X12

Outbound

United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) X12 856 Ship Notice/Manifest

UNFI Conventional (Legacy Supervalu)

The EDI 856 Advance Ship Notice notifies United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) that a shipment is in transit. It includes carton-level detail, pallet configurations, SSCC-18 barcodes, and carrier tracking information. Accurate ASNs are critical for receiving efficiency and compliance.

22segments

2loops

6mandatory

Book a demo

← All United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) transactions

Schema Reference

22 segments · X12 856 Ship Notice/Manifest

ISA01 Authorization Information Qualifier

M ID 2-2

ISA02 Authorization Information

M AN 10-10

ISA03 Security Information Qualifier

M ID 2-2

ISA04 Security Information

M AN 10-10

ISA05 Interchange ID Qualifier

M ID 2-2

ISA06 Interchange Sender ID

M AN 15-15

ISA07 Interchange ID Qualifier

M ID 2-2

ISA08 Interchange Receiver ID

M AN 15-15

ISA09 Interchange Date

M DT 6-6

ISA10 Interchange Time

M TM 4-4

ISA11 Interchange Control Standards Identifier

M ID 1-1

ISA12 Interchange Control Version Number

M ID 5-5

ISA13 Interchange Control Number

M N0 9-9

ISA14 Acknowledgment Requested

M ID 1-1

ISA15 Usage Indicator

M ID 1-1

GS01 Functional Identifier Code

M ID 2-2

GS02 Application Sender's Code

M AN 2-15

GS03 Application Receiver's Code

M AN 2-15

GS04 Date

M DT 8-8

GS05 Time

M TM 4-8

GS06 Group Control Number

M N0 1-9

GS07 Responsible Agency Code

M ID 1-2

GS08 Version / Release / Industry Identifier Code

M AN 1-12

ST01 Transaction Set Identifier Code

M ID 3-3

ST02 Transaction Set Control Number

M AN 4-9

BSN01 Transaction Set Purpose Code

M ID 2-2

BSN02 Shipment Identification

M AN 2-30

BSN03 Date

M DT 8-8

BSN04 Time

M TM 4-8

BSN05 Hierarchical Structure Code

O ID 4-4

HL Loop Repeat: 200,000

HL01 Hierarchical ID Number

M AN 1-12

HL02 Hierarchical Parent ID Number

O AN 1-12

HL03 Hierarchical Level Code

M ID 1-2

HL04 Hierarchical Child Code

O ID 1-1

LIN01 Assigned Identification

O AN 1-20

LIN02 Product/Service ID Qualifier

M ID 2-2

LIN03 Product/Service ID

M AN 1-48

LIN04 Product/Service ID Qualifier

C ID 2-2

LIN05 Product/Service ID

C AN 1-48

LIN06 Product/Service ID Qualifier

C ID 2-2

LIN07 Product/Service ID

C AN 1-48

SN102 Number of Units Shipped

M R 1-10

SN103 Unit or Basis for Measurement Code

M ID 2-2

SN105 Quantity Ordered

C R 1-15

SN106 Unit or Basis for Measurement Code

C ID 2-2

PRF01 Purchase Order Number

M AN 1-22

PRF04 Date

O DT 8-8

PRF07 Purchase Order Type Code

O ID 2-2

PO401 Pack

O N0 1-6

PO405 Weight Qualifier

O ID 1-2

PO406 Gross Weight per Pack

C R 1-9

PO407 Unit or Basis for Measurement Code

C ID 2-2

PO408 Gross Volume per Pack

C R 1-9

PO409 Unit or Basis for Measurement Code

C ID 2-2

PO414 Inner Pack

O N0 1-6

PID01 Item Description Type

M ID 1-1

PID05 Description

C AN 1-80

TD101 Packaging Code

O AN 3-5

TD102 Lading Quantity

C N0 1-7

TD106 Weight Qualifier

O ID 1-2

TD107 Weight

C R 1-10

TD108 Unit or Basis for Measurement Code

C ID 2-2

TD109 Volume

C R 1-8

TD110 Unit or Basis for Measurement Code

C ID 2-2

TD502 Identification Code Qualifier

C ID 1-2

TD503 Identification Code

C AN 2-80

TD504 Transportation Method/Type Code

C ID 1-2

TD505 Routing

C AN 1-35

TD506 Shipment/Order Status Code

C ID 2-2

TD301 Equipment Description Code

C ID 2-2

TD302 Equipment Initial

O AN 1-4

TD303 Equipment Number

C AN 1-10

TD304 Weight Qualifier

O ID 1-2

TD305 Weight

C R 1-10

TD306 Unit or Basis for Measurement Code

C ID 2-2

REF01 Reference Identification Qualifier

M ID 2-3

REF02 Reference Identification

C AN 1-30

REF03 Description

C AN 1-80

MAN01 Marks and Numbers Qualifier

M ID 1-2

MAN02 Marks and Numbers

M AN 1-48

DTM01 Date/Time Qualifier

M ID 3-3

DTM02 Date

C DT 8-8

FOB01 Shipment Method of Payment

M ID 2-2

FOB02 Location Qualifier

C ID 1-2

FOB03 Description

O AN 1-80

N1 Loop Repeat: 200

N101 Entity Identifier Code

M ID 2-3

N102 Name

C AN 1-60

N103 Identification Code Qualifier

C ID 1-2

N104 Identification Code

C AN 2-80

N301 Address Information

M AN 1-55

N302 Address Information

O AN 1-55

N401 City Name

O AN 2-30

N402 State or Province Code

O ID 2-2

N403 Postal Code

O ID 3-15

N404 Country Code

O ID 2-3

CTT01 Number of Line Items

M N0 1-6

CTT02 Hash Total

O R 1-10

SE01 Number of Included Segments

M N0 1-10

SE02 Transaction Set Control Number

M AN 4-9

How It Works

Automating United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) EDI 856

Stacksync validates, transforms, and delivers your 856 transactions automatically — so your team can focus on operations, not EDI compliance.

Validate

