Subscribe to GEN
Login to GEN
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) emerged in the 1960s as a revolutionary way for businesses to exchange documents electronically, eliminating the need for paper-based transactions. The UN/EDIFACT standard, developed by the United Nations in the 1980s, became the de facto global standard for structured business communication, enabling seamless trade between companies worldwide. Whilst EDIFACT remains dominant in large enterprise environments, newer formats like Universal Business Language (UBL) have emerged to address modern requirements such as XML-based structures and government compliance mandates like PEPPOL. Today, even smaller accounting systems like Sage, QuickBooks, Xero, and FreeAgent are embracing basic EDI capabilities, recognising that automated data exchange is no longer just for large corporations but essential for businesses of all sizes seeking efficiency and accuracy in their financial processes.
Transport Methods:
Email • HTTPS • SFTP • Push APIs • Custom Integrations Available
GEN's roots in Electronic Data Interchange predate the modern internet, beginning in the late 1980s when we facilitated business-to-business transactions over X.25 packet-switched networks, X.400 messaging systems, and dedicated point-to-point private wire connections. This extensive heritage in structured data exchange has remained central to our operations, and we continue to provide EDI configuration and support services to customers today. Our deep understanding of EDI protocols is embedded at the core of our systems architecture. Until June 2025, our legacy platform supported full EDIFACT workflows including quotations, order processing, delivery advice, invoicing, and payment reconciliation. Our new finance system now supports a significantly broader range of formats, enabling us to better serve clients across diverse industries and technical environments, from modern cloud-based accounting platforms to traditional mainframe systems.
GEN provides comprehensive EDI support across the complete spectrum of business systems, from traditional EDIFACT and modern UBL formats to proprietary mainframe structures and contemporary micro-system integrations. We facilitate data exchange through multiple transport methods including email, HTTPS, SFTP, and push APIs, ensuring compatibility with your existing infrastructure regardless of technical constraints. Our platform natively supports all major mainframe formats including IBM z/OS fixed-width records, AS/400 comma-delimited structures, SAP R/3 IDOC formats, and CICS transaction-based protocols, alongside micro-system formats for Sage, QuickBooks, Xero, and FreeAgent through their respective CSV, XML, and JSON implementations. For enterprise customers with unique requirements, our development team can create bespoke integrations tailored to specific business processes, legacy systems, or proprietary formats. If you wish to implement any of these EDI formats for invoicing, shipping, or other business document exchange, please contact your account manager to begin the integration process and discuss the most suitable approach for your specific requirements.
EDIFACT has served as the global standard for decades, but it's increasingly showing its age with rigid fixed-length formats, cryptic segment codes, and inconsistent vendor implementations that often require bespoke mapping for each trading partner. The format's complexity and lack of human readability make it challenging to debug and maintain, particularly for smaller businesses without dedicated EDI specialists. Newer standards like Universal Business Language (UBL) have emerged to address these limitations, offering XML-based structures that are both machine-readable and human-friendly, with standardised schemas that reduce implementation complexity and improve interoperability between different systems.
The European Union has mandated UBL as the foundation for its PEPPOL (Pan-European Public Procurement OnLine) network, requiring all public sector suppliers to submit electronic invoices in UBL format by 2025. This directive has accelerated UBL adoption across Europe, with many private sector organisations following suit to standardise their procurement processes. UBL's XML structure allows for easier validation, transformation, and integration with modern web services, whilst maintaining the structured data benefits of traditional EDI. The format supports comprehensive business documents including invoices, purchase orders, and delivery notes, making it a complete replacement for legacy EDIFACT workflows in most commercial scenarios.
Many large enterprises still rely on mainframe systems that predate modern EDI standards, utilising proprietary formats developed specifically for their platforms. These systems handle the backbone of global commerce, processing billions of transactions daily for banks, insurance companies, airlines, and government agencies where reliability and performance are paramount.
IBM mainframes traditionally use fixed-width 80-character records in CSV, TSV, or plain text formats, designed for efficient batch processing on systems where every byte matters. Applications like IMS (Information Management System) for hierarchical databases, DB2 for relational data, and VSAM (Virtual Storage Access Method) file systems all utilise these structured formats. Major banking applications such as those running on IBM z/OS process millions of payment transactions using these formats, whilst insurance companies use similar structures for policy management and claims processing through applications like IBM's Insurance Application Architecture.
