EDIFACT ORDERS: The Purchase Order, Explained

ORDERS is the UN/EDIFACT Purchase Order message — the international equivalent of the X12 850. A buyer uses it to tell a supplier what to deliver: items, quantities, prices, and dates.

The EDIFACT envelope

Every EDIFACT interchange is wrapped in envelopes. An ORDERS message sits inside them:

• UNA — optional service string that declares the delimiters
• UNB — interchange header (sender, recipient, date, reference)
• UNH — message header; this is where ORDERS is named
• … message body …
• UNT / UNZ — message and interchange trailers

Key segments

BGM — Beginning of Message

States the document type and number. BGM+220+PO-55012+9 = order (code 220), number PO-55012, function 9 (original).

DTM — Date/Time

DTM+137:20240220:102 = document date 2024-02-20 (format 102 = CCYYMMDD).

NAD — Name and Address

Identifies parties by qualifier: NAD+BY buyer, NAD+SU supplier. The party is often a GLN (global location number).

LIN / QTY / PRI — Line items

A line is built from several segments: LIN identifies the product, QTY+21:100 gives the quantity (100), and PRI+AAA:12.50 the price (12.50).

A complete mini example

UNH+1+ORDERS:D:96A:UN'
BGM+220+PO-55012+9'
DTM+137:20240220:102'
NAD+BY+5412345000013::9'
NAD+SU+4012345000094::9'
LIN+1++5410738377056:EN'
QTY+21:100'
PRI+AAA:12.50'
UNT+8+1'

In plain English: the buyer ordered 100 units of one product at 12.50 each on order PO-55012.

Frequently asked questions