Guide to EDI/XML Best Practices

AIAG is introducing the third revision of its EDI/XML Project Planner, which will be available in May of 2007. In addition to being a refresher document for those automotive suppliers in mature markets, the EDI/XML Project Planner will help introduce how to implement EDI for emerging automotive market suppliers, especially those in China and Central and Eastern Europe. EDI is so important to the automotive industry that AIAG continues to regularly schedule updates this document.

The document explains and suggests automotive best practices for EDI implementation and is based on over 15 years of industry EDI implementation experience. One of the biggest changes in the new revision is the updated XML section. As XML continues to grow in its maturity, this section continually is updated with the latest information.

The EDI/XML Project Planner provides assistance for:

• Reasons that EDI is beneficial (including strategy and business planning considerations), designed to help convince management the value of EDI
• Implementation steps and software considerations (technical planning) for implementing EDI
• Discussion of how to implement EDI with suppliers and how to target suppliers for EDI implementation, including pilot and production considerations
• Explanation of XML and traditional EDI

The Joint Automotive Industry Forum (JAIF) will also be publishing a China B2B Recommendation paper in May, 2007. The JAIF comprises members of AIAG, JAMA/JAPIA and Odette. This document will be JAIF’s recommendation for which B2B standard to implement if you are going to be using EDI in China.

QAD was a member of the EDI/XML Project Planner team and the global chair of the China B2B Recommendation paper.

The EDI/XML Project Planner will be available from AIAG. Contact AIAG customer service at +1 248 358 3003. Additionally, AIAG EDI training is expected to be available for suppliers in China starting in April of 2007.

View the complete AIAG EDI/XML Planner announcement