21 Document Types

The 21 document types in more detail

Every document type has its own purpose, its own important fields and its own place in the process. The following overview explains what matters for each group and how documents relate to each other once they are available as structured data.

Transactional documents

Transactional documents carry the commercial core of a business relationship. They usually have header data, such as parties, dates and references, and line items with articles, quantities and prices.

• Purchase order: what the customer wants, in which quantity and by when. The order number becomes the reference for every later document.
• Order confirmation and order response: what the supplier accepts, including changed quantities, prices or dates.
• Delivery note: what was actually shipped, often with batch or serial numbers.
• Invoice and credit note: what is charged or credited, with tax details and payment terms.
• Remittance advice: which invoices a payment covers, so incoming payments can be matched.

Logistics and fulfilment documents

Logistics documents describe the physical movement of goods. Their key data are shipment numbers, package contents, weights, addresses and references to orders.

• Shipping notification (ASN): announces a delivery before it arrives, so goods receipt can be prepared.
• Packing list: shows which articles are in which package or pallet.
• Bill of lading and transport order: document the carriage of goods between shipper, carrier and recipient.
• Warehouse receipt: confirms that goods have been stored and in which quantity.

Procurement and quotation documents

Before an order is placed, requests and offers are exchanged. Structured data from these documents makes it easier to compare offers and to check later orders and invoices against agreed prices.

• Request for quotation: the buyer's request with articles, quantities and deadlines.
• Quotation: the supplier's offer with prices, validity and conditions.
• Purchase requisition: the internal request that starts a purchase.

Compliance and control documents

Control documents confirm that something has happened as agreed. They are often needed for quality management, billing of services or customs.

• Goods receipt: confirms quantities received against the order or delivery note.
• Inventory and consumption reports: show stock levels or consumption at a customer site.
• Inspection certificate: documents test results or material properties.
• Timesheet and service report: record hours or services as the basis for billing.
• Customs declaration: contains the data required for import or export.

Why connecting document types matters

The real benefit appears when documents can be matched with each other. An invoice that refers to an order and a delivery note can be checked automatically against both: were the invoiced quantities ordered and delivered, and do the prices match? This kind of matching only works if all three documents are available as structured data with consistent references.

That is why PEDIF assesses each document type with its own layout, field and validation scope, but uses a shared workflow model. Once one document type is running, the next one can build on the same references and master data.

Header data and line items

Almost every business document consists of two parts. Header data apply to the whole document: sender and recipient, document number, dates, references, currency and totals. Line items describe the individual positions: article, description, quantity, unit, price and sometimes batch or serial numbers.

Header data are usually easy to find on a page. Line items are the harder part, because tables can span several pages, contain subtotals or mix different kinds of lines. This is where the quality of document processing shows, and why each layout is set up and tested with real documents.

References that connect documents

Documents become useful together when they carry each other's references. An order confirmation refers to the order number, a delivery note to the order and sometimes the confirmation, and an invoice to the order and the delivery note. A remittance advice refers to the invoices it pays.

Capturing these references reliably is as important as capturing amounts and quantities. Without them, every document has to be matched manually, even if all of its other fields are correct.

Document types by department

• Purchasing: requests for quotation, quotations, purchase orders, order confirmations
• Sales and order desk: incoming customer orders, order changes, order responses
• Logistics and warehouse: shipping notifications, packing lists, delivery notes, warehouse receipts, transport documents
• Finance and accounts payable: invoices, credit notes, remittance advices
• Quality and controlling: inspection certificates, goods receipts, consumption and inventory reports, service reports

From the first document type to a connected process

A typical path starts with the document that causes the most manual work, often incoming orders or supplier invoices. Once that runs reliably, the next document type is added along the same chain: order confirmations after orders, delivery notes after confirmations, invoices after deliveries. Each step reuses the references and master data that are already in place, so the effort per additional document type decreases and the matching between documents improves with every step.

Which document type to start with

• The document type with the highest volume of recurring layouts
• The document that causes the most manual entry or the most queries today
• The document whose data is needed first in the process, often the order
• A document type for which the target system and required fields are already clear

More questions about document types

Do we have to automate all document types at once?

No. Most companies start with one document type and add others step by step. Each additional type can use the references and master data that are already in place.

Can one email contain several document types?

Yes. An email may contain, for example, an invoice and a delivery note. Each document is recognized and assigned to its own processing route.

What if a document type is not on the list?

The 21 types cover the most common business documents, but they are not a closed list. Other recurring documents can be assessed in the same way, with their own fields, rules and target output.

Are the same rules used for every document type?

No. Each document type has its own required fields and checks. A delivery note is checked for quantities and order references, an invoice additionally for tax amounts and totals.

Can PEDIF tell document types apart automatically?

Yes. Incoming documents are assigned to an approved document type and layout. Documents that do not match any approved scope are surfaced for review instead of being processed with the wrong rules.

Which output formats are possible per document type?

Each document type can have its own target format, for example an ERP import file for orders, EDIFACT for delivery notes or XRechnung for invoices. The format is agreed per document type and target system.

Do documents in other languages work?

Documents from foreign business partners can be processed like any other recurring layout. Fields, rules and target output are defined during setup, regardless of the language on the document.