01
Manual Spreadsheets
Manual inventory spreadsheet preparation.
EDI 846 Inventory Inquiry/Advice Integration with Odoo
The ANSI X12 EDI 846 - Inventory Inquiry/Advice - is used to electronically request or communicate product inventory information between trading partners. It's bi-directional: a retailer can use it to request current stock levels from a supplier, and a supplier can use it to push availability updates, flag discontinued items, and forecast restocking dates without waiting for a manual reply.
EDI 846 at a Glance
Bi-Directional Inventory ExchangeRequest current inventory or proactively publish availability updates.
Odoo Stock RulesApply warehouse, reserved stock, safety stock, and partner-specific inventory logic.
Scheduled or Event-DrivenSend hourly, daily, manual, stock-movement, or changed-quantity-only exports.
Full Transmission VisibilityTrack acknowledgements, errors, retries, and partner-specific mapping in Odoo.
EDI 846 Overview
What Is an EDI 846 Document?
Inventory Inquiry/Advice
The ANSI X12 EDI 846 - Inventory Inquiry/Advice - is used to electronically request or communicate product inventory information between trading partners. It's bi-directional: a retailer can use it to request current stock levels from a supplier, and a supplier can use it to push availability updates, flag discontinued items, and forecast restocking dates without waiting for a manual reply.
Built for Drop-Ship and Marketplace Inventory
It's especially valuable in drop-shipping and marketplace environments, where a retailer's storefront depends entirely on a supplier's real-time stock data instead of a merchant portal or a direct API integration. In a typical supplier-side workflow, Odoo generates and sends EDI 846 inventory updates to trading partners so retailers know what's actually available before they submit a purchase order.
In a typical supplier-side workflow, Odoo generates and sends EDI 846 inventory updates to trading partners so retailers know what's actually available before they submit a purchase order.
Inventory Automation
Business Problems EDI 846 Solves
02
Outdated Stock
Outdated stock information reaching trading partners.
03
Unavailable Products
Orders placed for products that are no longer available.
04
Overselling
Overselling and the order cancellations that follow.
05
Incorrect Availability
Incorrect available quantities published to a storefront.
06
Delayed Updates
Delayed inventory updates during high-demand periods.
07
Partner Differences
Different file requirements for every trading partner.
08
Failed Transmissions
Limited visibility into failed or rejected transmissions.
Inventory-to-EDI Workflow
How EDI 846 Works with Odoo
01
Calculate Inventory
Odoo calculates available inventory for eligible products.
02
Apply Stock Rules
The integration applies the configured warehouse and stock rules.
03
Map Products
Products are mapped to the trading partner's item identifiers.
04
Validate Values
Inventory values are validated.
05
Generate EDI 846
Odoo generates the ANSI X12 EDI 846 file.
06
Transmit
The file is transmitted to the trading partner.
07
Record Status
Odoo records the transmission status.
08
Track Acknowledgement
Any functional acknowledgement is received and tracked.
Inventory exports can run automatically on a schedule or be triggered manually, depending on how fast a given trading partner needs updated availability.
Inventory Data
Inventory Quantities That Can Be Shared
01
On Hand
Quantity on hand.
02
Available to Promise
Available-to-promise quantity.
03
Committed
Committed or reserved quantity.
04
On Order
Quantity on order.
05
Incoming
Incoming inventory.
06
Backordered
Backordered quantity.
07
Unavailable
Damaged or unavailable quantity.
08
By Warehouse
Inventory by warehouse or by location.
09
Effective Date & Time
Inventory effective date and time.
The exact quantity types shared are controlled by EDI qualifiers and the trading partner's implementation guide - not every partner requires every field above.
Available Stock Logic
Available Inventory Calculation
Available inventory = On-hand quantity − Reserved quantity − Safety stock
A typical formula Odoo can apply when calculating the quantity to share with a trading partner:
Available inventory = On-hand quantity − Reserved quantity − Safety stock
Partner-Specific Adjustments
This base calculation can be adjusted per trading partner with rules such as:
- Excluding damaged or blocked stock
- Including confirmed incoming stock
- Applying a stock buffer
- Limiting the maximum quantity shared
- Publishing zero once stock falls below a defined threshold
- Combining inventory from selected warehouses
Product Identification
Product Identification and Mapping
Products can be matched between Odoo and a trading partner's system using:
Odoo SKU
Odoo internal reference or SKU.
