EDI 860

The EDI 860 contains the format and establishes the data contents of the Purchase Order Change Request – Buyer Initiated Transaction Set (860) for use within the context of an EDI environment. The primary use of an EDI 860 is to provide a standard practice for buyers to request purchase order changes in an efficient manner. The most common use of an EDI 860 includes:

1. Request a change to a previously submitted purchase order (EDI 850); or
2. Confirm acceptance of a purchase order change initiated by the seller or by mutual agreement of the two parties.

What are Common Requested Changes in an EDI 860?

When using an EDI 860, you can quickly and accurately make changes on any existing purchasing order. Buyer-initiated changes requested in an EDI 860 on an existing EDI 850 include:

• Adding or changing items
• Rescheduling dates for items
• Changing the price or quantity of goods

The buyer will send the EDI 860 to initiate the change, and the seller will send back an EDI 865 (Purchase Order Acknowledgement with Change) to confirm. This allows for a seamless modification of the original purchase order. By using an EDI 860, it minimizes billbacks, quantity errors, and any further price alteration issues.

When Are an EDI 860 Requests Made?

An EDI 860 can occur throughout different phases of the order cycle. A buyer-initiated change to the purchase order may happen before a first shipment due to a shift in demand for a particular good. It also can be made after a portion of items have been shipped, but the following phase needs a quantity adjustment or altered shipping date.

A typical scenario between merchants involves a lack of supply on the seller’s behalf that requires modification by a buyer. If a supplier cannot ship the number of necessary goods requested in the EDI 850, the buyer may opt to modify the original purchase order with an EDI 860, to alter the terms of the agreement, freeing up their ability to acquire items elsewhere.

How to Enable and Integrate EDI 860

The integration of EDI 860 can be completed automatically within your EDI translation software. If an adjustment to an original purchase order is required, you can enable just-in-time inventory management to allow the change without manual entry. Setting parameters based on quantity, scheduling, and pricing enables your EDI system to make EDI 860 requests are on your organization’s behalf. This saves retailers extensive time and money with the unending management of an extensive inventory system.