EDI Developer

High-Level Requirements for EDI - Purchase Invoice and Order Acknowledgement System

Executive Summary
The goal is to automate 50% of the purchase invoice matching process to improve EBIDTA margin by reducing manual payable entry and matching, enhancing scalability.

Scope
- Automation Objective: Automate the matching of PO lines with AP invoice lines using EDI for improved efficiency.
- Primary Suppliers: Focus on Supplier 1 and Supplier 2 due to existing EDI infrastructure and large volume of transactions.

Challenges and Constraints
- No EDI for specific products (e.g., doors, frames, LCN hardware).
- Requirement for manual matching of PO lines to acknowledgements for certain products.
- Limited part number availability and catalog references causing disruption in daily operations.
- Manual cross-referencing required for catalog to orderable part numbers.
- Variability in invoice line and PO line relationships, including partial payments and miscellaneous charges.

Requirements:

1. EDI Integration and Mapping:
- Add/Update EDI Mapping:
- Capture vendor details, EDI mapping, and look-up values in system settings.
- Add/Update EDI Mailbox:
High-Level Requirements for EDI - Purchase Invoice and Order Acknowledgement System
- Manage vendor mailbox addresses, credentials, and processing schedules.

2. Processing Purchase Acknowledgements:
- Mailbox Monitoring:
- System reads the mailbox at scheduled intervals or on-demand.
- Extract and process message information.
- PO Identification:
- Match acknowledgements to POs and update POA database.
- Attach human-readable acknowledgements to POs in Comsense.
- Handle unidentifiable suppliers with audit log updates.

3. Invoice Processing:
- Invoice Matching:
- System reads audit log for unprocessed invoices.
- Extract message information and identify related POs.
- Apply payable rules for invoice lines and create payable entries.
- Manage discrepancies and manual reviews for doubtful entries.

4. System Design and Architecture:
- Line Matching Feature:
- Maintain cross-references for accurate line matching between POs and acknowledgements.
- EDI Cross-References:
- Manage supplier account information and decoding of EDI messages.

5. New Services and Infrastructure:
High-Level Requirements for EDI - Purchase Invoice and Order Acknowledgement System
- B2B Vendor Subscription:
- Estimated $2000/year for services.
- AS2 Server/Azure Logic App:
- Required for exchanging AS2 messages.
- X12 to JSON Decoder Subscription:
- Required for processing EDI messages.
- Kubernetes Nodes:
- Additional nodes needed for application deployment.
- Estimated Azure Consumption:
- TBD.

6. Testing and Training:
- Acceptance Testing:
- Highlight non-standard test execution and setup.
- Training Plan:
- Training for users on line matching feature and AP system UI.
- No changes required for Comsense payable processing and PO submission processes.

Conclusion
The system aims to automate 90%+ of EDI invoices and enhance efficiency in payable processing. It involves integrating EDI with existing systems, handling manual matching where necessary, and addressing various operational challenges through robust system design and architecture.