EDIFACT ORDRSP: Order Response Segments and Example

ORDRSP is how you tell a UK or European buyer what they will actually get. A clean "accepted" response takes seconds to generate. The hard cases are short quantities, later dates, substituted products and lines you cannot supply, and those are exactly the cases buyers rely on ORDRSP to flag before the lorry turns up.

This guide follows the GS1 EANCOM 2002 ORDRSP layout (directory D.01B). All four examples are live: they are parsed in your browser by the same engine as our EDIFACT inspector, and each one responds to an order from the EDIFACT ORDERS guide, so you can compare request and response side by side.

What is an EDIFACT ORDRSP?

ORDRSP (purchase order response) is the UN/EDIFACT message a supplier sends to accept, amend or reject a purchase order or order change. It quotes the buyer's order number in RFF+ON and responds at two levels: a status for the order as a whole in BGM, and an action code in each LIN for individual lines.

GS1 lists four things a response can be: an acknowledgement of receipt and understanding, a confirmation of acceptance, a proposal to amend, or a notice of non-acceptance for all or part of the order. One message can mix these, line by line.

Not every partner requires ORDRSP. Many UK grocers do not ask for one at all; others, especially in wholesale, DIY and fashion, make it mandatory within a set window. A buyer can also ask for one on a specific order by putting AC in the fourth element of the order's BGM. Check the partner's implementation guide.

When ORDRSP is sent in the order-to-cash flow

Timing matters more than the format. ORDRSP has to arrive while the buyer can still act on it: before their replenishment system plans the delivery slot and before your warehouse picks. An ORDRSP that arrives after the DESADV tells the buyer nothing they can use.

Example 1: order accepted without amendment

The simplest response. BGM function 29 says the whole order is accepted as sent, and each line repeats 5 (accepted).

EANCOM says unamended lines do not have to be re-sent, so a 29 response could stop after the NADs. Many partners still want every ordered line returned so their system can close each one. Send all lines unless the partner's guide says otherwise.

ORDRSP segment reference

Status is M (mandatory) or C (conditional); repeats are the EANCOM 2002 maximum.

Response codes

BGM message function: the order as a whole

BGM+231+<response number>+<function>

LIN action code: each line

LIN+<line number>+<action>+<GTIN>:SRV

Quantity qualifiers

Date qualifiers at line level

QVR: quantity variance

QVR+-20:21+BP' says the quantity differs from the ordered quantity (21) by minus 20, and the discrepancy is a partial shipment with backorder to follow (BP). CP means partial, considered complete, no backorder. EANCOM defines two coded reasons in the third element: BJ (item identification code unknown) and PC (pack difference). Negative variances must carry the minus sign.

Example 2: changed quantity and changed date

This responds to order HL-PO-88231. Line 1 is accepted. Line 2 can only ship 40 of the 60 now, with 20 backordered for 23 October. Line 3 is accepted in full but for 19 October instead of the requested 16th.

GS1's rule for changed lines is strict: if any segment below a LIN changes, all the segments below that LIN must be re-transmitted. That is why lines 2 and 3 repeat the supplier article number, ordered quantity and price, even though only the quantity or date changed. Sending only the changed segment is a common reason buyers' systems misread a response.

Example 3: substituted product and a rejected line

This responds to the promotional order HL-PO-88340. The roasting tin set has a new GTIN after a pack redesign, so line 1 is changed with a substitute. Line 2 cannot be supplied at all.

Two details are easy to get wrong:

• Which GTIN goes where. In ORDRSP, PIA+3 (substituted by) means LIN keeps the GTIN the buyer ordered and PIA gives the one you will ship. PIA+4 (substituted for) is the reverse: the new GTIN in LIN, the old one in PIA. Use the one your partner's guide specifies, and make sure the replacement GTIN is already in their item master, or the delivery will not book in.
• The header must agree with the lines. With line 2 not accepted, the order as a whole is no longer accepted as sent, so the BGM function is 4, not 29.

Example 4: whole order rejected

Sometimes the answer is no. BGM function 27 declines the entire order. No lines are needed, though some partners ask for every line with action 7.

EANCOM discourages free-form FTX because a person has to read it, and recommends coded standard texts agreed between partners instead (for example FTX+ZZZ+1+001::91'). In practice a full rejection almost always ends in a phone call, so a clear sentence in FTX is better than nothing. Before rejecting a whole order, ask whether a 4 with some lines at 7 would serve the buyer better.

ORDRSP vs the X12 855

X12 855 status codes are more granular at line level, with separate codes for backordered, quantity changed, date rescheduled, price changed and substituted. EDIFACT uses one "changed" action code and puts the detail in the following QTY, DTM, PIA, PRI and QVR segments. A mapper going from one to the other has to read those detail segments, not only the code. See the EDI 855 guide for the X12 codes.

