Business messaging - the basics
Business messaging is a technique used to automatically communicate business transactions between the computer systems of different companies and organisations, with minimum human intervention.
Business messaging includes both classic Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Extensible Mark-up Language (XML). Business messaging is defined by GS1 as "the transfer of structured data, by agreed managed standards, from one customer application to another by electronic means and with a minimum of human intervention".
Business messaging is widely used to:
- place orders
- pass delivery information
- send invoices
- pay for goods
Benefits of business messaging
The standardisation of routine business processes generates real business benefits such as the creation of a consistent trading pattern in any supply chain. So that companies working together are able to streamline their business processes resulting in a reduction of inventories and costs for the supply chain as a whole.
Business messaging requirements
Business messaging works optimally when the technical and organisational processes involved before and after a transaction are totally integrated with the internal computer systems of a business. Technically, business messaging transactions require a communications channel and data transformation capability. In addition, an inter-company understanding of common business processes is necessary for the use of agreed messaging standards.
GS1 Romania and business messaging
In partnership with its members, GS1 Romania is actively involved in the research and development and maintenance of the most efficient messaging standards to meet traditional and emerging business needs. Initiatives involving data synchronisation, sourcing business models to develop EANCOM (a subset of the UN/EDIFACT message standards for international trade) message implementation guidelines continue to add value to membership of GS1 Romania.