EDI 841 Specifications/Technical Information

Functional Group SP

X12M Supply Chain Subcommittee

This standard provides the format and establishes the data contents of the Specifications/Technical Information transaction set. This transaction set can be used to transmit specifications or technical information between trading partners. It can be used to allow EDI trading partners the ability to exchangee a complete or partial technical description of a product, process, service, etc. over the same path as any other EDI transaction. The detail area can include graphic, text, parametric, tabular, image, spectral, or audio data. A transmission includes identification information to assist the receiver in interpreting and utilizing the information included in the transaction. Further action as a consequence of the receipt and initial processing of the specification or other technical data may or may not require human intervention. The transmission and receipt of the data may require private agreement between the trading partners to automate the receipt of the data. The total transaction must be in the general form of all ASC X12 transactions so that an EDI computer system will be able to automatically recognize it as a Specification/Technical Information Transaction Set and pass it on for processing of the data itself. The transaction set is not media dependent. The detail area of the Specification/Technical Information Transaction Set provides a structure which allows for the exchange of a variety of specification information. For example, if the transaction contains information describing a complete assembly, it would be necessary to include the assembly model, the models for each of the individual parts, and the associated specifications. In the case of a process it may be necessary to transmit the specification of the product along with the specifications of the process and raw materials. This transaction set can also be linked to other transaction sets. This transaction set in not limited to a specific transmission protocol and uses other standards as applicable where they do not conflict with these requirements for specification transaction.

Heading

Position
Segment
Name
Max use
  1. To indicate the start of a transaction set and to assign a control number

  2. SPI Loop Mandatory
    Repeat >1
    1. To provide a description of the included specification or technical data items.

    2. To specify the revision level of the electronic data item.

    3. To transmit information in a free-form format, if necessary, for comment or special instruction

    4. To transmit information contained on an export license

    5. To transmit import license number and effective dates

    6. To indicate customs information

    7. To accomodate U.S. Government (Department of Defense) Military Standard 1840-A.

    8. REF Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To specify identifying numbers.

      2. To specify pertinent dates and times

      3. To identify a person or office to whom administrative communications should be directed

    9. N1 Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To identify a party by type of organization, name and code

      2. To specify additional names or those longer than 35 characters in length

      3. To specify the location of the named party

      4. To specify the geographic place of the named party

      5. To specify identifying numbers.

      6. To identify a person or office to whom administrative communications should be directed

Detail

Position
Segment
Name
Max use
  1. HL Loop Mandatory
    Repeat >1
    1. To identify dependencies among and the content of hierarchically related groups of data segments.

      To be meaningful, at least one of the SPI, PID, REF, MEA, EFI or CID loops must be present with each occurence of the HL loop.
    2. SPI Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To provide a description of the included specification or technical data items.

        The HL segment may be used to define the hierarchical relationship of product-related specifications reported in the associated HL loop. Product-related specifications may refer to the product in its entirety or to subunits of the product. For example, if the top level refers to an assembly, the second-level HL segment may refer to parts or subassemblies of the top assembly. This pattern may be repeated as often as required.
      2. To specify the revision level of the electronic data item.

      3. To specify basic item identification data.

      4. To provide a free form format that would allow the transmission of text information.

    3. PID Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To describe a product or process in coded or free-form format

      2. To specify quantity information.

    4. REF Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To specify identifying numbers.

      2. To specify pertinent dates and times

      3. To identify a person or office to whom administrative communications should be directed

    5. MEA Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To specify physical measurements, including dimensions, tolerances, weights and counts.

      2. To specify pertinent dates and times

      3. To specify identifying numbers.

    6. EFI Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To provide basic information about the electronic format of the interchange data.

      2. To accomodate U.S. Government (Department of Defense) Military Standard 1840-A.

      3. To transfer binary data in a single data segment and to allow identification of the end of the data segment through a count. There is no identification of the internal structure of the binary data in this segment.

    7. CID Loop Optional
      Repeat >1
      1. To specify the general class or specific characteristic on which test results are being reported.

        The CID segment may be used to define either a general class of properties, such as physical properties, or an individual property within a class. The CID loop allows the user the ability to define specifications such as the properties of the item or class, the environmental conditions under which the specifications apply, the test methods to be used, and other parameters related to properties within the current HL hierarchical level.
      2. To specify item unit data

      3. To describe the nature of the test performed.

      4. To define the physical sample parameters associated with a test resulting in discrete measurements.

      5. To define the sampling parameters associated with summary statistics.

      6. To provide a free form format that would allow the transmission of text information.

      7. MEA Loop Optional
        Repeat >1
        1. To specify physical measurements, including dimensions, tolerances, weights and counts.

        2. To specify pertinent dates and times

        3. To specify identifying numbers.

      8. STA Loop Optional
        Repeat >1
        1. To provide summary statistics related to a specific collection of test result values.

        2. To specify pertinent dates and times

        3. To specify identifying numbers.

      9. EFI Loop Optional
        Repeat >1
        1. To provide basic information about the electronic format of the interchange data.

        2. To accomodate U.S. Government (Department of Defense) Military Standard 1840-A.

        3. To transfer binary data in a single data segment and to allow identification of the end of the data segment through a count. There is no identification of the internal structure of the binary data in this segment.

Summary

Position
Segment
Name
Max use
  1. To indicate the end of the transaction set and provide the count of the transmitted segments (including the beginning (ST) and ending (SE) segments).

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