ORDRSP vs CONTRL vs APERAK

Three different EDIFACT messages can come back after an ORDERS, and they answer different questions:

UK retailer ORDRSP requirements

Order responses are less universal in UK retail than despatch advices and invoices. Check whether each partner wants one before you build it, and confirm the current specification during onboarding.

Marks & Spencer

• M&S sends purchase orders and expects an order response back, so ORDRSP is part of the core flow rather than an optional extra.
• Confirm with M&S whether your category trades EDIFACT or TRADACOMS, because the response format follows that choice.
• M&S testing covers business scenarios such as different delivery types. Build a response for each scenario you test.

See the Marks & Spencer EDI requirements page.

Morrisons

• Morrisons' EDIFACT D96A message set is ORDERS, ORDCHG, DESADV and INVOIC. Amendments flow from Morrisons to you as ORDCHG.
• Apply each ORDCHG to the open order before you pick. Ask during onboarding whether Morrisons also wants an ORDRSP from you for your category.

See the Morrisons EDI requirements page.

Tesco and the TRADACOMS retailers

Our Tesco summary does not list an order response, and the retailers that order in TRADACOMS, such as Sainsbury's, Asda and Waitrose, centre the flow on the order, the invoice and in some cases a delivery notification. If your account does need a response, the partner's implementation guide will say which format and deadline apply. The TRADACOMS guide explains how those files fit together.

Common ORDRSP errors and how to fix them

Run your outbound file through the EDIFACT inspector before sending: it checks the UNT and CNT counts, GTIN and GLN check digits and the envelope references.

Testing and onboarding checklist

1. Confirm whether ORDRSP is required, for which order types, and the deadline (for example, a set number of hours after the order).
2. Confirm which lines to return: all lines, or only changed and rejected ones.
3. Agree the status codes the partner accepts. Some do not support 45 (accepted with reserves) or 1 (added line).
4. Agree how substitutions work: PIA+3 or PIA+4, and whether substitutes need prior approval.
5. Agree reason codes for changes and rejections: the EANCOM QVR reasons, mutually defined FTX codes, or none.
6. Build test responses for each case in this guide (full acceptance, quantity change with backorder, date change, substitution, line rejection, full rejection) against the partner's sample orders.
7. Check the buyer's next step: if they answer a changed response with an ORDCHG, make sure you can receive and apply it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does BGM+231 mean?

231 is the UN/EDIFACT document name code for a purchase order response. The third element of BGM then gives the overall status, such as 29 accepted without amendment, 4 change or 27 not accepted.

Is ORDRSP mandatory?

It depends on the trading partner. EANCOM defines the message but does not require it. Many UK grocers never ask for it, while others require an ORDRSP for every order within a fixed time. The partner's implementation guide is the authority.

How do I reject a single line in ORDRSP?

Send that line with action code 7 in the second element of LIN, for example LIN+2+7+5098765100054:SRV', and set the BGM message function to 4 (change) because the order as a whole is no longer accepted as sent.

Can ORDRSP change prices?

Yes. Send the line with action code 3 and a PRI segment carrying the net price you will invoice, re-sending the line's other segments. Whether the buyer accepts a price change through ORDRSP or requires a new order is a commercial question set out in their guide.

What is the difference between ORDRSP and the X12 855?

They do the same job. The 855 puts a status code on each line (IA, IQ, IB, IR and others) inside an ACK segment; ORDRSP uses a simpler action code in LIN and describes the change with QTY, DTM, PIA and QVR segments. Both quote the buyer's order number.

What is the difference between ORDRSP and CONTRL?

CONTRL is a syntax acknowledgement: it confirms the interchange was received and could be parsed. ORDRSP is a business response: it says whether you will supply the goods. A partner can require both.

What happens after I send a changed ORDRSP?

Under the EANCOM definitions, the buyer acknowledges your changes by sending a new order or an ORDCHG that refers to the original order. Your DESADV and INVOIC should then match the confirmed quantities and dates.

Related guides

• EDIFACT explained: syntax, envelopes and the X12 mapping
• EDIFACT message types: the full catalogue
• EDIFACT ORDERS: the order ORDRSP responds to
• EDIFACT ORDCHG: the buyer's change or confirmation
• EDIFACT DESADV: the despatch advice that follows
• EDIFACT CONTRL and APERAK: acknowledgements
• EDI 855 PO acknowledgment: the X12 counterpart

Sources

• EANCOM 2002 S3: ORDRSP purchase order response message, GS1 (structure, principles and code lists)
• EANCOM 2002 S3: ORDRSP BGM segment, GS1 (message function codes)
• EANCOM 2002 S3: ORDRSP LIN segment, GS1 (line action codes)
• UN/EDIFACT D.01B ORDRSP message, UNECE

Paste your ORDRSP output into the free EDIFACT inspector to check counts and references before your partner does.