Demand Planning
Buyer's ERP forecasts demand and raises a purchase requisition
EDIFACT Purchase Order Message
Purchase Order ORDERS
The electronic purchase order — the foundational transaction in any EDI-enabled supply chain, used by buyers to formally request goods or services from a supplier.
Key Segments & Structure
| Segment | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| UNH | Message Header | M |
| BGM | Beginning of Message — Order type and PO number | M |
| DTM | Date/Time — Order date and delivery date | M |
| NAD | Name and Address — Buyer, supplier and deliver-to | M |
| CUX | Currencies — Transaction currency | C |
| LIN | Line Item — Article number and GTIN | M |
| QTY | Quantity — Ordered quantity per line | M |
| PRI | Price — Unit price and price qualifier | C |
| UNS | Section Control — Summary section | M |
| CNT | Control Total — Line-item count | C |
| UNT | Message Trailer | M |
M
Mandatory segment
C
Conditional segment
Message Overview
What is an ORDERS message?
The ORDERS message (Purchase Order) is an electronic document sent from a buyer or retailer to a supplier to formally request the purchase of goods or services. It is the digital equivalent of a paper purchase order and is the starting point of every procurement transaction in an EDI-enabled supply chain.
It contains all the information needed to process the order: the ordered items (identified by GTIN/EAN/UPC), quantities, unit prices, required delivery date, ship-to address, and the buyer's order reference number.
Information commonly included
- Buyer purchase order number
- GTIN, EAN or UPC product identifiers
- Ordered quantities and units of measure
- Unit prices and transaction currency
- Requested delivery dates
- Ship-to and delivery addresses
- Buyer and supplier identification
- Order references and delivery instructions
Order Lifecycle
Business Process
The ORDERS workflow connects buyer demand planning with supplier order processing and acknowledgement.
Order Creation
ERP generates ORDERS EDI file with all order lines and details
Transmission
Sent via AS2, SFTP, or VAN to supplier's EDI endpoint
Acknowledgement
Supplier responds with ORDRSP (Order Response) confirming or amending the order
Common Applications
ORDERS Message Use Cases
Supermarkets auto-ordering stock based on POS sell-through data
Retail Replenishment
Supermarkets auto-ordering stock based on POS sell-through data
Manufacturing MRP
Factory ordering raw materials and components from suppliers
3PL and Logistics
Distribution centres ordering on behalf of multiple retailers
Drop Shipping
E-commerce platforms sending direct-to-consumer orders to vendors
ORDERS Message FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Important information about EDIFACT ORDERS processing, acknowledgement and transmission.
What is the difference between ORDERS and ORDRSP?
ORDERS is the purchase order sent from the buyer to the supplier. ORDRSP (Order Response) is the supplier's reply, confirming, partially accepting, or rejecting the order. Together they form the order acknowledgement loop in EDI.
What is the ANSI X12 equivalent of ORDERS?
In ANSI X12 (used mainly in North America), the ORDERS message is equivalent to the 850 Purchase Order transaction set.
How is the GTIN used in an ORDERS message?
The GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is placed in the LIN segment as the product identifier, typically with qualifier SRV (for EAN/UCC) to uniquely identify each ordered article across trading partners.
Can an ORDERS message include multiple delivery dates?
Yes. DTM segments can appear at both header level (overall delivery date) and line level, allowing different items to have different requested delivery dates within the same purchase order.
How is an ORDERS message transmitted?
The three most common transmission methods are AS2 (direct peer-to-peer over HTTPS, the GS1 standard for retail), SFTP (file-based transfer, common in manufacturing), and a VAN (Value-Added Network — a third-party EDI mailbox service). The choice is governed by the trading partner agreement and is independent of the ORDERS message content itself.
What happens if the supplier cannot fulfil the full order quantity?
The supplier responds with an ORDRSP message indicating a partial acceptance, specifying the quantity they can deliver. Some trading partner agreements then require the buyer to issue a revised ORDERS or an ORDCHG (Order Change) message to formally amend the purchase order before the supplier proceeds to dispatch.
Odoo EDI Integration
Need automated ORDERS (EDI 850) processing built into your Odoo instance?
Connect Odoo with customers, retailers, suppliers and EDI providers through automated ANSI X12 and EDIFACT order workflows.
See How Vraja Implements EDI Integrations →
