EDI, Explained in Plain English.

Big distributors take orders by EDI: their system and yours swap standard documents, so nobody retypes a purchase order. ILLUMA speaks it for you.

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What EDI Actually Is

EDI stands for Electronic Data Interchange. It's a shared format for business paperwork. Instead of emailing a PDF, your system sends the purchase order as a file your distributor's system reads on its own, and their system answers the same way. You never touch the files. You just see your orders update.

The Paperwork, in Plain English

Each EDI document has a number. Here's what each one does for you.

Purchase Order (850)

When a customer orders, we send the distributor a purchase order.

Order Confirmation (855)

The distributor accepts, changes or rejects each line, and your order shows it.

Ship Notice (856)

For drop-ship orders, tracking comes back, your customer gets the email, and Amazon and eBay are marked shipped.

Invoice (810)

What the distributor actually charged, line by line, plus freight, recorded against the purchase order.

Receipt (997)

Confirms the distributor's system received your document. If it's refused, you're alerted and can send it again.

What You Need From Your Distributor

Their EDI Guide

Every distributor has a guide for how they want each document filled in.

Trading Partner IDs

The codes that say who is who on every document.

A File Connection

A secure FTP (SFTP) login where the documents are exchanged.

We Handle the Rest

1
STEP 1

Map It

We set up your distributor's spec in ILLUMA. Custom mapping is included on any plan with EDI.

2
STEP 2

Test It

New connections start in test mode, and we run test orders with your distributor.

3
STEP 3

Go Live

Real orders start flowing, checked every minute.

4
STEP 4

Stay Informed

Rejected lines, refused documents and orders with no ship notice after a business day all alert you, and every document is in your dashboard with a resend button.

Live Since September 2026

Live with EJD since September 17, 2026. Every purchase order, confirmation, ship notice and invoice on that connection runs through the same system as the dealer's website and marketplace orders.

EDI Questions

Only if a distributor asks for it. Many take purchase orders by email, and ILLUMA sends those too.
EDI is on the Operator plan and up, and custom mapping for each distributor is included.
No. ILLUMA exchanges EDI files directly with your distributor over SFTP.
It depends on your distributor's testing schedule. We handle our side, including the mapping and test orders, and tell you exactly what we need from them.
You get an alert, the document stays in your dashboard, and you decide what happens next.

Have a Distributor Asking for EDI?

Send us their EDI guide. We'll tell you what it takes and get you connected.

Book a Call