Connect Once Network
15,000+ organisations reachable through one integration point. New partners need no new connection, contract or cost.
Unlike per-partner setup models, adding a trading partner on Transalis is a routing change, not a project.
Switch To Transalis
Switch To TransalisOne modern platform for EDI & eInvoicingSupply Chain EDI EnablementHub & spoke trading-partner onboardingProcurement ProcessesEDI & eInvoicing order-to-cashProduct ManagementMaster data, catalogues, inventory, stockBusiness Operations3PLs, logistics, warehouse, distributionAutomated FinanceAccelerated cashflow, eInvoicing, PeppolAnalytics & ComplianceReal-time data tracking & issue resolution
Managed EDI · Business Network
EDI, fully managed. Connect once. Reach anyone.
Transalis runs your entire EDI operation as a managed outcome. Every format, every retailer, every ERP. One connection reaches 15,000+ trading partners across 50+ countries, with no software to run and no per-transaction penalty.
Trusted by 15,000+ organisations, including Argos · AS Watson · Superdrug
15,000+connected organisations on the network
30m+transactions processed every year
7bn+invoice value processed every year
98%of the UK’s electronically-trading retail market
50+countries we can reach
The definition
What is EDI?
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the automated, computer-to-computer exchange of standardised business documents (purchase orders, invoices and shipping notices, etc.) between trading partners, with no manual handling. Instead of emailing a PDF or rekeying an order, your system and your partner’s system exchange structured data directly.
Transalis delivers EDI as a fully managed service: we handle format translation, partner onboarding and compliance, so documents flow automatically between your business and 15,000+ trading partners.
“Two computers agreeing on a document, so no person ever has to type it out.”
Who it’s for
One network, both ends of it.
Transalis works the same way whether a retailer has asked you to connect, or you’re the one bringing tens or hundreds of partners onto EDI.
The spoke
A retailer asked you to trade via EDI
A buyer needs you to receive orders and send invoices and despatch notes electronically, often to a deadline. We get you compliant and trading in days, with no EDI expertise and no software to run. Start in a browser and grow into your ERP when you’re ready.
- Meet a retailer’s EDI mandate in days, not months
- Receive orders, send invoices and ASNs automatically
- No IT team or software required
The hub
You’re bringing partners onto EDI
You’re a retailer, manufacturer or 3PL onboarding tens or hundreds of trading partners — or moving off a legacy VAN or provider that’s holding you back. Transalis runs the rollout as a managed programme: partner onboarding, migration, mapping, testing and go-live, all through one connection into your systems.
- Onboard tens or hundreds of trading partners
- Migrate cleanly off your current provider or VAN
- We run onboarding, mapping and go-live for you
Where it breaks
Three ways EDI goes wrong
Most EDI pain traces back to one of these patterns. If any of them sound like your operation, you’re not alone, and there’s a cleaner way to run it.
01
The PDF Trap
Rekeying orders from PDFs and emails into your ERP by hand. Every keystroke is a chance for an error to reach a retailer.
One beverage manufacturer tracked 367 order errors a year, with 572 staff-hours lost.
02
The DIY Delusion
Believing your ERP handles EDI natively, then discovering that retailer rule changes break the build at the worst moment.
A UK poultry supplier lost £35,000+ in two weeks from failed orders and chargebacks.
03
The Spaghetti Web
One connection for Sainsbury’s UK, another for Walmart US, a third for Netto Europe, standalone portals for Metro France and Aldi Germany.
Five vendors, five invoices, five separate points of failure.
There’s a better way.One connection. Every partner. Fully managed.
The managed model
One connection. Every format. Fully managed.
Transalis OpenEDI™ runs on a managed-outcomes model. We handle the complexity of format translation, partner onboarding, compliance monitoring and error resolution, so you get results without running software. At the core sits the Spinnaker orchestration engine, which routes, transforms and monitors every transaction, and the Transalis Business Network: 15,000+ organisations reachable through a single integration point. When a new partner joins the network, every existing member can reach them instantly.
01
Create
Your system creates a document (an order, invoice or ASN) in whatever format it already uses.
02
Translate
Spinnaker translates it into your partner’s required EDI format: TRADACOMS, EANCOM, EDIFACT, X12 and more.
03
Route
Transalis routes and delivers it securely across the network, with no per-partner setup.
04
Monitor
Transalis DataTrack™ watches every message in real time; the managed team resolves issues before they affect trading.
Product entry points
Choose your EDI
All three are fully managed. Start where you are today; the network stays the same as you grow.
