The Kroger Co uses Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) as an integral business strategy to increase Customer satisfaction. The following data interchange standards are currently in use: ANSI ASC X.12 including UCS, VICS, and Motor. The Kroger Co primarily uses value-added networks (VANS) and occasionally may elect to communicate directly to a partner through an agreed-upon format.
Acknowledgements
The Kroger Co requires vendors to acknowledge the transactions of UCS, VICS, and other ANSI ASC X.12 transaction sets. The Kroger Co will monitor for acknowledgments and take appropriate action if the expected acknowledgment has not been received within the time specified by the standard and version being used or within 24 hours, which ever is the shorter period. Transmission of vendor EDI transactions will be acknowledged according to the guidelines for the standard version being used. For ANSI ASC X.12 transactions including UCS and VICS, the 997 acknowledgement will be used. As the sender, it the vendor’s responsibility to verify The Kroger Co has acknowledged transmissions and take appropriate action if the expected acknowledgments have not been forthcoming within the time specified by the standard and version being used or 24 hours, whichever is the shorter period.
Test and production policy
When initiating a new partnership, the Fred Meyer Non Food Group of The Kroger Co, considered partners to be in test or parallel mode . The paper document is the official document to be processed by the vendor, and the EDI transaction should be used only for confirmation. In test mode, the paper order will indicate as such, and the ISA 15 flag will be set to “T.” While in test mode, the paper order and the EDI order should be compared for agreement. The vendor will be held liable for a return or penalty if a test order is filed from the EDI order, rather than the paper order, while still in test or parallel mode. The Fred Meyer Non Food Group changes the ISA 15 to a “T” during the testing phase only.
When the Fred Meyer Non Food Group of The Kroger Co and the vendor agree to move to production, the ISA 15 flag will be set to “P.” The only authorized document will be the EDI document. Distributing information about the document needed by various other business units of the vendor (Customer Service, Accounts Receivable, Shipping, Sales Rep, Broker, etc.) is the responsibility of the vendor.
Note: The Kroger Food and Peyton Groups will always send a “P” in the ISA15 and use the production ISA ID’s. No PO testing is conducted with new partners from these 2 groups.