EDI 894 Delivery/Return Base Record

What is EDI 894?

EDI 894 is an electronic record of delivery or return that suppliers use to inform a buyer about a shipment en route to their store. EDI 894 documents state the shipment is on its way and have information about the type and quantities of items included. Buyers can verify they have the correct quantities they ordered, pricing information about their order, and other shipment details.

EDI 894 documents conform to the X12 format set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a not-for-profit organization that regulates EDI formats in the U.S.

The Essential Components of EDI 894

The X12 transaction set contains the format EDI 894 used in an electronic data interchange (EDI) environment. The key data elements included in EDI 894 Delivery/Return Base Record include:

• Product identification numbers
• Quantities of products
• Prices of products, including promotions
• Purchase order numbers
• Purchase order dates
• Delivery date

EDI 894 is divided into segments containing different data elements. Some of these segments include:

• Delivery/Return Base Record Identifier to list identifying dates and numbers.
• Line Item Detail to list the line item data for the shipment.
• Delivery/Return Record of Totals to summarize the quantity of the items in the shipment.

How to Use EDI 894

Suppliers in the food and beverage industry and other consumable products use EDI 894 to ensure their retail customers get timely and accurate service. Direct store delivery vendors can communicate order details to the buyer. When the buyer receives EDI 894, they can send EDI 997 Functional Acknowledgment to the supplier as confirmation.

Since the EDI 894 documents include essential information about the order, buyers can prepare the store. For example, buyers can verify the product types and quantities, make sure their storage area has enough room for the shipment, and schedule employees to receive the shipment. The buyer can also use this information during shipment check-in.

Since EDI 894 informs buyers in advance about their shipment details, it is similar to EDI 856 Ship Notice/Manifest. The EDI 894 documents obtain data from EDI 810 Invoice, like purchase order numbers and dates.

Benefits of EDI 894

Suppliers and buyers can gain several benefits from using EDI 894 documentation. These companies can:

• Communicate shipment details: EDI 894 shares basic details about the shipment — including its weight, carrier information, and mode of transportation — before the buyer receives it.
• Resolve discrepancies about orders: Since the shipment information is readily available, suppliers and buyers can easily address concerns about product exchanges, promotions, and pricing.
• Modify shipments: Buyers may use EDI 894 to modify order details, like the quantities, to address their demand planning and inventory management needs.
• Alert delivery status: Suppliers send EDI 894 documents to the buyer about four hours before the shipment arrives. The buyer can know their delivery is pending and prepare for the shipment at their store. Both parties gain real-time visibility into the order status.