Starting out
Web EDI
EDI without IT overhead. A managed web portal to receive orders, send invoices and manage compliance in a browser — no ERP integration and no software to install, with automated pallet-label (SSCC) printing for retailer compliance built in. Ideal for a first retail EDI relationship, and for teams with no IT support.
Best for:first retail buyer · no technical staff
Most popularScaling up
Integrated EDI
EDI wired directly into your ERP, accounting or warehouse system. Orders, invoices, dispatch notes, inventory updates and acknowledgements flow automatically between your systems, your 3PL partners and your trading partners — eliminating duplicate data entry and manual errors. Integrate once with Transalis; every partner, current and future, is reachable through that one connection. Built for SAP, NetSuite, Dynamics, Sage and 50+ other business systems.
Best for:ERP-integrated · growing volumes
At scale
Enterprise EDI
A scalable, enterprise-grade platform for high transaction volumes across thousands of trading partners, countries and systems. Multi-country and multi-language, with centralised monitoring and built-in business intelligence and reporting through Transalis DataTrack™ and ASIST — the automation, workflow and compliance depth global operations need.
Best for:high volume · thousands of partners · multi-country
Predictable, fixed-cost — no per-transaction charges and no per-character “success penalty” for growing.
Capability & glossary
EDI documents & standards
The formats major retailers require, defined plainly and handled automatically. You never need to know which standard each partner uses.
What is an EDI 850?
A purchase order sent electronically from buyer to supplier. Transalis receives and translates it into your system’s format automatically.
What is an EDI 810?
An electronic invoice sent from supplier to buyer. It carries the structured data a retailer’s system validates on receipt, with no manual keying.
What is an EDI 856 (ASN)?
An Advance Shipping Notice detailing the contents and timing of a shipment. Retailer gates check it before goods arrive, so accuracy here prevents rejected deliveries.
TRADACOMS vs EDIFACT vs ANSI X12: what’s the difference?
TRADACOMS is the UK EDI standard, EDIFACT is the international EDI standard used widely across Europe; ANSI X12 is the North American standard. All define how business documents are structured. Transalis translates between them automatically.
What is AS2?
A secure internet protocol for transmitting EDI documents directly between partners. Transalis manages the protocol layer, so your team never configures it.
What is a VAN, and what replaces it?
A Value Added Network is a legacy third-party network that routes EDI messages, often billed per character or per transaction. The Transalis Business Network replaces the VAN model with a single managed connection and predictable fixed pricing.
Which document types do retailers like Sainsbury’s require?
Transalis handles the document types and formats required by major retailers (Sainsbury’s, Argos, Asda and more) automatically. You don’t need to know which format each one uses; the managed service maps to each retailer’s spec.
ERP & systems
Integrate once. Never re-integrate.
Transalis connects to your ERP, marketplace or warehouse system through a single integration point. As your technology evolves (new ERP, new channels, new partners), your Transalis connection stays the same.
Connects to 50+ business systems
SAPNetSuiteDynamics 365SageXeroBrightpearlLinnworksWooCommerceShopifyAmazoneBay
LinnworksWooCommerceShopifyAmazoneBaySAPNetSuiteDynamics 365SageXeroBrightpearl
SAP · NetSuite · Dynamics 365 · Sage · Xero · Brightpearl · Linnworks · WooCommerce · Shopify · Amazon · eBay · + more
Why Transalis
Four reasons the network wins
Managed Outcomes
Format translation, onboarding, compliance and error resolution are all run by Transalis. Zero technical knowledge required from your team.
Unlike technical-only platforms, Transalis runs the orchestration for you, so you buy the result, not the toolkit.
Growth-Aligned Pricing
Predictable fixed-cost packages. No per-transaction fees, no per-character charges, so your costs stay flat as your volume grows.
Unlike per-transaction VAN models, Transalis charges a predictable fixed fee, so success is never a penalty.
Supply-Chain Intelligence
Transalis DataTrack™ gives real-time transaction visibility; ASIST turns EDI data into orderbooks, inventory and demand signals across thousands of suppliers.
Unlike providers who treat data as passive payload, Transalis puts your transaction data to work.
The hybrid future
EDI isn’t dead. It’s going hybrid.
The future of B2B data exchange is hybrid: EDI for structured document exchange, APIs for real-time data, and eInvoicing for government compliance. They coexist. Transalis orchestrates all three through one managed connection, so you don’t choose between EDI and APIs, and you don’t bolt on a separate portal when an eInvoicing mandate lands.
