Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is a method of transmitting commonly used data between companies using computers and phone lines. Companies can now do business with suppliers, customers, and vendors cheaper, faster, and much more accurately. The two most frequently used EDI transactions are the purchase order (850) and the chargeback (844). Once the EDI information is sent, each organization’s back-end systems convert the data through a translator into a single format.

HDMA's eCommerce Task Force developed EDI Usage Guidelines that summarize changes made to various EDI Guidelines published by HDMA in recent years.

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Committees/Taskforce

• Business Technology Committee
• eCommerce Task Force

EDI Guidelines For Order-to-Cash (810, 850, 855, 856) in the Healthcare Product Supply Chain

Developed by HDMA’s eCommerce Task Force, these guidelines include four EDI transaction sets that support the order-to-cash cycle: the 810 Invoice; 850 Purchase Order; 855 Purchase Order Acknowledgement; and the 856 Ship Notice/Manifest. In this release, GTIN® (Global Trade Item Number®) and GLN (Global Location Number) identifiers from GS1 US have been incorporated into all transaction sets, as well as various other clarifying codes or usage notes. In the 856 Ship Notice/Manifest, an additional packaging level (for inner pack) and codes for the GS1 Electronic Product Code™ (EPC) were added to facilitate serialization. Business use case examples have been updated and provided in all documents, and are particularly detailed in the 856 to reflect potential item serialization scenarios. These guidelines were developed with the application of the Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12 standards, version 4010. Please call (703) 787-0000 to request a pdf copy of any single one of the four EDI transaction set(s) described in this guideline. Also, there's a free companion EDI Usage Guidelines resource at http://www.healthcaredistribution.org/issues_in_dist/edi_guidelines.asp

EDI Usage Guidelines

HDMA’s EDI Usage Guidelines provide a synopsis of the recent updates made to specific HDMA Guidelines for electronic data interchange (EDI) transaction sets to support inventory management or distribution service agreements between trading partners.

The guidelines offer insight into the value of EDI; summarize the work flow of the transaction sets; provide transaction set descriptions and highlight the recent updates to the sets; present data on how trading partners use EDI; and answer frequently asked questions on the transaction sets.  

EDI Guidelines For 180 Return Merchandise Authorization/Notification & 812 Credit/Debit Adjustment

Developed by HDMA’s eCommerce Task Force (eCTF), the 180 electronic data interchange (EDI) transaction set provides guidance to trading partners on business practices related to the return of merchandise to a vendor, including requests for returns, the authorization or disposition of returns and notification of returns or consumer returns. The 812 EDI transaction set can be used for any debit or credit memo between distributors and manufacturers, including rebates, bill-back credits, returns, overcharges (including shortage claims), undercharges, handling fees and damaged goods. The guidelines have been revised by the Task Force to provide multiple return reason and entity codes and provision for product serialization. Business case examples also are included in each transaction set.

852 Product Activity Guidelines for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

Developed by the HDMA e-Commerce Task Force, the HDMA 852 Product Activity Guidelines are designed to help distributors efficiently provide inventory, sales and other product information to manufacturers as part of service or inventory management agreements. The HDMA 852 Product Activity Guidelines will enable trading partners to efficiently communicate current inventory levels, drop ship quantities, quantities sold, forecasted demand, out-of-stock products and more.

Contract & Chargeback Administration Guidelines for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

HDMA’s eCommerce Task Force (eCTF) developed three new implementation guidelines for the 845 Price Authorization Acknowledgement/Status Bid Award/Change Notification, 844 Product Transfer Account Adjustment Chargeback Notification and 849 Response to Transfer Account Adjustment Chargeback Reconciliation electronic data interchange (EDI) transaction sets.

867 Product Transfer and Resale Report Guidelines for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to Support Distributor Service Agreements

HDMA’s eCommerce Task Force (eCTF) has developed implementation guidelines for the 867 Product Transfer and Resale Report electronic data interchange (EDI) transaction set. The eCTF provides business and technology expertise to develop voluntary healthcare industry implementation guidelines for use of EDI and other technology standards. HDMA member distributors, manufacturers and service providers serve on the task force.

2011-2012 HDMA Factbook

Now in its 83rd edition, the 2011–2012 HDMA Factbook is the healthcare distribution industry’s most comprehensive and reliable source of industry performance data. This easy-to-use reference guide features more than 150 robust data tables based on original survey data as well as secondary sources from leading industry healthcare industry organizations.  View the 2011-2012 HDMA Factbook Table of Contents Learn more about the 2011-2012 HDMA Factbook