Conditional segments outside groups arenot drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in theUN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for INFENT.Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends INFENT, to whom, and which messages usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what the directory D.21A itself requires: the envelopes around INFENT and the segments and segment groups it marks mandatory. Conditional groups are listed by their trigger segment rather than drawn in full. This is the directory's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: a message implementation guide, such as an industry subset or a partner’s own guide, usually makes some conditional groups mandatory, restricts the codes and may use an older directory.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Sending financial statements to a parent for consolidation
  • Providing accounting information to auditors
  • Reporting accounting data to administrations

Where it fits in the message flow

This message INFENT Enterprise accounting information

No other message routinely comes directly before or after INFENT; it is exchanged when the business event occurs. If the partners agree, the receiver confirms each interchange with a CONTRL syntax and service report.

Structure

Mandatory segments in INFENT (directory D.21A)

In UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A, the INFENT message has 32 segment positions arranged in 8 segment groups. These are the segments and segment groups marked mandatory at message level, in order; a mandatory group is shown with the segment that starts it. Segments inside conditional groups are needed only when the group is used. This is the directory’s requirement, not your trading partner’s: each partner’s message implementation guide names the directory it uses, often an older one such as D.96A or D.01B where the structure can differ, makes some conditional segments mandatory and restricts the codes.

  • UNH
  • BGM
  • DTM
  • SG1 (NAD)
  • SG4 (SEQ)
  • UNT

Practical example

INFENT in practice

A subsidiary sends its annual accounts to the group's consolidation team as an INFENT with the balance sheet and income statement figures mapped to the group's reporting lines. The consolidation system loads the data and flags differences from the subsidiary's interim reports.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for INFENT

  • Map local accounts to the recipient's reporting structure.
  • Agree reporting periods, currencies and rounding rules.
  • Reconcile with the ledger and balance data where both are sent.
  • Check which formats recipients and authorities accept.

How ECOM helps

Automate INFENT with ECOM

Solution

Financial Document Automation

Automate invoices, remittances, payment files and bank statements from capture to posting.

Solution

Enterprise Integration

Any-to-any integration across partners, systems, protocols, security requirements, formats and ERPs, in batch or real time.

Industry

Financial Services

Secure file transfer and B2B integration for banks and financial institutions.

Compare X12 and EDIFACT, or see answers to general questions in the EDI FAQ.

Related messages

Related finance messages

All 37 finance messages

Need help with INFENT?

ECOM maps, tests and monitors EDIFACT messages for your trading partners and integrates them with your ERP.

Request a Demo Contact us