I want to become an EDI Supplier, what should I do?

Do you no longer want to handle your order, invoice, and pre-announcement processes manually? Then you can automate these processes by becoming an EDI supplier.

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Automation
EDI with bol
I want to become an EDI Supplier, what should I do?

What is EDI?

Electronic Data Interchange is the direct exchange of structured messages between systems. At bol, this exchange runs through Transus. Your system therefore establishes a technical connection with Transus. Transus validates and routes the messages between your organization and bol.

Which messages does bol use?

Message
Direction
Function
When used
Bol to supplier
New purchase order containing GTINs, quantities, delivery date and warehouse
Always
Bol to supplier
Cancellations, changed quantities and date changes of an order
Optional, activated by bol
Supplier to bol
Confirms or cancels the order in full or in part
Full message scope
Supplier to bol
Pre-notifies the shipment with the packing slip reference, pallets and SSCCs
Full message scope
Supplier to bol
Invoice based on the registered delivery
Always

Supported message combinations

Bol supports two fixed combinations

  • Limited combination: ORDERS and INVOIC
  • Full combination: ORDERS, ORDRSP, DESADV and INVOIC

Other combinations are not supported as a standard EDI connection.

Optionally, you can also receive cancellations, changed quantities and date changes from bol via EDI, with ORDCHG. Bol activates this for you.

GLN

Processes are linked using a Global Location Number (GLN).
You can find the GLNs for each warehouse in the overview below.

View GLN overview

View the EDI documentation

Use the detailed page that matches the message you want to set up.

The onboarding process can start once your organization meets the following requirements:
  • You have a company GLN and can use the GLN of the correct bol warehouse from the order.
  • At least three EANs from your assortment are active in the offer feed and available for a test order. No active offer feed yet? Select 'Not yet' in the form, and we will test using a test order from Transus.
  • Your system can process the selected message combination according to the bol specifications.
  • For the full message combination, your system can fully or partially accept or cancel orders via ORDRSP.
  • For the full message combination, your system can create a DESADV containing the number of pallets, a unique SSCC for each pallet, and the contents of each SSCC.
  • You can generate and print GS1-compliant SSCC labels yourself. These labels are not available to EDI suppliers in the Supply Chain Portal.

1. Apply

Request your connection via the EDI Connection Application form. This is the only way to request an EDI connection.

2. Review

We review your application. If anything is unclear, we contact you or schedule a short intake. Are we scheduling an intake? Have a look at the EDI onboarding in advance.

3. Transus account

Your connection runs via Transus. The Transus account is free and we arrange the registration. If you already have a Transus connection, we will check together whether you can reuse it. Questions about the connection go to Transus via support@transus.nl.

4. Test order

We send one real test order for the 3 EANs from your application. Do not deliver this order. Turn on the test indicator in all your test messages. Then send your messages back one by one.

5. Go-live

Once all messages are correct, you go live. From then on, you receive orders via EDI and also send the agreed messages via EDI. Turn off the test indicator when you go live. For the first two weeks, we keep an eye on your messages.

The role of Transus

Transus is bol’s technical EDI partner and supports the technical connection between your system and bol.
The table below shows whether you should contact bol or Transus for each topic.

Topic
Contact point
Contact
New EDI connection
EDI team
Change to the message scope, EDI onboarding, functional setup or agreements with bol
EDI team
Order content, GTINs, quantities, GLNs, SSCCs, order matching or functional message errors and rejections
Bol
AS2 connection, certificate changes, communication protocols, message transmission or receipt, and technical validations or error codes
Transus

Error messages

If you receive one of these messages, you will find the cause and the solution here.

Message
Cause
Solution
Duplicate reference for supplier
The packing slip reference (RFF+BM) in the DESADV has already been used.
Use a unique packing slip reference for every packing slip.
Packing List Reference must not exceed 15 characters
The packing slip reference (RFF+BM) in your DESADV is longer than 15 characters.
Use a packing slip reference of 15 characters at most.
Purchase Order not found
The bol order number in RFF+ON is incomplete or incorrect.
Copy the full order number, exactly as it appears in the order.
… non-numeric poNumber, blocking downstream publish
RFF+ON in your DESADV contains text instead of the bol order number, for example a description of the shipment.
Send only the bol order number in RFF+ON, digits only, exactly as in the order.
Cannot parse purchase order number … is not numeric
RFF+ON contains more than the bol order number, for example your own reference next to it.
Send only the bol order number in RFF+ON, digits only, exactly as in the order.
Ean not known
The EAN in your message is not on the order, or it is empty or all zeros.
Use exactly the EAN from the order on every line. If it matches the order, contact supplierorder@bol.com.
Unit price is unknown
PRI+AAA is missing on an accepted line in your ORDRSP, or the same DTM code appears twice on the line.
Add PRI+AAA to every accepted line and use each DTM code only once per line.
Recipient GLN not valid
The UNB segment contains text (for example the name of your EDI provider) instead of a numeric GLN. Transus rejects this before the message reaches bol.
In UNB, enter your own GLN as sender and the bol GLN (8712423020597) as recipient, without any text.
Couldn't parse XML content of the file
A text field contains a control character, or a TAX segment has no rate.
Remove the control character. Always fill in the VAT rate, also at 0%.
VAT percentage/amount is missing
The VAT rate in your INVOIC is missing or in the wrong place.
Put the rate in the TAX segment, for example TAX+7+VAT+++:::21+S'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Topics