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FREE online courses on ECOMMERCE FUNDAMENTALS - Electronic Data
Interchange - Translator software |
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Transaction software packages with varying degrees of
sophistication exist for virtually every computer platform.
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PC based translators frequently include data entry and
filing interfaces for small organizations which may not have other computer
applications. This type of feature permits small businesses to send and receive
EDI transactions.
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PC translators provide large organizations with easy to
implement pilot applications and to perform limited front-end services for
applications residing
on mainframe or mid-range platforms.
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Mid or minicomputer platforms as well as Unix systems
also support translator software, mid-range platforms e.g., AS/400 and VAX are
used for EDI in medium-sized organizations where these computers support the
business applications.
Most large organizations use
translators running on mainframes, which centrally support all of the firm's
business application systems:
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As applications are selected
for EDI support, new maps and application data definitions are added to the
central translator's libraries.
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New trading partners are put in the translator's profile
tables, which connect the partner to the appropriate application and transaction
type to be traded.
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Communication profiles are also established to direct
the output of the translator to the correct delivery mechanism.
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Creating maps and profiles replaces the more
time-consuming activity of programming individual interfaces for each trading
partner's view of each target application. Current generation translator
software provides integrated utilities with map and profile building to
streamline this task.
