X12 transaction code
EDI 816 Organizational Relationships (X12 816)
EDI 816 is the X12 Organizational Relationships transaction set, used when trading-party or location relationships change. The buyer, typically a retailer or distributor, sends the 816 to its suppliers to publish and maintain the location codes that purchase orders and shipping documents will reference.
- Standard
- X12
- Code
- 816
- Partner references
- 4
At a glance
EDI 816 at a glance
What the 816 carries, who sends it to whom, when it goes out, and the segments trading partners list for it.
| Document | X12 816 Organizational Relationships |
|---|---|
| Business record | Organization and location hierarchy |
| Who sends it to whom | The buyer, typically a retailer or distributor, sends the 816 to its suppliers to publish and maintain the location codes that purchase orders and shipping documents will reference. |
| When it is sent | A retailer opens a new store or distribution center, closes one, or changes a location's address, and needs every supplier's system updated before orders reference the new location codes. |
| Match on | Organization, location and parent references |
| Partner references | 4 trading partners in this directory |
| Related documents | X12 850 Purchase Order, X12 856 Ship Notice/Manifest |
Key segments in an EDI 816
The business segments that appear in at least half of the 6 partner document references listed below, most common first. The table leaves out envelope segments (ISA, GS, ST, SE, GE, IEA). Your partner guide sets which segments and elements your account must send.
| Segment | Name | Purpose | Partner references |
|---|---|---|---|
| BHT | Beginning of Hierarchical Transaction | To define the business hierarchical structure of the transaction set and identify the business application purpose and reference data, i.e., number, date, and time. | 6 of 6 |
| N1 | Name | To identify a party by type of organization, name, and code. | 6 of 6 |
| HL | Hierarchical Level | To identify dependencies among and the content of hierarchically related groups of data segments. | 6 of 6 |
| N3 | Address Information | To specify the location of the named party. | 6 of 6 |
| N4 | Geographic Location | To specify the geographic place of the named party. | 6 of 6 |
| ASI | Action or Status Indicator | To indicate the action to be taken with the information provided or the status of the entity described. | 6 of 6 |
| DTM | Date/Time Reference | To specify pertinent dates and times. | 5 of 6 |
| REF | Reference Identification | To specify identifying information. | 4 of 6 |
Stacksync connects EDI documents such as the X12 816 to your ERP, CRM and databases with two-way sync. Read the EDI overview, check pricing and security, or book a demo to walk through your partner guide.
Implementation guide
X12 816 mapping and validation
X12 816 Organizational Relationships is used when trading-party or location relationships change. Preserve organization, location and parent references so the organization and location hierarchy in your business system stays connected to the original document.
Use the version and implementation guide agreed with your trading partner to confirm required fields and responses.
| Document or decision | Record and matching IDs | What to test |
|---|---|---|
| Match the business record | organization and location hierarchy organization, location and parent references |
|
| Update the receiving system | Processing the organization and location hierarchy ID assigned by the receiving system and processing result |
|
| Check the processing result | Processing status for the organization and location hierarchy Original document reference and matching response |
|
How the related documents differ
Each message represents a different business event. Use shared references to connect the records while tracking each message’s outcome separately.
- X12 850 Purchase Order
purchase order or sales order: a buyer places an order.
- X12 856 Ship Notice/Manifest
shipment notice (ASN): an order ships, before the goods arrive.
Implementation steps
-
Choose the starting event and owner
Decide which application acts when trading-party or location relationships change. Name the operational owner of the organization and location hierarchy and the team that resolves rejected or ambiguous messages.
-
Keep record IDs connected
Map organization, location and parent references. Confirm qualifiers, code lists, units and date/time meaning against the agreed X12 version and partner guide. Preserve the source reference alongside any new destination identifier.
-
Test failures before launch
Run the failure cases in the mapping table against realistic organization and location hierarchy data. Check how the receiving system reports a rejection and how your team corrects it without creating a duplicate.
-
Track every document to completion
Record transport delivery and document validation separately from successful organization and location hierarchy processing. Give unresolved errors an owner and check the receiving system before approving retries.
Go-live checklist
- An approved 816 sample and the agreed version and partner guide are available.
- The mapping tests pass with realistic organization and location hierarchy data.
- Each submitted document can be traced through delivery, validation and processing in the receiving system.
- Your team knows how to investigate and recover a rejected or timed-out organization and location hierarchy without processing it twice.
Document structure
X12 816 Organizational Relationships at the element level
The X12 816 reference contains 17 segment entries and 79 data elements; 38 are marked mandatory in this reference. Use the version and partner guide agreed for your account to confirm required fields.
- Segments
- 17
- Data elements
- 79
- Mandatory elements
- 38
| Segment | Elements | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| BHT | 6 | 2 |
| N1 | 6 | 1 |
| HL | 4 | 2 |
| N3 | 2 | 1 |
| PER | 9 | 1 |
| REF | 3 | 1 |
| DTM | 6 | 1 |
| ASI | 3 | 2 |
- Hierarchical Structure Code
- Transaction Set Purpose Code
- Entity Identifier Code
- Hierarchical ID Number
- Hierarchical Level Code
- Address Information
- Contact Function Code
- Reference Identification Qualifier
Find your trading partner for X12 816
4 partners, 6 channels. Choose a channel to inspect its listed document reference and implementation context.
Catalog breakdown
Where X12 816 Organizational Relationships appears in this catalog
The largest groups of classified 816 catalog entries are in apparel & footwear and retail.
By industry
- apparel & footwear 5 channels
- retail 1 channel
By network
- InterTrade 1 channel
FAQ
EDI 816 questions
What is an EDI 816?
EDI 816 is the X12 Organizational Relationships transaction set. Trading partners use it when trading-party or location relationships change. It carries the data for the organization and location hierarchy, and your system matches it on organization, location and parent references.
Who sends an EDI 816 and who receives it?
The buyer, typically a retailer or distributor, sends the 816 to its suppliers to publish and maintain the location codes that purchase orders and shipping documents will reference. Your trading partner agreement confirms the direction and version for your account.
When is an EDI 816 sent?
A retailer opens a new store or distribution center, closes one, or changes a location's address, and needs every supplier's system updated before orders reference the new location codes. Your partner guide sets any deadline or schedule for the document.
What are the key segments in an EDI 816?
Across 6 partner document references listed here, the business segments that appear most often include BHT (Beginning of Hierarchical Transaction), N1 (Name), HL (Hierarchical Level), N3 (Address Information), N4 (Geographic Location), ASI (Action or Status Indicator). Each partner guide sets which segments and elements your account must send.
What is the difference between EDI 816 and EDI 850?
The 816 carries the organization and location hierarchy and is used when trading-party or location relationships change. The 850 carries the purchase order or sales order and is used when a buyer places an order.
What should I map for X12 816?
Start with organization, location and parent references and the target organization and location hierarchy. Define duplicate detection, allowed updates and response correlation before mapping individual fields. Use the partner guide to check required fields and their formats.
How should I test 816 error handling?
Move a store between parent organizations without changing its stable location identity. Test an inactive ship-to location referenced by an open order. Also test a lost response after destination processing so that a retry cannot create an unintended duplicate or repeated adjustment.
Which partners list X12 816?
The directory on this page links 4 partner entries that list this message. Choose your partner and channel, then confirm which messages and versions your account requires.
Connect EDI to your business systems
See how Stacksync can fit your enterprise EDI workflow. Bring one partner guide and a sample exchange to plan the system mapping, exception handling and production rollout.
