One-Click Conversion from EDI to XML

The complexity of converting EDI data between different formats varies significantly depending on the differences in message format structures. The Module EDI includes an EDI converter with extensive mapping creation tools to facilitate this process. However, creating mappings in !MC5 is not always the optimal way. Depending on the particular system that is processing the data downstream, it might be easier to do the data mapping directly in that system.

But what if the downstream system does not understand the received format? If it is able to read arbitrary XML data, then the Module EDI for !MC5 offers a simple solution for this problem: Each message format can be stored as XML file, whereby the XML format is given by !MC5. This also applies to self-defined formats. No programming knowledge is required for the conversion to the standard XML format. All that has to be done is to set a check mark at the export. Nothing more.

To facilitate processing by other applications, the corresponding XSD file (XML Schema Definition) can be generated for each standard XML format. Such a definition describes the structure of the corresponding XML files. Many applications can read XSD files and use them for processing XML data. Also with the Module EDI of !MC5 "foreign" XSD files can be used to create a message definition usable for mappings with only a few clicks.

Reading XML data without detour

But not only the conversion of any EDI message format into XML is possible, but also the reverse process, and this is even easier. When reading in data, the Module EDI automatically detects whether the data is in a standard XML format of a known message type. If the data is recognized as such, then it is then handled and processed just like data in the actual message format. So no single, additional click is required. Always provided that the generating system stores the XML data in the correct format.

So the Module EDI for !MC5 not only provides a powerful EDI converter for converting EDI data into various formats, but also the flexibility to decide whether you want to do the conversion entirely in !MC5, or whether you want !MC5 to do only part of the work, in preparation for further processing in another application. You can also combine both and have a message both converted to a specific import format of your ERP system, and have an XML version of the received data generated for another application. With the EDI module you can create as many mappings for as many partners as you like.

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