EDI Document

816 Organizational Relationships.
Keep partner locations current.

Fulfil processes inbound 816 documents automatically, updating a trading partner's address book locations as they're added, changed, or deactivated on their side.

See how it works

What's included in an 816.

The 816 describes a trading partner's locations and how they relate to one another.

Location Details

  • ✓ Location identification code (used to match the address)
  • ✓ Name, street address, phone, and email
  • ✓ Store or distribution center reference number
  • ✓ Company and operating-unit location levels

Change Instructions

  • ✓ Add a new location to the address book
  • ✓ Change an existing location's details
  • ✓ Deactivate a location marked for deletion
  • ✓ Reactivate a location that reappears on a later file

How 816 works in Fulfil.

Fulfil processes inbound 816 documents and keeps your partner's address book in sync.

1

Partner sends an 816

When a trading partner opens, closes, or updates a location, they transmit an 816 Organizational Relationships document over EDI.

2

Fulfil parses the document

Fulfil decodes the 816 and reads each location along with the action attached to it: add, change, or deactivate.

3

Addresses updated automatically

Fulfil matches each location by its identification code, then creates or updates the address on the partner's contact record with its name, address, phone, and email. Locations marked for deletion are deactivated rather than removed, so their history is preserved.

✓

Your address book stays in sync

The partner's stores and distribution centers stay current as they're added, changed, and closed, with no manual data entry. The 816 maintains addresses only; it doesn't create or change orders or shipments.

Why 816 matters for your business.

No manual location maintenance

Large retailers change their store and distribution center footprint constantly. The 816 keeps your address book for that partner current automatically, so no one has to re-key location changes by hand.

Closed locations keep their history

When a partner closes a location, the 816 deactivates that address instead of deleting it, so past orders and shipments that reference it keep their history. If the location reopens, a later 816 reactivates it automatically.

Incoming orders resolve to the right address

Each address is matched by its location identification code and carries the partner's store or distribution center reference number, so purchase orders that reference a specific location resolve to the correct ship-to address instead of an outdated or missing one.

A cleaner partner relationship

Handling the 816 shows you can consume the partner's master data feeds the way their larger vendors do, which reduces friction and the back-and-forth over addresses that no longer exist.

Related EDI documents.

The 816 keeps the partner locations current that these documents reference.

850

Purchase Order

References these ship-to locations
856

Advance Ship Notice

Shipments sent to the right address
860

Purchase Order Change

Can update a shipping destination

FAQ

Questions? Answers.

What is an EDI 816?
The EDI 816 Organizational Relationships document communicates a trading partner's organizational hierarchy: a company-level entity paired with one or more operating-unit locations such as individual stores or distribution centers. Retailers send it so vendors can keep an accurate address book for that partner as locations are added, changed, or closed.
Is the 816 inbound or outbound in Fulfil?
The 816 is inbound only. Fulfil receives and processes 816 documents from your trading partners and uses them to maintain that partner's addresses automatically. Fulfil does not generate outbound 816s.
What does the 816 update in Fulfil?
Fulfil reads each operating-unit location in the 816 and matches it to an address on the trading partner's contact record by its location identification code. New or changed locations are created or updated with the name, address, phone, and email from the document, and locations marked for deletion are deactivated rather than removed. A location that reappears on a later 816 is reactivated automatically.
Does the 816 create or change orders?
No. The 816 only maintains addresses on the trading partner's contact record. It does not create or reference sales orders or shipments. Keeping the addresses current means orders that reference those locations resolve to the correct ship-to address, but the 816 itself never touches an order.
Does leaving a location out of a later 816 deactivate it?
No. Fulfil only acts on the locations included in the 816 it receives. A location must be explicitly marked for deletion to be deactivated; simply omitting it from a later file does not deactivate it.
How do I start receiving 816 documents?
In your EDI integration, open the trading partner configuration and add a document configuration with Transaction Type set to Organizational Relationships (816) and Direction set to Inbound. Once your partner begins transmitting 816s, Fulfil parses each one and applies the location changes to that partner's addresses.
Which EDI documents work with the 816?
The 816 keeps the partner locations current that other documents reference, including the 850 Purchase Order that ships to those locations, the 856 Advance Ship Notice sent when orders ship, and the 860 Purchase Order Change that can update a shipping destination.

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your partner locations?

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