Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the preferred method employed by GSA Global Supply for conducting business transactions. This fully automated process not only facilitates complete electronic processing of all purchasing activities but also involves a per-transaction cost. Restricted to high-volume vendors receiving at least 50 purchase orders per month, EDI streamlines operations significantly.
Utilizing the American National Standards Institute X-12 family of transaction sets, GSA communicates electronically, managing both inbound and outbound transactions. In collaboration with IBM, the GSA Global Supply has developed an EDI Gateway to handle the creation and management of purchase orders. Vendors interested in this system must undergo a standardized onboarding process, which includes contacting GSA via GSAEDI@gsa.gov, completing an EDI survey, attending a kickoff meeting, engaging in thorough testing, and providing a test catalog to facilitate transaction validation.
The onboarding process culminates with the GSA Global Supply certifying the vendor as an authorized GSA Global Supply EDI vendor, upon successful validation of transactions. Once certified, vendors can commence business transactions through the EDI system. For the technical specifics, EDI transactions include various versions and types of purchase orders, acknowledgements, and invoices. Vendors can request documentation for these specifications by contacting gsaedi@gsa.gov.