AS/400 (now IBM i) systems employ their own comma-delimited formats optimised for the platform's integrated database and RPG programming environment, particularly popular in manufacturing and distribution sectors. Applications like JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, BPCS (Business Planning and Control System), and MAPICS leverage these formats for inventory management, production planning, and supply chain coordination. Many automotive suppliers and food distribution companies rely on AS/400-based EDI for just-in-time manufacturing and automated replenishment systems.
SAP R/3 systems use structured text formats that align with their internal table structures, allowing direct import into financial modules without complex transformation. SAP's IDOC (Intermediate Document) format, whilst proprietary, enables seamless integration between SAP modules like FI (Financial Accounting), MM (Materials Management), and SD (Sales and Distribution). Large multinational corporations use these formats to synchronise data across global SAP implementations, handling everything from purchase requisitions to invoice processing and payment reconciliation.
CICS (Customer Information Control System) environments often require highly specific transaction-based formats designed for real-time processing of high-volume business transactions. Airlines use CICS-based systems for reservation processing, handling millions of booking transactions daily through formats optimised for sub-second response times. Credit card companies leverage CICS for real-time authorisation processing, where transaction formats must be precisely structured to enable instant fraud detection and payment approval across global networks.
These legacy formats persist because they're deeply integrated into mission-critical business processes, and whilst they lack the flexibility of modern standards, they offer proven reliability and performance for organisations processing millions of transactions daily. The cost and risk of migrating these systems often outweighs the benefits, particularly when they continue to deliver the performance and reliability that these industries demand.
At the opposite end of the spectrum from mainframes, micro systems designed for small and medium enterprises are increasingly embracing EDI capabilities through simplified formats like CSV, XML, and JSON. These platforms recognise that automated data exchange is no longer exclusive to large corporations, but essential for businesses of all sizes seeking efficiency and accuracy in their financial processes.
Sage 50 (formerly Sage Line 50) dominates the UK small business accounting market, supporting CSV import/export for invoices, purchase orders, and customer data. The platform's EDI capabilities extend to XML formats for VAT submissions to HMRC and basic JSON APIs for third-party integrations. Sage's strength lies in its comprehensive feature set covering everything from basic bookkeeping to advanced inventory management, making it particularly popular with traditional brick-and-mortar businesses requiring robust desktop functionality.
QuickBooks, Intuit's flagship accounting software, offers both desktop and cloud versions with extensive EDI support through CSV imports, XML data exchange, and a comprehensive REST API supporting JSON. QuickBooks Online particularly excels at third-party integrations, with over 650 apps in its marketplace enabling automated data flow from e-commerce platforms, payment processors, and banking systems. The platform's strength is its user-friendly interface and extensive ecosystem, making it the go-to choice for service-based businesses and freelancers globally.
Xero pioneered cloud-based accounting with API-first architecture, offering robust JSON-based EDI capabilities alongside traditional CSV imports. The platform's real-time bank feeds automatically reconcile transactions, whilst its extensive API enables seamless integration with over 1,000 third-party applications. Xero's strength lies in its modern, mobile-first design and powerful automation features, making it particularly attractive to tech-savvy businesses and those requiring multi-currency support for international operations.
FreeAgent targets freelancers and small agencies with simplified EDI through CSV imports and a clean JSON API for expense management and time tracking integrations. The platform excels at project-based accounting with built-in time tracking, expense categorisation, and tax estimation features. Whilst less comprehensive than its competitors, FreeAgent's focused approach and competitive pricing make it ideal for creative professionals and consultants who need straightforward accounting without enterprise complexity.
GEN's extensive experience in EDI transformation and system integration enables us to bridge the gap between disparate business systems through sophisticated middleware solutions. Whether you need to interface legacy mainframe systems with modern EDIFACT networks, translate UBL documents to proprietary formats, or synchronise data between cloud-based accounting platforms and traditional enterprise systems, our development team has the expertise to create seamless connections. We specialise in format transformation, protocol conversion, and data mapping that preserves business logic whilst enabling automated workflows between previously incompatible systems. From simple CSV-to-XML conversions to complex multi-stage transformations involving validation, enrichment, and routing, GEN's middleware solutions ensure your business data flows efficiently across your entire technology ecosystem.