Getting started
GS1 Romania provides help and support for companies wishing to use business messaging when conducting business transactions. The following five key points will help you identify your requirements and how to best meet them.
1. Talk to your key customers and suppliers
Business messaging facilitates the exchange of information between businesses so the first step is to find out what your key trading partners are doing. If you trade with large organisations, the chances are they are already using some form of business messaging.
2. Establish how best to process computerised information without resorting to re-keying
Determine the data required in your business transactions (eg. customers' details, order numbers, etc.) and their location (eg. accounts or purchasing software). When using business messaging, these details will be imported and exported from your computer applications and used to create electronic messages that you exchange with your trading partners so it is important to get them right. There is specialist business messaging software to help you do this.
3. Determine how data will be exchanged
Business messaging can take place over the internet using e-mail or a web interface, or you may decide to use a value added network (VAN). A value added network is the most common communication option in Romania and companies such as COMTEC, and eXite provide this type of service.
4. Identify your business messaging standards
The most common standard in the Romania is EDIFACT and its subset EANCOM . Also available is the GS1 business message standard V1.3 (formerly EAN.UCC) with the corresponding XML standards. If you are dealing with fairly large trading partners, they will probably specify which standard they want you to use.
The two most frequently exchanged messages are for orders (ORDERS) and invoices (INVOICE). Although all EDI standards support these messages, their formats vary. Most EDI software support multiple standards.
5. Seek advice from specialists
GS1 Romania provides standards information and training to ensure their correct implementation.