Message Information Levels

The following levels of information guide the final format of a specific X12 transaction:

• X12 Standard: The Accredited Standards Committee publishes a standard structure for each X12 transaction.

• Industry-specific Implementation Guides: Specific industries publish Implementation Guides customized for that industry. Normally, these guidelines are provided as recommendations only. However, for the sake of uniformity and compatibility, it is extremely important to follow these guidelines.

• TP Agreements: It is normal for TPs to have individual agreements that supplement the standard guides. The specific processing of the transactions in each TP’s individual system can vary from one site to another. Because of this, additional documentation providing information about the differences is helpful to the site’s TPs and simplifies implementation. For example, although a certain code might be valid in an implementation guide, a specific TP might not use that code in transactions. In such a case, it could be important to include that information in a TP agreement.