How to use Reverse EDI functionality¶

The term ‘Reverse EDI’ is used by a customer to describe the functionality when XML files come back to them after EDI orders have been sent to a supplier that also uses Blindata.

Scenario 1
When the PO is sent from the supplier for a non-drop ship order, the XML file is matched with the PO and updates the blinds in the PO to delivered, and the order to ‘Order Manufactured’.

Scenario 2
When the PO is sent from the supplier for a drop-ship order, the XML file is matched with the PO and update the blinds to ‘Delivered’ in the PO and ‘Despatched’ in the sales order.

A more complicated scenario is that the sales order has a mix of bought in blinds and blinds that are being manufactured in house.¶

Case 1
When the blinds are despatched by the supplier (non-drop ship - Point 1), the PO is updated as ‘Delivered’ and if the in house blinds are also manufactured, the sales order is changed to ‘Order Manufactured’.
The sales orders are then despatched.

Case 2
When the blinds are despatched by the supplier (non-drop ship), the order detail status is updated as ‘Blind Manufactured’ and if the in house blinds are already despatched, the sales order remains as ‘Part Delivered’.
The bought in blinds are then despatched and the order status changes to ‘Despatched’.

Case 3
When the blinds are despatched by the supplier (non-drop ship), the order detail status is updated as ‘Blind Manufactured’ and if the in house blinds are still at ‘Order Entered’ or ‘Order Printed’ or ‘WIP’, the sales order is not changed.
They may then be then despatched.

Case 4
When the blinds are despatched by the supplier (drop-ship – Point 2), the order detail status is updated as ‘Blind Manufactured’ and if the in house blinds are also manufactured, the sales order is changed to ‘Part Despatched’.
The in house blinds are then despatched and the order status changes to ‘Despatched’.

Case 5
When the blinds are despatched by the supplier (drop ship), the order detail status is updated as ‘Blind Manufactured’ and if the in house blinds are already despatched, the sales order status changes to ‘Despatched’.

Case 6
When the blinds are despatched by the supplier (drop ship), the order detail status is updated as ‘Blind Manufactured’ and if the in house blinds are still at ‘Order Entered’ or ‘Order Printed’ or ‘WIP’, the sales order changes to ‘Part Delivered’.

Reverse Edi - Drop Ship Status

There is a flag in the customer record called 'If Drop Shipped, Status is Despatched' which defaults to false.
If true, and if the order is 'Use Department Delivery Address' or 'Direct Delivery By Supplier' when the reverse EDI PO file comes back to the purchaser, the order status is changed to 'Despatched'.

The examples of each scenario are provided below.
There are 2 companies, one of them is a buyer, i.e. the company that buying blind types (Company A) and another company is supplier/vendor which manufacturing and selling blind types (Company B).
Before using this functionality, please make sure that all the settings are checked.

The Company A settings:

First of all, please check the Supplier/Vendor settings.
The ‘Transfer File’ settings in the ‘Supplier Amend > FTP Settings’ tab (‘Purchases > Supplier).
The ‘Transfer File’ must be switched on and the FTP catalogue fields should be filled with the information that should be provided by the company that you will cooperate as shown below:

Then check the blind type, that you will buy from the supplier.
Please make sure that the correct supplier is set up and blind type is switched to ‘Bought In’.

Also, there are one more specific setting if company A using departments functionality for this, please tick the 'Supplies > Defaults > Direct Delivery to Customer' tab as shown below:

So, in this case, the department delivery address will be included in the XML file which will be sent to Company B.

Scenario 1

After everything is checked let’s consider the first scenario.

When the PO is sent from the supplier for a non-drop ship order, the XML file is matched with the PO and updates the blinds in the PO to delivered, and the order to ‘Order Manufactured’.

There is an additional 'Direct Delivery by Supplier' flag in the ‘Sales Files > Customer’, it means that if the flag is unticked then orders are non-drop shipped (if flagged ticked then drop-ship).