EDIEDIstructured documents
APIAPIreal-time data
e€eInvoicingcompliance
Proof
Numbers over adjectives
15,000+ organisations. 50+ countries. 98% of the UK’s electronically-trading retail market. Here’s what that looks like in practice.
UK poultry supplier
Built EDI inside its own ERP to save budget. A retailer rule change broke it at peak trading.
£35,000+ lost in two weeks, resolved by Transalis in days.
Global health & beauty group
Trapped on a legacy per-character VAN, with day-long processing and repeated validation errors.
Days → seconds processing time, with errors removed at swap-over.
UK beverage manufacturer
Rekeying emailed PDF orders by hand, generating a steady stream of errors and credit notes.
572 hours saved a year · 367 order errors eliminated.
Scaled from a single retailer to thousands of partners, without adding headcount: Argos · AS Watson – Superdrug.
FAQs
EDI questions, answered plainly
What is EDI and how does it work?
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the automated exchange of standardised business documents (orders, invoices, shipping notices) between trading partners’ systems, with no manual handling. Transalis manages the entire EDI process so documents flow automatically between you and 15,000+ partners.
What is the difference between TRADACOMS, EDIFACT and ANSI X12?
TRADACOMS is the UK EDI standard, EDIFACT is the international EDI standard used widely across Europe; ANSI X12 is the North American standard. All define how business documents are structured. Transalis translates between TRADACOMS, EDIFACT, X12 and all other EDI formats automatically, so you never manage them yourself.
Do I need a new connection for every trading partner?
No. With Transalis’s Connect Once model, a single integration point reaches 15,000+ organisations across 50+ countries. New partners join the network without requiring new technical connections, contracts or costs.
Can I do EDI without technical staff?
Yes. Web EDI is a fully managed web portal where your team processes orders, sends invoices and manages compliance through a browser, with no software installation or technical knowledge required.
How much does EDI cost in the UK?
Transalis offers predictable, fixed-cost packages with no per-transaction fees, so your costs stay flat as your business grows — whether you start with Web EDI or run Enterprise EDI at scale.
How long does EDI onboarding take?
Transalis onboards most new partners in days, not months. The managed service handles mapping, testing and go-live, so your team stays focused on operations.
What is web EDI?
Web EDI lets suppliers exchange standardised orders, invoices and dispatch notices through a web browser, without installing software. Transalis Web EDI is a fully managed portal designed for suppliers starting their first retail EDI relationship.
Is EDI still relevant, or should I switch to APIs?
Both, plus eInvoicing. The strongest setup is hybrid, with each part doing what it does best: EDI for secure, standardised document batches, APIs for real-time data, and eInvoicing for compliance. The world's largest retail hubs still run on EDI and aren't rebuilding. Transalis runs all three over a single connection, so you don't have to pick one.
What is a VAN, and what replaces it?
A Value Added Network (VAN) is a legacy third-party network that routes EDI messages, often billed per character or transaction. The Transalis Business Network replaces the VAN model with a single managed connection and predictable fixed pricing.
Who are the best managed EDI providers in the UK?
Transalis is a UK managed EDI provider connecting to 98% of the UK’s electronically-trading retail market. As a managed-outcomes provider, Transalis handles onboarding, translation and compliance so you trade with any UK retailer through one connection.
What makes Transalis different from other providers?
Transalis is a managed-outcomes provider with predictable fixed pricing. Unlike per-transaction models, Transalis charges a fixed fee; unlike acquisition-assembled platforms, Transalis runs on a single, consistent engine (Spinnaker) with built-in supply-chain intelligence.
What EDI documents do retailers like Sainsbury’s require?
Retailers typically require electronic purchase orders (850), invoices (810) and advance shipping notices (856), in specific formats. Transalis handles every required document type and format automatically, so suppliers don’t need to know each retailer’s spec.
What happens if my EDI system goes down?
Transalis is a fully managed service with proactive monitoring. Transalis DataTrack™ provides real-time transaction visibility, and the operations team resolves issues before they affect your trading.
Can I start small and scale later?
Yes. Many Transalis customers begin with Web EDI for their first retail buyer and scale to Integrated and Enterprise EDI as they grow, from a single trading partner to every major European supermarket.
One connection. Every partner.
Your orders run on data. Make sure they run on the right network.
Transalis manages EDI for 15,000+ organisations across 50+ countries. One connection. Every partner. Fully managed.
Transalis is a managed outcomes provider for B2B integration, EDI and eInvoicing. Authorised Peppol Access Point (AS4). Live in Belgium, active in France, building in the UK.