GM’s Format Switch May Have Big Impact on EDI

October 27, 1999 10:24 AM, EDT

Transportation companies employing the X12 messaging sets used by most American companies for electronic data interchange may face a change to the international Edifact messaging sets as multinational companies in the United States look to expand their horizons.

	Michael James - Transport Topics
	GM said it will switch to the international Edifact messaging sets for its transportation operations, including rail shipments.

General Motors has adopted Edifact for use by its more than 6,000 suppliers — a switch that’s been in the works since 1998 and that could be the prelude to a more sweeping change. Although the automotive giant doesn’t have a deadline for adopting Edifact for transportation messaging, GM officials have said that will change. Moreover, many trucking companies may face requests to work in Edifact from customers involved in the GM supply chain.

“It’s correct that we’ve adopted Edifact,” explains Neil Harmeson, GM’s operations manager for global supplier communications and author of the company’s EDI requirements. “We actually started in the materials side of the business in 1998 and have just finished our migration of all our productive materials suppliers this year. We’re talking more than 6,000 suppliers, and that’s the bulk of our communications.”

The impact of GM’s decision doesn’t stop with its suppliers. According to Harmeson, some original equipment manufacturers, such as Caterpillar and other heavy equipment makers, are following suit. “We’ve talked to two or three others building off of what GM has done,” he said.

For the full story, see the Oct. 25 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.