When a trade request is submitted to Orderful, we take ownership of the work needed to establish a working EDI relationship between you and your trading partner. That means gathering the information, completing the configuration, and preparing the connection so it can move to next steps, such as testing, cutover, etc.
This article walks through the six stages of that process so you know what is happening at each point and what to expect before a connection is ready for next steps.
The goal
Establish a working EDI relationship between you and your trading partner by gathering all the information required to configure and support that connection, and configuring it so the partnership can move to next steps, such as testing, cutover, etc.
⚠️ Note: The goal is not to go live as fast as possible and to merely establish the relationships to support a smooth transition when that time comes.
What we may need from you
While Orderful handles outreach and configuration, some trading partners require information or access that only you can provide. Depending on the partner, we may need:
Vendor or account numbers
Completed partner-provided forms (EDI questionnaires, trading partner profiles, authorization letters)
Portal access or credentials for partner-managed EDI platforms
Other partner-specific prerequisites
We will let you know when something is needed and what to provide. Your responsiveness on these items directly affects how quickly a connection can move forward.
Stage 1: Trade Request Received
Customer submits a trade request in the Orderful UI
A ticket is automatically created for the trading partner connection
⚠️ Note: If the trade request is showing as pending, the outreach ticket will not go out. Please reach out to your POC if this happens.
Stage 2: Pre-Outreach Research
Before reaching out, we confirm whether direct outreach to the trading partner is necessary, and check for any known requirements or prerequisites that change how we engage, including anything we may need from you first.
For more on when direct outreach may not be needed, see What Happens If Direct Outreach Is Unnecessary?
Stage 3: Information Gathering
When outreach begins, we work directly with the trading partner until we have everything needed to configure the connection:
Connection type and credentials (AS2, SFTP, or VAN)
ISA qualifier and ID for test and production
The full transaction list, including direction and version
EDI guidelines for each transaction
Stage 4: Onboarding Form Submission
Once all required information has been gathered, the Orderful onboarding form is completed and submitted. This step is required to move the connection forward into configuration.
Stage 5: Setup Verification
Orderful support then creates the communication channel in Orderful using the details from the form and runs a connectivity test (AS2 handshake, SFTP login, or VAN routing lookup depending on the channel type). Once everything is working, support signals that the connection is ready for next steps.
Stage 6: Handoff to Next Steps
Once information gathering is complete and the trading partner has confirmed there is nothing further required on their side, the connection is officially handed off to the assigned POC for next steps, such as testing, cutover, etc. The outreach ticket is closed at that point and the POC takes the lead.
Questions?
If you need to check on the status of a specific connection, reach out to Orderful through your normal support channel.