Chemicals and specialty materials
Chemical Industry EDI and API Integration
Bulk orders, batch data and shipping documents that stay matched from plant to customer
Chemical shipments move in railcars, tank trucks, totes and drums, with batch numbers, test results and hazardous materials data that customers check on arrival. ECOM connects orders, ship notices, certificates of analysis and invoices to your ERP and quality systems, in X12, the CIDX Chem eStandards or the format each partner uses.
At a glance
Key documents
- 850 Purchase Orders
- 855 Order Acknowledgments
- 856 Ship Notices (ASN)
- 863 Test Results
- 846 Inventory Reports
- 404 Rail Shipment Information
- 810 Invoices
Systems we integrate
- ERP
- Quality and laboratory systems
- Transportation and rail
- Tank and inventory monitoring
PRISM products
- PRISM-EDI
- PRISM-SmartConvert
- PRISM-SCV
- Who we help
- Chemical producers, specialty chemical makers, distributors, industrial gas companies, coatings makers and ingredient suppliers, and the buyers that receive them.
- What we connect
- Orders, ship notices, batch and test data, certificates and invoices between your ERP and each customer, supplier and carrier.
- Problems we solve
- Batch and lot data that must match what arrives, certificates of analysis that travel separately from the shipment, and bulk shipments with hazardous materials data.
- Even without EDI
- Customers and suppliers also use portals, spreadsheets, PDFs and APIs, and exchange certificates and safety documents as files. ECOM works with those routes as well as EDI.
What is chemical industry EDI?
Chemical industry EDI is the exchange of orders, ship notices, quality data, inventory and invoices between chemical producers, distributors, customers and logistics providers. Partners use ANSI X12 documents such as the 850 purchase order, 856 ship notice, 863 report of test results and 810 invoice, as well as the XML Chem eStandards developed by CIDX. Bulk shipments add rail and carrier documents and hazardous materials information to the exchange.
Who you connect with
Who a chemical business exchanges data with
Chemicals pass from producer through distribution to industrial buyers, with carriers and test labs in between.
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Producers and blenders
Orders, batch data, test results
EDI, Chem eStandards, files -
Distributors
Orders, stock, ship notices, invoices
EDI, portals, APIs -
Industrial buyers
Purchase orders, certificates, receipts
Customer portals, EDI, PDFs -
Carriers
Load tenders, rail and truck status
EDI and APIs -
Laboratories and quality teams
Test results, certificates
Files and PDFs
Subsectors
Specialty chemicals, industrial gases, coatings and ingredients each ship differently
The documents overlap. Packaging, hazard classes and the data customers check on arrival do not. Exchanging safety and quality documents does not by itself establish regulatory compliance.
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Specialty chemicals
Producers and blenders selling to industrial customers.
- How it runs
- Orders and releases arrive. The producer ships with batch and test data and sends the certificate of analysis with, or alongside, the ship notice.
- Systems
- ERP, laboratory and quality systems.
- Typical problem
- Certificates are attached by hand, so a shipment may arrive without the one the customer's receiving team checks.
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Industrial gases and cylinders
Gas companies and distributors delivering bulk liquid and cylinders.
- How it runs
- Orders and delivery tickets are matched to deliveries. Cylinder deliveries and returns are reconciled for rental and billing.
- Systems
- ERP, route and dispatch systems, customer portals.
- Typical problem
- Cylinder movements and rental charges are hard to match to invoices.
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Coatings and paints
Coatings makers selling through distributors, retailers and industrial accounts.
- How it runs
- Distributor and retailer orders, ship notices and invoices follow each partner's program. Color and formulation data are held in your own systems.
- Systems
- ERP, distributor and retailer portals.
- Typical problem
- Many SKUs by size and finish, and retailer requirements that vary.
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Ingredients and food, personal care and pharma inputs
Suppliers of raw materials and ingredients to manufacturers.
- How it runs
- Orders and lot-controlled shipments are exchanged with specification and test certificates for each lot.
- Systems
- ERP, quality systems, customer supplier portals.
- Typical problem
- Customers require lot traceability and specification documents with every delivery.
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Bulk, rail and truck shipping
Producers and distributors moving product by railcar, tank truck and container.
- How it runs
- Load tenders and status updates go to carriers. Shipping documents carry the hazardous materials data the carrier needs.
- Systems
- ERP, transportation management, carrier portals.
- Typical problem
- Hazardous materials shipping data must be correct before a load moves.
How to read this page: a standard or system named here shows where a requirement is published or what ECOM can connect. It does not mean ECOM has a verified partnership with any named company, and your own contracts and partners define the final requirements.
