Sun B2B Suite ASC X12 Protocol Manager User's Guide

Introduction to X12

The X12 protocol is an electronic data interchange (EDI) standard, developed for the electronic exchange of machine-readable information between businesses.

Development of the X12 protocol was chartered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1979 to develop uniform standards for the interindustry electronic interchange of business transactions, that is, electronic data interchange (EDI). The result was the X12 standard.

An organization called the X12 body develops, maintains, interprets, and promotes the proper use of the X12 standard. Data Interchange Standards Association (DISA) publishes the X12 standard.

The X12 body comes together three times a year to develop and maintain EDI standards. Its main objective is to develop standards to facilitate electronic messaging interchanges relating to business transactions, such as order placement and processing, shipping and receiving information, invoicing, and payment information.

X12 was originally intended to handle large batches of transactions. However, it has been extended to encompass real-time processing (transactions sent individually as they are ready to send instead of being held for batching).