SAP EDI Process
The SAP EDI process comprises two distinct processes:
• Outbound Process
• Inbound Process
Translate these terms from the SAP system side.
The Outbound Process:
The outbound process sends document from the SAP system to a business partner. Let see what the steps involved in the outbound process:
1. The application document is created. The first step in the outbound process is creation of the application document using the SAP system such as purchase order or sales order. This is not any special step it is common as a vendor or customer has created the sales order or purchase order using the SAP application. The document when created leaves some hook for the EDI process to begin.
2. The IDoc is generated. The application document just created is now formatted to an IDoc format.
3. The IDoc is transferred from SAP to the operating system. The IDoc created in above stage resides in the SAP database. For other EDI subsystem to process, IDoc needs to be converted into a file format. In this step it is transferred to the operating system as a text file.
4. The IDoc is ready for use. Any third-party software called translators carriers out the transformation process and response status back to the SAP systems. Thus, from the SAP’s perspective after the IDoc is delivered to the subsystems, SAP does not have control over the process, but it maintains the status reported by the EDI subsystems.
The Inbound Process
It is simply reverses the steps of the outbound process. SAP receives an IDoc (purchase order) from a business partner and created SAP application document in the database.
1. IDoc is transferred to the SAP layer. SAP receives an IDoc from a business partners and then SAP start further processing of the received IDoc.
2. Application Document is created. The IDoc received from the sub-system is passed to a posting program. This program creates an application document such as sales order, purchase order.
3. The application document can be viewed. The application document created via EDI is the same as any document created manually in the system.
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