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X12 transaction guide · Master data

EDI 878 Product Authorization/De-authorization

The X12 document used to tell a trading partner which products are authorized, or no longer authorized, at store or warehouse level.

Sent by
Retailer, wholesaler or distributor
Received by
Manufacturer, broker or direct store delivery vendor
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 878?

The EDI 878 Product Authorization/De-authorization is the ANSI X12 transaction set used to advise a trading partner of the products authorized at store or warehouse level. It tells a supplier which items each store or warehouse may receive, and which items are being removed from the assortment.

In grocery and convenience retail, direct store delivery vendors and brokers rely on authorization data to know what they can deliver to each store. Out-of-date authorizations lead to rejected deliveries at the back door or missing products on the shelf.

How the EDI 878 worksDiagram of the EDI 878 Product Authorization/De-authorization. Retailer, wholesaler or distributor sends it to manufacturer, broker or direct store delivery vendor. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: the required 0100 loop with N1 (Party Identification) and detail: the required 0200 loop with G21 (Product Information) and the required 0210 loop with N1 (Party Identification). 0 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 878 worksProduct Authorization/De-authorization: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 878SENDERRetailer, wholesaler ordistributorRECEIVERManufacturer, brokeror direct store deliveryvendor997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code QGGS … GETransaction set 878ST … SEHEADINGRequired loop 0100 · repeats up to 2N1Party IdentificationDETAILRequired loop 0200 · repeats up to 999G21Product InformationRequired loop 0210 · repeats many timesN1Party IdentificationBlue box: required loop. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them; when a loop is used, that first segment is required. Optional segmentsoutside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12 008010 listing for the 878. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 878 worksDiagram of the EDI 878 Product Authorization/De-authorization. Retailer, wholesaler or distributor sends it to manufacturer, broker or direct store delivery vendor. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: the required 0100 loop with N1 (Party Identification) and detail: the required 0200 loop with G21 (Product Information) and the required 0210 loop with N1 (Party Identification). 0 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 878 worksProduct Authorization/De-authorization: whosends it, where it fits and what the standardmarks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 878SENDERRetailer,wholesaler ordistributorRECEIVERManufacturer,broker or directstore deliveryvendor997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997Functional Acknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code QG (GS … GE)Transaction set 878 (ST … SE)HEADINGRequired loop 0100 · repeats upto 2N1Party IdentificationDETAILRequired loop 0200 · repeats upto 999G21Product InformationRequired loop 0210 · repeatsmany timesN1Party IdentificationBlue box: required loop. Optional loops are listedby the segment that starts them; when a loop isused, that first segment is required. Optionalsegments outside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12008010 listing for the 878. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 878, to whom, and which documents usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what X12 release 008010 itself requires: the envelopes around the 878 and the segments and loops the standard marks as required, area by area. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them rather than drawn in full. This is the standard's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: each partner's implementation guide usually makes some optional loops mandatory, restricts the codes and may use a different release.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Authorizing new items at selected stores
  • De-authorizing discontinued items
  • Synchronizing store-level assortments with vendors

Where it fits in the document flow

This document 878 Product Authorization/De-authorization
Usually followed by 997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 878 (X12 release 008010)

The segments X12 release 008010 marks as mandatory at their level, in order. Segments inside optional loops are needed only when the loop is used. This is the standard's requirement, not your trading partner's: each partner's implementation guide names the release it uses, adds the optional segments it requires and restricts the values. The requirement status comes from one published X12 reference listing and has not been checked against a second source.

  • ST
  • N1
  • G21
  • SE

Practical example

The 878 in practice

A regional grocery chain adds a new line of sparkling water to 60 of its 140 stores. It sends the beverage vendor an 878 listing the item codes and the stores where each is authorized from the reset date. The vendor's route accounting system adds the items to those stores' delivery lists, and its drivers can deliver them from the first visit.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 878

  • Use effective dates so authorizations line up with store resets.
  • Keep store and item identifiers synchronized with the vendor's master data.
  • Send de-authorizations promptly to stop deliveries of discontinued items.
  • Reconcile authorization data with direct store delivery records (894 and 895).

How ECOM helps

Automate the 878 with ECOM

Industry

Retail

Retail and eCommerce EDI for suppliers and retailers, from purchase order to payment, with compliance built in.

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Food and Beverage

Grocery and foodservice EDI for food and beverage manufacturers, with lot, date and inventory data.

Industry

Consumer Goods

Retail, distributor, marketplace and direct-channel integration for consumer brands.

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