Transform

Route

Monitor

Stacksync builds and transmits 856 ASNs automatically when shipments are created in your WMS. Carton contents, pallet labels, SSCC-18 codes, and tracking numbers are pulled from your warehouse data — eliminating manual EDI entry.

Business unit variations

United Natural Foods (UNFI) US

United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) EDI 856 FAQ

Common questions about 856 Ship Notice/Manifest transactions with United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI).

How far in advance must a United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) EDI 856 ASN be sent before delivery?

United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) typically requires the EDI 856 Advance Ship Notice to be transmitted within hours of shipment — not days before delivery. The ASN must be sent after the carrier picks up the freight but before the shipment arrives at United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI)'s receiving dock. Late or missing ASNs often result in compliance chargebacks and can cause receiving delays at the distribution center. Stacksync triggers 856 generation automatically when your WMS or shipping system confirms dispatch, ensuring the ASN reaches United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) within the required window without manual intervention from your logistics team.

What is the packaging hierarchy in a United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) EDI 856?

The United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) EDI 856 uses hierarchical levels (HL segments) to describe the shipment structure from top to bottom: shipment level, order level, pack level (cartons or pallets), and item level. Each level contains specific data — the shipment level holds carrier and BOL information, the pack level includes SSCC-18 barcodes and carton dimensions, and the item level lists UPCs and quantities per package. Stacksync builds this hierarchy automatically from your WMS packing data, mapping carton contents and pallet configurations into the correct HL structure required by United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI).

What penalties does United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) charge for EDI 856 ASN errors?

Penalties for United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) ASN errors vary by the type of mistake and your compliance scorecard tier. Common chargeable errors include missing or late ASNs, incorrect carton counts, wrong item quantities, invalid SSCC-18 labels, and mismatches between the ASN and actual received goods. These penalties can range from flat fees per incident to percentage-based fines on the shipment value. Stacksync validates every 856 against the original PO data and your shipping records before transmission, catching errors that would otherwise result in United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) chargebacks. The platform maintains an audit trail for dispute resolution.

Are SSCC-18 labels required for United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) EDI 856 shipments?

Most United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) programs require SSCC-18 (Serial Shipping Container Code) labels on every carton and pallet, with the corresponding barcodes referenced in the 856 ASN's MAN (Marks and Numbers) segment. The SSCC-18 is a unique 18-digit identifier that links the physical package to the electronic ASN data, enabling United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI)'s receiving dock to scan and verify shipments against the advance notice. Stacksync generates SSCC-18 numbers that comply with GS1 standards and embeds them in the 856 automatically. If your WMS already assigns SSCC-18s, Stacksync pulls those values directly from your packing records.

How does Stacksync generate United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) EDI 856 ASNs from my warehouse system?

Stacksync connects to your WMS, ERP, or shipping platform and monitors for shipment confirmations. When an order is marked as shipped, Stacksync extracts the packing details — carton contents, weights, dimensions, carrier information, tracking numbers, and SSCC-18 labels — and constructs the 856 ASN document automatically. The platform maps your warehouse data to United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI)'s required HL hierarchy, populates the BSN, TD1, and REF segments, and validates the complete document before transmitting it. The entire process runs without manual EDI formatting, reducing ASN errors and keeping your United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) compliance scores high.

Ready to automate United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) EDI?