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EDIFACT message guide · Master data

PROINQ Product inquiry

The UN/EDIFACT message used to inquire about a product or group of products in a master catalogue or file, using criteria in the message.

Sent by
Buyer, retailer or data recipient
Received by
Supplier or catalogue provider
Standard
UN/EDIFACT · Batch message
X12 equivalent
No direct equivalent

What is the EDIFACT PROINQ message?

PROINQ is the UN/EDIFACT product inquiry message. The directory defines it as a message that lets the sender inquire about a product or group of products in a master product catalogue or file, according to criteria defined in the message.

Criteria can include product identifiers, classifications, brands or dates of change. The answer is typically product data (PRODAT) or a price/sales catalogue (PRICAT). Buyers use inquiries to fetch data for new items or to check whether master data has changed since their last update, rather than receiving whole catalogues.

How the EDIFACT PROINQ message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT PROINQ Product inquiry message. Buyer, retailer or data recipient sends it to supplier or catalogue provider. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by PRODAT and PRICAT. 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) and body and segment groups: the required SG1 loop with NAD (Name and address) and the required SG4 loop with LIN (Line item). 4 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT PROINQ message worksProduct inquiry: who sends it, where it fits and what the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangePROINQSENDERBuyer, retailer or datarecipientRECEIVERSupplier or catalogueproviderCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYPRODATProduct dataPRICATPrice/sales catalogue2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDsUNB … UNZMessage PROINQUNH … UNTSTART OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG1 · repeats up to 99NADName and addressMandatory group SG4 · repeats up to 9,999LINLine item+ 4 conditional groups, starting with:CTARFFCCIIRQBlue 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 PROINQ. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.
How the EDIFACT PROINQ message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT PROINQ Product inquiry message. Buyer, retailer or data recipient sends it to supplier or catalogue provider. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by PRODAT and PRICAT. 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) and body and segment groups: the required SG1 loop with NAD (Name and address) and the required SG4 loop with LIN (Line item). 4 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT PROINQmessage worksProduct inquiry: who sends it, where it fits andwhat the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangePROINQSENDERBuyer, retaileror data recipientRECEIVERSupplier orcatalogueproviderCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYPRODATProduct dataPRICATPrice/sales catalogue2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDs(UNB … UNZ)Message PROINQ (UNH … UNT)START OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG1 · repeats upto 99NADName and addressMandatory group SG4 · repeats upto 9,999LINLine item+ 4 conditional groups, starting with:CTARFFCCIIRQBlue 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 PROINQ.Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends PROINQ, 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 PROINQ 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

  • Requesting master data for specific products
  • Asking for all products changed since a date
  • Querying products in a classification group

Where it fits in the message flow

This message PROINQ Product inquiry
Usually followed by PRODAT Product dataPRICAT Price/sales catalogue

Structure

Mandatory segments in PROINQ (directory D.21A)

In UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A, the PROINQ message has 23 segment positions arranged in 7 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
  • SG1 (NAD)
  • SG4 (LIN)
  • UNT

Practical example

PROINQ in practice

A building supplies retailer plans to list a supplier's new range of power tools. Its item management system sends a PROINQ asking for master data on all products in the supplier's power tool category changed in the last month. The supplier returns PRODAT messages with technical descriptions and dimensions, which the retailer loads for review.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for PROINQ

  • Agree which inquiry criteria the supplier supports.
  • Keep the identifiers used in inquiries consistent with the catalogue.
  • Plan how large result sets are returned.
  • Combine inquiries with regular catalogue updates rather than replacing them.

How ECOM helps

Automate PROINQ with ECOM

Industry

Retail

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

Industry

Wholesale Distribution

Customer orders, supplier purchasing, catalogs and drop-ship for distributors.

Solution

B2B Integration

Connect every customer, supplier, carrier and bank across EDI, API, file and portal channels.

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

Related messages

Related master data messages

All 11 master data messages

Need help with PROINQ?

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