UPC
UPC.
EAN
EAN.
GTIN
GTIN.
Vendor Item
Vendor item number.
Buyer Item
Buyer item number.
Partner Code
Trading-partner-specific product code.
Unmapped products are excluded from the export or routed into an error report for review, rather than going out with a blank or guessed identifier.
Inventory Publishing Rules
Scheduled and Real-Time Inventory Updates
Update Frequency
- Hourly updates
- Daily inventory feeds
- Multiple scheduled exports per day
- Manual inventory export
- Updates triggered after stock movements
- Exports only when inventory quantities actually change
Frequency depends on the trading partner's requirements, order volume, and the communication method in use - a high-velocity marketplace typically needs more frequent updates than a wholesale distributor.
Multi-Warehouse Inventory Management
- Export inventory from a single warehouse
- Combine stock across multiple warehouses
- Send separate quantities per warehouse
- Exclude selected warehouses or locations from the export
- Apply different rules by company or by trading partner
- Factor in warehouse-specific safety stock
Pre-Export Controls
Inventory Validation Before Export
Before an EDI 846 file is generated, the connector can validate:
01
Product Mapping
Product mapping.
02
Identifiers
Required product identifiers.
03
Quantity
Inventory quantity.
04
Warehouse Setup
Warehouse configuration.
05
Unit of Measure
Unit of measure.
06
Partner Setup
Trading-partner setup.
07
Negative Quantities
Negative quantities.
08
Duplicate Records
Duplicate export records.
09
Mandatory Fields
Mandatory EDI fields.
Depending on the configured policy, invalid records are logged for review without blocking the rest of a valid, otherwise-clean export.
Transmission & Status
Supported Communication Methods
Communication Methods
- FTP
- SFTP
- AS2
- VAN
- EDI middleware or provider
Compatible with direct EDI exchange as well as platforms such as SPS Commerce, TrueCommerce, and Rithum, depending on how each trading partner is connected.
EDI Acknowledgement Tracking
Odoo tracks the functional acknowledgement returned for each inventory file:
- Awaiting acknowledgement
- Accepted
- Accepted with errors
- Rejected
- Resubmission required
An EDI 997 confirms the technical receipt and processing status of the EDI 846 file - it doesn't independently verify that the shared quantities were correct, which is why validation happens before transmission, not just after.
Exceptions & Recovery
Error Handling and Resubmission
Every exception can be reviewed, corrected, and the inventory file regenerated - with the full history retained against that trading partner.
Integration Capabilities
Key Features
01
Automatic Generation
Automatic EDI 846 generation.
02
Scheduled Exports
Scheduled inventory exports.
03
Manual Export
Manual export option.
04
Partner Mapping
Trading-partner-specific mapping.
05
Stock Calculation
Configurable available-stock calculation.
06
Buffers & Safety Stock
Inventory buffer and safety-stock rules.
07
Multi-Warehouse
Multi-warehouse support.
08
Product Identifiers
Multiple product identifiers (SKU, UPC, EAN, GTIN).
09
Changed Quantities Only
Export only changed quantities.
10
Zero Stock
Zero-stock reporting.
11
History
Transmission history.
12
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgement tracking.
13
Error & Retry
Error logs and retry options.
14
Multi-Company
Multi-company support.
Operational Value
Business Benefits
More accurate inventory visibility
Trading partners see real, current stock instead of a number that was correct yesterday.
Reduced overselling
Available-to-promise logic keeps storefronts from selling what isn't actually there.
Fewer order cancellations
Accurate availability upstream means fewer orders placed against out-of-stock items in the first place.
Better retailer relationships
Consistent, on-time inventory feeds build trust with partners who depend on your data.
Less spreadsheet-based work
Automated exports remove the manual stock-sheet updates that don't scale past a handful of partners.
Faster inventory communication
Scheduled or event-triggered exports replace phone calls and email requests for a stock check.
Improved marketplace availability
Drop-ship and marketplace listings stay in sync with what's actually on hand across warehouses.
Fewer inventory-related EDI errors
Pre-export validation catches mapping and quantity issues before a partner ever sees them.
Scalable inventory sharing
The same setup extends to additional trading partners without a proportional increase in manual work.
