Michael Kotoyan will conduct two EDI sessions at RVCF Fall Conference 2026
EDI Academy is proud to share that our founder and chief instructor, Michael Kotoyan, will be speaking at the RVCF Fall Conference, taking place November 1–4, 2026 at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona.
RVCF (the Retail Value Chain Federation) brings together retailers, suppliers, and solution providers to tackle the operational and compliance challenges that shape the retail supply chain — and this year, EDI takes center stage across two of Michael’s sessions.
Session 1: EDI Fundamentals and Best Practices
For anyone who’s new to EDI or wants a refresher on the essentials, this session delivers a high-level overview of the core transaction sets suppliers work with every day — the 850 (Purchase Order), 855 (PO Acknowledgment), 810 (Invoice), 856 (Advance Ship Notice), and 997 (Functional Acknowledgment) — along with the trading partner communication standards that tie them all together.
Michael will walk through:
- Manual vs. automated B2B processes — where manual workflows break down and what automation actually solves
- Core EDI components — the translator, mapper, connectivity layer, and ETL processes that move data from your ERP to your trading partners and back
- Connectivity options — including VAN and AS2/FTP, and how to choose the right setup for your business
- Best practices for EDI teams — building processes that scale as trading partner requirements grow
Whether you’re building an EDI program from scratch or tightening up an existing one, this session is designed to leave attendees with a clear, practical framework for how EDI actually works end to end.
Session 2: Fight Chargebacks from an EDI Perspective
Chargebacks are one of the most persistent — and often most avoidable — costs suppliers face in retail compliance. In this session, Michael dives into how EDI accuracy and vendor compliance directly impact chargeback rates, and what teams can do about it.
Topics include:
- Common causes of EDI-related deductions — where mapping errors, timing issues, and compliance gaps most often originate
- Chargeback tracking — building visibility into where and why deductions are happening
- Preventive strategies — practical steps to catch issues before they turn into penalties
- Cross-functional collaboration — how compliance committees, alert systems, and coordination between EDI, logistics, and finance teams can reduce chargebacks and strengthen trading partner relationships
For suppliers looking to move from reactive chargeback disputes to proactive prevention, this session offers a roadmap grounded in real EDI operations experience.
If you’ll be at RVCF Fall Conference this November, we’d love to see you at Michael’s sessions. It’s a great opportunity to hear directly from an EDI practitioner, ask questions, and connect with others working through the same compliance and integration challenges.
Follow Michael Kotoyan on LinkedIn for updates as the conference approaches, and stay tuned to the EDI Academy blog for a recap after the event.