Once you have created your EDI billing files, you can transmit them to your trading partners (or customers) using an EDI translation software package selected by your company.

The translation software maps the files into public standard transaction sets so that the data is in the proper sequence to form EDI envelopes. You then transmit the envelopes through a modem using a VAN (Value Added Network) that serves as your electronic post office. Within moments, your trading partner receives the transmission through their NEP (Network Entry Point), which is their electronic post office.

To transmit your billing files, you must match them to a transaction set so that the data can be formatted in the proper order. You use your translation software to map each data line of the billing file to the segments and data elements of the transaction set. The translation software company provides the public standard transaction set; you can then customize it, if necessary, to fit your trading partner's requirements. Typically, you can designate segments as optional or mandatory. Specific data elements, within segments, can be designated as mandatory, optional, or conditional on other data elements.

Costpoint creates the billing files per the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) using version 3050. Any files created for transmission to the government (Forms 1034 and 1443) have been modified to include the government's requirements as well. If your trading partner has a specific data element that needs to be added or subtracted from the Costpoint file, you can use your translation software to include or exclude that information.

Costpoint creates a separate EDI billing file for each customer for each invoice type. The file can contain more than one invoice for that customer, but the invoices are of the same type. You can create additional files, each containing a different invoice type, and send them separately. EDI billing files are identified by the first eight characters of the customer ID with an *.EDI extension. This allows you to match the files to the appropriate transaction sets within your EDI translation software and transmit them to the correct customer.

As noted previously, your customers probably want a trial period in which invoices are submitted using EDI and in hard copy.  For companies transmitting to the government, additional steps may be involved, such as registration and certification by DISA (Defense Information Systems Agency) and approval by the DCAA (Defense Contract Audit Agency). You should coordinate this process through the appropriate government contracting officer. Costpoint EDI files for government invoices support only contracts using MOCAS (Mechanization of Contract Administration System). MOCAS is used to process payments on contracts administered by the DCMC (Defense Contract Management Command). At this time, Costpoint does not support SAMMS (Standard Automated Material Management System), which is used to process payments on relatively low dollar contracts (typically less than $25,000).