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EDI 997-Functional Acknowledgement

The EDI 997 Functional Acknowledgement is an electronic receipt for EDI documents. Trading partners use the 997 to confirm that they received the delivery information, as well as see if there were any data or formatting errors. Essentially, the EDI 997 acts as a response to tell supply chain partners that information has been seen and accepted or rejected.
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View the full list of EDI X12 documents and transactions

What is EDI 997?

The EDI 997 is an electronic document used to acknowledge the receipt of a transaction set (such as an EDI 810 Invoice or EDI 850 PO) and to report any errors or exceptions that may have occurred during the processing of the transaction. The 997 serves as a confirmation that the transaction was received and processed successfully and is often used for end-to-end testing of EDI transactions. This electronic document complies with the ANSI X12 EDI specification.

EDI 997 documents follow the x12 format set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a not-for-profit organization that regulates EDI formats in the U.S. For businesses using the EDIFACT standard, the equivalent of EDI 997 is the CONTROL message. 

Benefits of the EDI 997

EDI 997 provides a valuable tool for organizations to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and visibility of their business transactions, leading to improved business outcomes and increased operational efficiency.

Improved accuracy and reliability of data transmission

Increased automation and reduction of manual intervention

Better visibility and communication between trading partners

Improved supply chain management and increased operational efficiency

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How is an EDI 997 Used?

Basic overview of how the EDI 997 is used:

  • The sender generates a transaction set and transmits it to the receiver via EDI.
  • The receiver processes the transaction set and generates an EDI 997 to acknowledge the receipt of the transaction
  • The EDI 997 includes information such as the control number of the transaction set, the acknowledgement type (accepted, rejected, or accepted with errors), and any error codes that may have occurred during processing.
  • The EDI 997 is transmitted back to the sender, providing confirmation that the transaction set was received and processed, and indicating any errors that may have occurred during processing.
  • The sender can use the information in the EDI 997 to resolve any errors or exceptions that may have occurred, and to track the status of the transaction set.

EDI 997 is typically used for end-to-end testing of EDI transactions, and for ongoing communication between trading partners to ensure the accuracy and reliability of transaction data. 

Common Issues Regarding the EDI 997

Errors in the EDI 997 typically arise from not adhering to trading partner specifications or EDI standards. A 997 Functional Acknowledgement may be rejected for several reasons, including:

    • Mismatch in Control Numbers 
    • Violates Character Length Requirements
    • Incorrect Acknowledgement Type
    • Missing Mandatory Data 
    • Contains Invalid Data 

     

    Your reconciliation process should be checking for Rejections, at a minimum, but also for Error and Partially Accepted states. The states may reflect a change in standards or in your partner’s requirements that you haven’t been made aware of. They can also mean that you have provided incomplete or incorrect data. Ignoring the Error and Rejected statuses may be costly to your company, as those EDI transactions may not be fully processed by your partner leaving you with unpaid invoices and a growing number of aged accounts receivable accounts.

EDI 997 Specifications

The EDI 850 X12 Transaction set is used to initiate an order in an industry-standard specified format.

ANSI ASC X12

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) chartered the Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12 to develop uniform standards for inter-industry electronic exchange of business transactions, namely electronic data interchange. ASC X12 also contributes to UN/EDIFACT messages that are used widely outside of the United States.

Key data elements included in the EDI 997 Functional Acknowledgement

 

AK1 – Group Acknowledgment (Refers to GS segment)

AK3 – Reports Errors in a specific segment

01: Segment in Error
02: Line in error from ST

AK4 – Reports Errors in specific element

01: Lists the Element in error
02: Lists the ID in EDI dictionary of the element
03: Code giving a general reason for the error 04: Shows the bad data

  • 1: Mandatory data element missing
  • 2: Conditional data element missing
  • 3: Too many data elements
  • 4: Data element too short
  • 5: Data element too long
  • 6: Invalid character in data element
  • 7: Invalid code value
  • 8: Invalid date
  • 9: Invalid time
  • 10: Exclusion condition violated

AK9 – Group Response

  1. Additional dates (such as cancel by dates

 

AK2 – Document Acknowledgment (Refers to ST segment)

AK5 – Type of acknowledgment

01: Lists the Acknowledgment Status

  • A: Accepted
  • E: Accepted with Errors noted
  • M: Rejected; message authentication
  • P: Partially accepted
  • R: Rejected
  • W: Rejected
  • X: Rejected

02: Transaction set syntax Error Code

  • 1: Transaction set not supported
  • 2: Transaction set trailer missing
  • 3: Transaction control #’s don’t match
  • 4: Number of segments don’t match count
  • 5: One or more segments in error
  • 6: Missing transaction set identifier
  • 7: Missing or invalid transaction set control #
  • 16: Syntax Error
  • 23: Transaction set control # not unique

EDI 997 Transaction Sample

EDI 997 Transactional Sample

Frequently Asked Questions

The EDI 997 transaction, known as the Functional Acknowledgment (FA), serves as a response to other EDI transactions, confirming their receipt and indicating whether they were accepted or rejected. It provides assurance to the sender that their transmitted documents were successfully received and processed by the recipient’s EDI system

The EDI 997 transaction contributes to data integrity and reliability by confirming the successful transmission and receipt of EDI documents. This acknowledgment ensures that both the sender and the receiver are aware of the status of the transmitted data, reducing the risk of errors, discrepancies, and miscommunications in the electronic exchange of information.

An EDI 997 transaction typically includes details such as the sender and receiver identifiers, transaction control numbers, acknowledgment codes indicating acceptance or rejection, and timestamps indicating when the acknowledgment was generated. It may also include additional information related to the status or processing of the original EDI transactions.

The use of EDI 997 transactions supports compliance with EDI standards and protocols by providing a standardized method for confirming the receipt and acceptance of EDI documents. This ensures that trading partners can rely on consistent acknowledgment processes, adhere to agreed-upon communication protocols, and maintain data integrity throughout the EDI exchange.

Organizations should establish clear procedures for interpreting and responding to EDI 997 transactions, including validating acknowledgment codes, reconciling any discrepancies with the original transactions, and communicating with trading partners to resolve issues or errors promptly. Regular monitoring and auditing of EDI 997 transactions can also help ensure compliance and data accuracy.

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