In short
EDIconnect is the native EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) module of the CRMconnect platform. It ingests retailer orders in EDIFACT, converts them into sales orders automatically and sends back confirmations, despatch advices and invoices - no manual re-keying, no compliance penalties. It runs on top of your existing ERP, with the first retailer live in 4-10 weeks.
30+
pre-mapped retailers and chains
4-10 wks
to first live retailer
EDIFACT D96A
the retail standard, natively supported
0
manually re-keyed orders
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is the automated exchange of commercial documents - orders, confirmations, despatch advices, invoices - between the retailer's system and yours, in a standardised format (EDIFACT in European retail). When Carrefour or Kaufland say 'you need to be on EDI', they no longer accept orders by email or manual portals: documents must flow automatically, with GS1 identifiers (GLN, GTIN, SSCC) and responses inside strict time windows.
For a distributor or manufacturer, EDI is not a technical option but a commercial condition: without EDI you don't get listed - or stay listed - by the major chains. And badly handled EDI, with manual re-typing from portals, costs 1-2 people keying orders and generating penalties for every rejected despatch advice or invoice.
The golden rule: EDI is not an IT project, it is a revenue project. Every correctly connected retailer means orders processed at zero marginal cost and no compliance penalties.
A modern retailer relationship typically involves 4-6 standard messages. EDIconnect maps all of them from your existing data - items, stock, deliveries, invoices.
| Message | Name | What it does in your flow |
|---|---|---|
| ORDERS | Purchase order | The retailer's order lands directly as a sales order, with automatic stock and contract-price checks. |
| ORDRSP | Order response | Sends back what you can deliver: quantities, prices, delivery date - within the retailer's time window. |
| DESADV | Despatch advice | Announces the delivery with pallet structure and SSCC labels, mandatory at the retailer's receiving dock. |
| RECADV | Receiving advice | You receive what the retailer actually received - the basis for reconciliation and disputes. |
| INVOIC | EDI invoice | The invoice reaches the retailer's system directly, matched with order and receipt - payment no longer stalls on missing documents. |
| PRICAT | Price catalogue | Publishes your contractual price list to the retailer, in sync with your offers. |
Every retailer has its own profile: different EDIFACT versions, different mandatory fields, different response windows. EDIconnect ships pre-configured profiles for the chains active in Romania and keeps them current when the retailer changes its specification.
EDI profiles are built and maintained by us, retailer by retailer. If your chain is not listed, mapping a new chain is part of the connection project.
The list is indicative and grows continuously - during the audit we confirm the exact profile of your retailers and the recommended connection order.
The number one confusion in retail connection projects: ANAF e-Factura is legally mandatory for every company in Romania, but it does not replace the EDI demanded by retailers. They are two different flows, with different recipients.
| EDI (retailer) | e-Factura (ANAF) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who requires it | The retailer, as a commercial listing condition | The Romanian state, by law, for all B2B transactions |
| What it carries | Orders, confirmations, despatch advices, receipts, invoices - between you and the retailer | The invoice only, in CIUS-RO XML, to the ANAF SPV |
| Format | EDIFACT D96A (or the chain's proprietary XML) | UBL 2.1 / CIUS-RO XML |
| Cost of absence | Delisting, commercial penalties, refused orders | ANAF fines, invoices considered not issued |
EDIconnect automatically issues the e-Factura XML from the same EDI INVOIC - one source of truth, two destinations: the retailer and ANAF. No double entry.
EDIconnect is a native module of the CRMconnect platform, not a third-party connector bought separately. It runs as a Smart Layer over your existing ERP (SAP, WinMentor, Charisma, SeniorERP, Socrate or any system with data export): EDI orders become orders in your system, and your deliveries and invoices become EDI messages to the retailer.
Modern retail
EDIFACT / VAN / AS2
Marketplaces
eMAG, Allegro, Amazon
Own B2B portal
24/7 customer orders
ANAF SPV
CIUS-RO e-invoice
CRMconnect · EDIconnect
Message mapping · GS1 validation · retry queues · SLA monitoring · reconciliation
Your existing ERP
Stock · pricing · deliveries · invoicing · accounting
Typical timeline: 4-10 weeks from audit to first live retailer, with no interruption to current operations.
We identify your retailers, the messages each requires, GS1 identifiers (GLN, GTIN) and the integration points with your existing ERP.
We configure the retailer's EDI profile (messages, fields, time windows) and the mapping onto your items, prices and flows.
We run the test cycle required by the retailer (test messages, error scenarios) until the flow is certified.
The first retailer goes live under close monitoring; real orders flow automatically and your team only supervises exceptions.
The next retailers connect weekly, on the same infrastructure - the marginal cost per retailer drops significantly.
The maths we run at audit starts from distributors' operational reality: a manually keyed portal order costs time, produces errors and does not scale.
Typical payback: 3-6 months for a distributor with 3+ modern retailers. Use our ROI calculators for an estimate on your own numbers.
Typical configurations observed at companies that moved from manual processing to automated EDI with EDIconnect.
FMCG distribution
3 modern retailers · ~400 orders/month
Building materials manufacturing
DIY & specialised retail · palletised deliveries
Pharma / cosmetics distribution
Pharmacy chains · strict delivery windows
The scenarios below are representative of business classes; exact figures depend on order volume and number of retailers. They are not contractual guarantees.
In a 30-minute call we tell you the technical profile of your retailers, which documents to prepare and a realistic go-live timeline. No generic presentations.