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 exchange 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

1. 010 · ST · Transaction Set Header · Max 1 · Mandatory

   To indicate the start of a transaction set and to assign a control number

2. SPI Loop Mandatory Repeat >1

   1. 020 · SPI · Specification Identifier · Max 1 · Mandatory

      To provide a description of the included specification or technical data items.

   2. 030 · RDT · Revision Date/Time · Max >1 · Optional

      To specify the revision level of the electronic data item.

   3. 040 · NTE · Note/Special Instruction · Max >1 · Optional

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

   4. 050 · X1 · Export License · Max 1 · Optional

      To transmit information contained on an export license

   5. 060 · X2 · Import License · Max 1 · Optional

      To transmit import license number and effective dates

   6. 070 · X7 · Customs Information · Max 1 · Optional

      To indicate customs information

   7. 080 · GOV · Military Standard 1840-A Record Definition · Max >1 · Optional

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

   8. REF Loop Optional Repeat >1

      1. 090 · REF · Reference Numbers · Max 1 · Mandatory

         To specify identifying numbers.

      2. 100 · DTM · Date/Time Reference · Max >1 · Optional

         To specify pertinent dates and times

      3. 110 · PER · Administrative Communications Contact · Max >1 · Optional

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

   9. N1 Loop Optional Repeat >1

      1. 120 · N1 · Name · Max 1 · Mandatory

         To identify a party by type of organization, name and code

      2. 130 · N2 · Additional Name Information · Max 2 · Optional

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

      3. 140 · N3 · Address Information · Max 2 · Optional

         To specify the location of the named party

      4. 150 · N4 · Geographic Location · Max 1 · Optional

         To specify the geographic place of the named party

      5. 160 · REF · Reference Numbers · Max >1 · Optional

         To specify identifying numbers.

      6. 170 · PER · Administrative Communications Contact · Max >1 · Optional

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

Detail

1. HL Loop Mandatory Repeat >1

   1. 010 · HL · Hierarchical Level · Max 1 · Mandatory

      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. 020 · SPI · Specification Identifier · Max 1 · Mandatory

         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. 030 · RDT · Revision Date/Time · Max >1 · Optional

         To specify the revision level of the electronic data item.

      3. 040 · LIN · Item Identification · Max 1 · Optional

         To specify basic item identification data.

      4. 050 · MSG · Message Text · Max >1 · Optional

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

   3. PID Loop Optional Repeat >1

      1. 060 · PID · Product/Item Description · Max 1 · Mandatory

         To describe a product or process in coded or free-form format

      2. 070 · QTY · Quantity · Max >1 · Optional

         To specify quantity information.

   4. REF Loop Optional Repeat >1

      1. 080 · REF · Reference Numbers · Max 1 · Mandatory

         To specify identifying numbers.

      2. 090 · DTM · Date/Time Reference · Max >1 · Optional

         To specify pertinent dates and times

      3. 100 · PER · Administrative Communications Contact · Max >1 · Optional

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

   5. MEA Loop Optional Repeat >1

      1. 110 · MEA · Measurements · Max 1 · Mandatory

         To specify physical measurements, including dimensions, tolerances, weights and counts.

      2. 120 · DTM · Date/Time Reference · Max >1 · Optional

         To specify pertinent dates and times

      3. 130 · REF · Reference Numbers · Max >1 · Optional

         To specify identifying numbers.

   6. EFI Loop Optional Repeat >1

      1. 140 · EFI · Electronic Format Identification · Max 1 · Mandatory

         To provide basic information about the electronic format of the interchange data.

      2. 150 · GOV · Military Standard 1840-A Record Definition · Max >1 · Optional

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

      3. 160 · BIN · Binary Data · Max >1 · Optional

         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. 170 · CID · Characteristic/Class ID · Max 1 · Mandatory

         To specify the general class or specific characteristic upon which test results are being reported or are to be taken

         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. 180 · UIT · Unit Detail · Max 1 · Optional

         To specify item unit data

      3. 190 · TMD · Test Method · Max >1 · Optional

         To describe the nature of the test performed.

      4. 200 · PSD · Physical Sample Description · Max 1 · Optional

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

      5. 210 · SPS · Sampling Parameters for Summary Statistics · Max 1 · Optional

         To define the sampling parameters associated with summary statistics.

      6. 220 · MSG · Message Text · Max >1 · Optional

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

      7. MEA Loop Optional Repeat >1

         1. 230 · MEA · Measurements · Max 1 · Mandatory

            To specify physical measurements, including dimensions, tolerances, weights and counts.

         2. 240 · DTM · Date/Time Reference · Max >1 · Optional

            To specify pertinent dates and times

         3. 250 · REF · Reference Numbers · Max >1 · Optional

            To specify identifying numbers.

      8. STA Loop Optional Repeat >1

         1. 260 · STA · Statistics · Max 1 · Mandatory

            To provide summary statistics related to a specific collection of test result values.

         2. 270 · DTM · Date/Time Reference · Max >1 · Optional

            To specify pertinent dates and times

         3. 280 · REF · Reference Numbers · Max >1 · Optional

            To specify identifying numbers.

      9. EFI Loop Optional Repeat >1

         1. 290 · EFI · Electronic Format Identification · Max 1 · Mandatory

            To provide basic information about the electronic format of the interchange data.

         2. 300 · GOV · Military Standard 1840-A Record Definition · Max >1 · Optional

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

         3. 310 · BIN · Binary Data · Max >1 · Optional

            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

1. 010 · SE · Transaction Set Trailer · Max 1 · Mandatory

   To indicate the end of the transaction set and provide the count of the transmitted segments (including the beginning (ST) and ending (SE) segments).