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EDIFACT message guide · Planning and inventory

INVRPT Inventory report

The UN/EDIFACT message trading partners use to share information about held inventories, in either direction.

Sent by
Party holding the inventory (supplier, retailer or warehouse)
Received by
Trading partner that plans against it
Standard
UN/EDIFACT · Batch message
X12 equivalent
846 Inventory Inquiry/Advice

What is the EDIFACT INVRPT message?

INVRPT is the UN/EDIFACT inventory report message. The directory defines it as a message specifying information relating to held inventories, intended for use in either direction between trading partners. It reports stock levels by product and location, with qualifiers for available, reserved, damaged or in-transit quantities and the dates they apply to.

Suppliers use it to give retailers and marketplaces available-to-sell stock, and retailers or warehouses use it to report stock so that suppliers can manage replenishment, as in vendor-managed inventory.

How the EDIFACT INVRPT message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT INVRPT Inventory report message. Party holding the inventory (supplier, retailer or warehouse) sends it to trading partner that plans against it. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by ORDERS. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and DTM (Date/time/period). 5 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT INVRPT message worksInventory report: who sends it, where it fits and what the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeINVRPTSENDERParty holding theinventory (supplier,retailer or warehouse)RECEIVERTrading partner thatplans against itCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYORDERSPurchase order2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDsUNB … UNZMessage INVRPTUNH … UNTSTART OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPS+ 5 conditional groups, starting with:RFFNADCUXCPSLINBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditional groups are listed by the trigger segment that starts them; a group is sent only when its data applies.Conditional segments outside groups are not drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in the UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for INVRPT. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.
How the EDIFACT INVRPT message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT INVRPT Inventory report message. Party holding the inventory (supplier, retailer or warehouse) sends it to trading partner that plans against it. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by ORDERS. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and DTM (Date/time/period). 5 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT INVRPTmessage worksInventory report: who sends it, where it fits andwhat the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeINVRPTSENDERParty holdingthe inventory(supplier,retailer orwarehouse)RECEIVERTrading partnerthat plansagainst itCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYORDERSPurchase order2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDs(UNB … UNZ)Message INVRPT (UNH … UNT)START OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPS+ 5 conditional groups, starting with:RFFNADCUXCPSLINBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditionalgroups are listed by the trigger segment thatstarts them; a group is sent only when its dataapplies. Conditional segments outside groups arenot drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in theUN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for INVRPT.Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends INVRPT, to whom, and which messages usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what the directory D.21A itself requires: the envelopes around INVRPT and the segments and segment groups it marks mandatory. Conditional groups are listed by their trigger segment rather than drawn in full. This is the directory's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: a message implementation guide, such as an industry subset or a partner’s own guide, usually makes some conditional groups mandatory, restricts the codes and may use an older directory.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Sharing available stock with retailers or marketplaces
  • Reporting store or warehouse stock for vendor-managed inventory
  • Reporting stock held by a third-party warehouse

Where it fits in the message flow

This message INVRPT Inventory report
Usually followed by ORDERS Purchase order

Structure

Mandatory segments in INVRPT (directory D.21A)

In UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A, the INVRPT message has 58 segment positions arranged in 19 segment groups. These are the segments and segment groups marked mandatory at message level, in order; a mandatory group is shown with the segment that starts it. Segments inside conditional groups are needed only when the group is used. This is the directory’s requirement, not your trading partner’s: each partner’s message implementation guide names the directory it uses, often an older one such as D.96A or D.01B where the structure can differ, makes some conditional segments mandatory and restricts the codes.

  • UNH
  • BGM
  • DTM
  • UNT

Practical example

INVRPT in practice

A consumer electronics brand manages inventory at a retailer's distribution centers. Each night the retailer sends an INVRPT with stock on hand and in transit for each item at each DC. The brand's planning system calculates replenishment needs and creates orders for the retailer to confirm.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for INVRPT

  • Agree what each quantity qualifier means, such as available versus on hand.
  • Report as of a clear date and time, so stale data is recognized.
  • Use consistent product and location identifiers.
  • Decide between full snapshots and changes only.

How ECOM helps

Automate INVRPT with ECOM

Solution

Supply Chain Visibility

Track orders, shipments and invoices across partners and catch exceptions early.

Industry

Retail

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

Industry

Consumer Goods

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

Compare X12 and EDIFACT, or see answers to general questions in the EDI FAQ.

Related messages

Related planning and inventory messages

All 6 planning and inventory messages

Need help with INVRPT?

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