Best-Fit Businesses
Who Should Use This Integration?
01
Manufacturers
Manufacturers.
02
Wholesalers
Wholesalers and distributors.
03
Furniture
Furniture suppliers.
04
Automotive
Automotive suppliers.
05
Food & Beverage
Food and beverage businesses.
06
Consumer Goods
Consumer-goods suppliers.
07
Drop-Shipping
Drop-shipping businesses.
08
Marketplace Vendors
Marketplace vendors.
09
Large Retail Supply
Businesses supplying large retailers.
Partner-Specific Configuration
Trading-Partner Customization
Each trading partner may require different product identifiers, inventory qualifiers, warehouse codes, quantity calculations, export frequency, file naming rules, and mandatory EDI segments. We handle:
Guide Analysis
Implementation-guide analysis.
EDI 846 Mapping
EDI 846 mapping.
Inventory Rules
Inventory-rule configuration.
Sample Files
Sample-file generation.
Testing & Certification
Partner testing and certification.
Production Support
Production deployment support.
Vraja Technologies
Why Choose Vraja Technologies?
We bring Odoo inventory expertise together with ANSI X12 EDI integration experience — direct FTP, SFTP, and AS2 connections, plus EDI middleware integration where a partner requires it. Our multi-warehouse workflow experience and partner-specific mapping mean the available-inventory calculation actually reflects how your warehouses and safety-stock rules work, not a generic formula. Every implementation includes automated validation and error handling, end-to-end testing, and technical support after go-live — all inside your existing Odoo environment.
01
Odoo inventory expertiseInventory calculations built around real Odoo warehouse and reservation behavior.
02
Direct and middleware EDIFTP, SFTP, AS2, and middleware integration where the partner requires it.
03
Partner-specific mappingProduct identifiers, quantity rules, schedules, warehouse codes, and mandatory segments.
04
Validation and supportAutomated validation, error handling, end-to-end testing, and technical support after go-live.
Frequently Asked Questions
EDI 846 Frequently Asked Questions
What is an EDI 846 Inventory Inquiry/Advice?
It's an ANSI X12 transaction used to electronically request or share current product inventory information between trading partners.
Is EDI 846 an inbound or outbound document?
It's bi-directional — a buyer can send it to request stock information, and a seller can send it to communicate current availability, without waiting for a request first.
How does Odoo calculate available inventory?
A common baseline is on-hand quantity minus reserved quantity minus safety stock, with additional rules configurable per trading partner.
Can reserved stock be excluded?
Yes. Committed or reserved quantity can be excluded from what's shared as available.
Can safety stock be maintained?
Yes, a safety-stock buffer can be applied so a small cushion of inventory is never shown as available to trading partners.
Does the integration support multiple warehouses?
Yes - inventory can be exported from a single warehouse, combined across several, or reported separately by warehouse, depending on the partner's requirements.
Can Odoo export inventory only when quantities change?
Yes, exports can be configured to run only on a schedule, only after stock movements, or only when a quantity has actually changed.
How frequently can inventory files be sent?
As often as hourly, or on a daily or custom schedule, depending on order volume and the trading partner's requirements.
Can different stock rules be configured for each partner?
Yes, calculation rules, buffers, and thresholds can all be set per trading partner.
How are trading-partner product codes mapped?
Using Odoo's internal SKU alongside UPC, EAN, GTIN, vendor item number, or a partner-specific product code.
What happens when a product is not mapped?
It's excluded from the export and logged in an error report for review, rather than sent with an incorrect identifier.
Can zero-stock products be included?
Yes - zero-stock reporting can be enabled so trading partners know a product is out of stock rather than seeing no update at all.
Does the integration support EDI 997 acknowledgements?
Yes, EDI 997 functional acknowledgements are tracked against each transmitted 846 file.
Can it work with SPS Commerce, TrueCommerce, or Rithum?
Yes, inventory files can be routed through these platforms where a trading partner requires middleware instead of a direct connection.
Automate EDI Inventory Updates from Odoo
Generate and transmit accurate EDI 846 inventory feeds directly from Odoo with configurable stock calculations, product mapping, scheduled exports, and complete transmission visibility.
This is part of a fully connected EDI Integration workflow - 850, 855, 860, 865, 856, 810, and 846 - mapped directly into your Odoo ERP.