Who it's for
Different roles, different workflows
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Chemical producers
You receive orders from manufacturers and distributors, ship in bulk or packaged form, and send ship notices, certificates of analysis and invoices that carry the batch actually shipped.
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Chemical distributors
You buy from producers, repackage or blend, and sell to industrial customers, so batch and quality data must be carried from the producer's document to yours.
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Buyers of chemicals and materials
Manufacturers that buy chemicals need test results before material is released to production, and vendor-managed inventory data for tanks and silos.
How the workflow runs
From bulk order to released material and invoice
A chemical order is not complete when the railcar arrives. The customer releases material only when the batch and its test results match what was ordered.
- Customer→Producer or distributor 850 Purchase order Grade, quantity, container and delivery.
- Producer or distributor→Customer 855 Acknowledgment Confirmed quantity and ship date.
- Producer or distributor→Rail or truck carrier Shipping instructions Bill of lading and hazardous materials data.
- Producer or distributor→Customer 856 Ship notice Batch numbers, container and car or trailer IDs.
- Producer or distributor→Customer 863 Certificate of analysis Test results for each batch shipped.
- Rail or truck carrier→Customer 214 Shipment status Movement and arrival events.
- Producer or distributor→Customer 810 Invoice Billed on shipped or received weight.
- 01
Order by grade and container
Orders specify the product grade, quantity, container type and delivery window, and changes follow as order changes.
- 02
Plan the shipment
Shipping instructions and bills of lading give carriers the hazardous materials information required for the load.
- 03
Ship with batch data
The ship notice carries batch numbers and container, railcar or trailer identifiers for what was actually loaded.
- 04
Send test results
Certificates of analysis are sent as 863s or agreed files so the customer can release material without waiting for paper.
- 05
Invoice the right quantity
Invoices use the weight or volume basis agreed with the customer, and adjustments follow measured receipts where agreed.
Beyond EDI
Every way chemical data arrives, tied to the batch
A bulk shipment can involve an X12 order, a portal posting, a certificate PDF and a carrier status feed. ECOM keeps them tied to the same batch and shipment.
How it arrives
- EDI850 orders, 856 notices, 863 test results
- XMLChem eStandards messages
- PortalCustomer and supplier portals
- APICarrier and logistics services
- SpreadsheetBatch lists and price sheets
- PDF or emailCertificates of analysis, safety documents
ECOM
- Validate every file or message
- Map to each partner's rules
- Deliver, acknowledge and monitor
Where it goes
- ERP order to cash
- Quality release
- Customer portals
- Invoices
Challenges
Integration challenges in chemicals and specialty materials
Quality data that arrives late
A certificate of analysis sent by email separately from the shipment holds up release at the customer's receiving dock.
Bulk quantities and measurement
Ordered, loaded and received quantities differ in bulk, and the invoice basis must be agreed and applied consistently.
Hazardous materials information
Shipping documents must carry correct hazardous materials data for each carrier and mode.
Mixed standards
Some partners use the Chem eStandards, others X12, and many still send spreadsheets or PDFs.
How we help
How ECOM supports chemicals and specialty materials companies
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Order to invoice integration
Orders, acknowledgments, ship notices and invoices exchanged with customers and suppliers, connected to your ERP.
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Certificates of analysis
863 test results or agreed COA files generated from quality records for each batch shipped, or loaded on receipt.
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Chem eStandards and X12
CIDX Chem eStandards transactions, usually sent inside RNIF, mapped alongside X12 to the same ERP processes.
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Inventory and VMI data
846 and 852 data for vendor-managed tanks, silos and consignment stock.
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Carrier connectivity
Status messages and shipping data exchanged with truck and rail carriers.
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Monitoring
Missing certificates, unacknowledged orders and failed documents visible as exceptions.
PRISM products
Which PRISM products apply
Each partner connects in the way it can support. These products cover the connections and visibility this industry needs most.
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PRISM-EDI
Exchange of orders, ship notices, test results and invoices with customers, suppliers and carriers, translated to and from your ERP.
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PRISM-SmartConvert
Certificates, orders and invoices that arrive as PDFs or emails converted into structured data.
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PRISM-SCV
Monitoring of transactions and exceptions, such as shipments without a certificate of analysis.
Systems integration
What chemical industry EDI connects to
Batch and quality data come from different systems than orders, and the exchange has to bring them together.
