How SPS Commerce EDI connects to Infor VISUAL
Infor ION BOD XML
SPS exchanges documents with trading partners and passes them to VISUAL as ION Business Object Documents. Inbound purchase orders arrive as sales order BODs, and outbound documents such as ship notices and invoices leave VISUAL as BODs for SPS to translate to partner formats. Your ION setup, such as connection points and document flows, must be in place.
What data moves
| From | To | Data | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading partner via SPS | Infor VISUAL | EDI 850 purchase orders as customer orders | Partner sends the order |
| Infor VISUAL | SPS | Order acknowledgments | Order accepted or changed |
| Infor VISUAL | SPS | Advance ship notices (856) with carton and label data | Shipment confirmed |
| Infor VISUAL | SPS | Invoices (810) | Invoice posted |
Setting it up
- 1Confirm ION availabilityVerify that your Infor ION environment and VISUAL version support the BOD flows SPS requires.
- 2Collect partner specificationsGather each retailer's EDI guide, because rules for labels, ship notices and timing differ by partner.
- 3Map items and customersCross-reference partner SKUs and ship-to codes to VISUAL parts and customer addresses.
- 4Configure BOD flowsSet up ION connection points for inbound sales orders and outbound shipment and invoice BODs.
- 5Test with each partnerRun partner certification tests for every document type before going live.
- 6Set monitoringDecide who watches failed documents each day and how they are corrected.
What usually breaks
- !Partner SKU or ship-to codes missing from cross-references stop orders from loading.
- !Unit of measure mismatches, such as each versus case, give wrong quantities on acknowledgments and invoices.
- !Advance ship notices sent late or with wrong carton data trigger chargebacks from retailers.
- !Order changes arriving after release to the shop floor are hard to apply in a make-to-order job shop.
- !Duplicate orders occur when a partner resends a document and no check on PO number exists.
- !ION configuration changes or upgrades can interrupt BOD delivery.
A private AI layer across both systems
Failed document triage
A private assistant reads rejected EDI documents and ION logs, explains the cause such as a missing cross-reference, and drafts the fix for a person to approve.
Chargeback prevention
Check pending shipments against partner rules and warn when label or ASN data looks incomplete.
Plain-language order status
Let customer service ask where a retailer PO stands across EDI and VISUAL, with sources shown.
Try it here, free
Infor VISUAL Private AI Layer Blueprint Generator
Fill in your Infor VISUAL environment and get a ready-to-share architecture plan for a private, on-prem AI assistant.
When something else fits better
- Another EDI provider with a VISUAL connector, such as 1 EDI Source, may suit you better on price or service.
- If you have only one or two partners, a portal-based entry process may be enough.
- A VISUAL-native flat-file import can work for low volumes without a managed EDI service.
Frequently asked questions
How does SPS connect to VISUAL?
The SPS page for VISUAL describes integration through Infor ION BOD XML. Documents are exchanged as BODs between SPS and VISUAL, so ION must be configured.
Who is this aimed at?
SPS positions it for VISUAL job-shop and make-to-order manufacturers selling to big-box and distribution channels that require EDI compliance.
Can it run on-prem?
VISUAL is commonly on-prem. SPS is a cloud EDI service, so the link is an outbound connection from your ION environment. Confirm network and security design with SPS.
Where does AI fit?
On your own hardware, a model can explain failed documents and reconcile EDI with VISUAL orders. It should propose fixes for people to approve rather than edit orders itself.
Pairing documented at spscommerce.com/lp/sps-at-visual-focus . SPS Commerce EDI is a product of SPS Commerce; Netray is independent and not affiliated with either vendor.