Flxpoint EDI Overview & General Guidelines

What is Flxpoint EDI?

Flxpoint ("FLX") solves one-to-many integration relationships for retailers and suppliers in drop shipping operations. The platform handles Inventory management, Order management, consolidation, and automation.

This EDI specification is for suppliers connecting via EDI to Flxpoint for their Retail Partners.

Standard Version

004010VICS is the preferred version for inbound files.

Flxpoint's parser also accepts 004010 (no VICS) and 005010:

• Files without the VICS suffix are processed with a warning, not a hard rejection.
• The authoritative source for parser acceptance is Flxpoint Parser Rules.
• Partners should still standardize on 004010VICS — it is the cleanest match for the VICS-specific segments Flxpoint expects.

Supported Transactions

Transaction Flow

Retailer → FLX → [850 Purchase Order] → Supplier
Supplier → [846 Inventory] → FLX → Retailer
Supplier → [856 ASN/Ship Confirm] → FLX → Retailer
Supplier → [810 Invoice] → FLX → Retailer
Each direction: 997 acknowledgement returned

On a Standard EDI connection Flxpoint reads 846, 855, 856, 810, 870 and 997 and sends 850 and 997. Any other transaction set (for example the 860 Purchase Order Change) is not processed: a file that contains one is rejected as a whole. See Going Live with Flxpoint EDI for the full path to production.

Data Communications

• Protocol: SFTP, or FTPS (explicit or implicit TLS) when you host the server. AS2 is NOT supported.
• Every FLX account includes a dedicated FTP/SFTP account.

SFTP Directory Structure

SFTP Rules

• Supplier → FLX files go in /in directory
• FLX processes inbound file, places 997 on /out
• FLX outbound files (850s, 997s) deposited in /out
• Supplier should place 997 acknowledgements in /in
• Do NOT delete files from /out — archive them instead

File actions on the Flxpoint side

Standard EDI V2 can act on the files itself: Read, Move, Append and Delete are available as configured actions on the source integration, rather than every step being something you or your supplier does by hand on the server.

This softens the rule above rather than replacing it. Archiving is still the safe default, and deleting a file you have not confirmed as processed is still how a missing order becomes unrecoverable. The difference is that moving a processed file into /out/archive can now be part of the integration instead of a manual convention both sides have to remember. Configure the actions on the source integration; if you are not sure which ones your setup already performs, check there before changing anything on the server, because a file moved twice is a file the other side cannot find.

• FLX does NOT archive or modify files in /out

Interchange ID

• Default Qualifier: "ZZ" (Mutually Defined)
• Default Receiver ID: "FLXPOINT" (if no specific ID agreed at setup)
• Can use customer's name instead of FLXPOINT

Delimiters (Default)

Flxpoint's 850 always uses ~ and *; the sub-element separator in ISA16 is set per connection, so read it from ISA16 rather than assuming one. In your own files, declare your separators in the ISA and use them consistently. The 997 reuses the delimiters of the file it acknowledges.

ISA Control Numbers

• Inbound: FLX does NOT require unique ISA Control Numbers and does not reject a repeated one (but best practice to use them). Flxpoint skips a file whose file name it already downloaded, so give every file a new name.
• Outbound: FLX provides sequential ISA Control Numbers

997 Acknowledgements

• FLX requires a 997 for each transaction sent to the supplier
• FLX generates a 997 for each file it reads successfully. A file it cannot read or parse gets no 997, and nothing in it is applied
• The 997s you send are accepted but not acted on
• 997s are deposited in /out directory
• FLX does NOT support routing 997s to external destinations
• A 997 confirms the transaction was received, NOT that the content is correct

Timing / Frequency

Data Integrity Rules

1. PO Number and UPC sent on the 850 MUST be returned on 856 and 810
2. Invoice data accepted only for shipped items
3. UPC/EAN/SKU codes at variant level must be unique for accurate inventory/order tracking
4. Product catalog info (descriptions, images) must come via flat file (CSV/TAB/Excel), NOT EDI
5. Images provided via HTTPS link in catalog or in shared folder named by SKU/UPC

Contact

EDI Support: connect@flxpoint.com