From
- Customer orders
- Batch records
- Lab results
- Carrier events
ECOM · Chemical exchange
- Check grade and batch
- Attach test results
- Route to systems
To
- ERP order to cash
- Quality release
- Customer portals
- Invoices
| System | What flows | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| ERP | Orders, deliveries, invoices and inventory. | Product grades and packaging variants need clear item mapping per partner. |
| Quality and laboratory systems | Batch test results and certificates of analysis. | Decide whether results travel as 863s, XML or attached documents. |
| Transportation and rail | Bills of lading, car and trailer IDs and status events. | Hazardous materials data must match the shipping documents. |
| Tank and inventory monitoring | Levels and consumption for vendor-managed inventory. | Agree the units and frequency of inventory reports. |
Standards
Chem eStandards and X12
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CIDX Chem eStandards
XML transactions written for chemicals, with bulk quantities and hazardous materials in mind, usually sent inside RNIF.
CIDX Chem eStandards in detail -
X12 documents
Orders, ship notices, test results and invoices as X12 transaction sets, common with distributors and industrial customers.
X12 documents in detail -
Rail and carrier documents
Rail shipments use rail carrier documents such as the 404, and carriers report movement with status messages.
Rail and carrier documents in detail
Trading partners
Guides for chemical and industrial gas distributors
Integration guides for distributors that chemical producers and buyers commonly trade with.
All distributor guides-
Brenntag North America
Chemical distributor; the guide covers the documents commonly exchanged and what to plan for.
Brenntag North America in detail -
Univar Solutions
Chemical and ingredients distributor; the guide covers documents and connection options.
Univar Solutions in detail -
Airgas
Industrial gases and supplies distributor; the guide covers documents and planning points.
Airgas in detail -
Tricon Energy
Chemicals and plastics trading company; the guide covers documents and planning points.
Tricon Energy in detail
Implementation
What to plan for in a chemical industry EDI project
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Map grades and packaging
The same chemical in bulk, totes and drums is often different items; agree how each partner identifies them.
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Decide the quantity basis
Agree whether invoices use loaded, measured or received quantities, and how adjustments are sent.
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Link batches to results
Make sure the batch number in the ship notice is the one in the certificate of analysis.
Documents and standards
Common transactions
Common X12 documents in chemical supply chains. Established partners may use the CIDX Chem eStandards for the same steps.
| Code | Document | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 850 | Purchase Orders | Orders chemicals or materials. |
| 855 | Order AcknowledgmentsX12 name: Purchase Order Acknowledgment | Confirms the order. |
| 856 | Ship Notices (ASN)X12 name: Ship Notice/Manifest | Describes the shipment with batch data. |
| 863 | Test ResultsX12 name: Report of Test Results | Sends batch test results. |
| 846 | Inventory ReportsX12 name: Inventory Inquiry/Advice | Reports inventory for VMI. |
| 404 | Rail Shipment InformationX12 name: Rail Carrier Shipment Information | Gives the railroad shipment details. |
| 810 | Invoices | Bills for the shipment. |
Scenarios
Typical integration scenarios
Producer sending COAs electronically
Send test results with every shipment so customers can release material on arrival.
Distributor carrying batch data
Pass producer batch and quality data through to industrial customers.
Vendor-managed inventory
Receive tank and silo levels and replenish customers before they run low.
Frequently asked questions
How do chemical companies send certificates of analysis electronically?
Many use the X12 863 report of test results, an XML or CSV file agreed with the customer, or the document attached to the shipment record. The 863 lets the customer load results directly.
Are the CIDX Chem eStandards still used?
Yes, between established chemical trading partners, usually inside the RosettaNet Implementation Framework. New connections may use X12 or other agreed formats.
Can EDI carry hazardous materials information?
Yes. Ship notices and shipping documents can carry hazardous materials data where each partner's guide includes it. The shipper remains responsible for its accuracy.
Does ECOM provide a laboratory or quality system?
No. ECOM integrates test results and documents with the ERP and quality systems you already run.
How to get started
Tell us who you trade with and what you run
- Send the basics. Your trading partners, the documents they require, your ERP or other systems, and any deadline.
- We review the requirements. An ECOM specialist looks at the partner programs, document formats and connections involved.
- You decide how to proceed. We outline the options, including managed services or software, for you to compare.
Helpful to share, but not required
You do not need an implementation guide or a finished requirements list to contact us. If you have these, they speed things up:
- Your subsector (specialty chemicals, distribution, gases, coatings, ingredients) and whether you ship bulk, totes, drums or cylinders.
- The customers or suppliers you connect first, and their requirements if you have them; if not, we can help identify them.
- What batch, test and certificate data must accompany each shipment.
- Your ERP, go-live date and the mismatch problem you want fixed first.
See how ECOM works with customers: case studies ERP integrations compare delivery options (software, managed or team-based)
Send test results with every shipment
Share a customer's EDI or COA requirement and the systems your batch data comes from. An ECOM specialist will outline the approach.