The same 'Direct Delivery by Supplier' flag is located on the ‘Window Blind Amend > Delivery Address’ form.
In this scenario, the 'Direct Delivery by Supplier' flag should be unticked.
Let’s check this in more details.
1. Create bought in purchase order based on the sales order.

2. Create an EDI transaction, that will be sent on the supplier’s FTP server:

In the result, there is a sales order with ‘Order Entered > Order Printed’ status and ‘Bought In’ purchase order with ‘In Progress’ delivery status (i.e. ‘Sent To Supplier’ is ticked).

Now, we will look at the settings on the other side (to whom the XML file was sent) where the blinds are manufacturing and selling from.

Company B

The Company B has received an XML file on the FTP server.
Before importing an XML file, please tick the 'Send Confirmation of Customer PO' flag and fill the path on the 'Customers > FTP Settings' tab:

Please note that the confirmation files will be sent to the folders that located on the 'Customers > FTP Settings > Send Confirmation of Customer PO' form, it means that this information should be provided by the Company A (who is buying blinds).

So the FTP location is the path where the confirmation XML files will be sent (to Company A).

Go back to the ‘EDI Enquiry’ and import an XML file by ‘Import Wizard’ functionality.
In the last stage (‘Import Wizard > Create Order’ tab) there will be an additional message that says ‘Confirmation of Customer PO has been sent to FTP’:

Please note, the acknowledgement confirmation of customer’s PO, could be resent again, for that please click on 'Resend EDI Files' button ('Order Amend Enquiry' form) and click the 'Send Confirmation of Customer PO' as shown below:

After sending the confirmation file, the blinds can be made using the Blindata workflow.
The ‘ConfirmDelPO-NO.xml’ will be sent in the order despatched stage:

Let’s go back to the Company A (buyer), who ordered the blinds and where confirmation XML files were sent.
To receive the confirmation XML files, there should be certain settings in the ‘Parameters > Automated Tasks’:

There you need to select the user, which will be responsible for receiving confirmation XML files and the path to upload and download XML files.

Please note that Company B should specify the path so you could fill the 'FTP Folders' field because that is the place where they will send the confirmation XML file so then it can be imported into Blindata to update order/order status.
As for the 'Archive Location' / 'Broken Location', this is the path on the local computer where the confirmation XML files will be located after receipt.

After everything is done and the Company A (buyer) is received the delivery confirmation XML file, the original order will change the order status from ‘Order Printed’ to ‘Order Manufactured’ (because the order was non-drop ship) and the’ Bought In’ purchase order will change the ‘Delivery’ status from ‘In Progress’ to ‘Delivered’.

Scenario 2

When the PO is sent from the supplier for a drop-ship order, the XML file is matched with the PO and update the blinds to ‘Delivered’ in the PO and ‘Despatched’ in the sales order.
To use ‘drop-ship’ functionality the 'Direct Delivery by Supplier' flag should be ticked on the ‘Window Blind Amend > Delivery Address’ form (or ‘Sales Files > Customer’) in the original order (Company A).
This means that the delivery address will be taken from the original order from Company A and the manufactured order (i.e. by supplier = Company B) would be sent directly to the customer.
In this case, the ‘ConfirmDelPO-NO.xml’ will be sent in the order despatched stage also, but when the Company A will receive it, the status of the original sales order will be changed to ‘Despatched’.

There was a change made to this functionality.
If the 'Work In Progress' status is enabled in the database, then when you are receiving the 'ConfirmDelPO' XML file the order will change the status to WIP.
But if this functionality is not enabled, then the status of the blind details/sales order will not be updated.
But, if the 'ConsignmentNoteNo=""' tag is included to an XML file, then the logic will work as before.
Therefore, it is necessary to include the 'ConsignmentNoteNo="' tag to the XML file in order to change the sales order and purchase order statuses.