How to handle Office Politics?

How to handle Office Politics?

 

"Office politics" is a very dirty term in corporate world. This is the sad reality, and it exists in proportions across offices. After all a dysfunctional office makes for unhappy employees, high attrition and low productivity. Even then, sometimes you get pulled into without your knowledge and at other times you create a scenario to save your misdoings. When things get out of hand, ask yourself does this really help? You will get the real answer.

 

The key to stay clear of office politics is honest communication. Sometimes, people tend to lie or giving excuses when they are caught. Or they try and drag other people to clear their wrong. This only intensifies the situation. So, the best thing to do here is to accept your fault and as an adult give solutions to repair it. This will make your seniors trust you again.

 

Remember to err is to human. So, if you can accept your flaw and be honest about it, you have nothing to fear. However, don’t make the mistake of discussing office details or expressing your anger in public places like elevators or cafeterias or even indulge in long phone conversations over the phone in the washroom. You never know who is listening in. Though this might be innocence on your part, it could come and backfire if someone decides to use it to their advantage. There is a time and place to vent out your anger.

 

In such cases mostly the issue is personal. Thus, the key to avoid politics is to associate every problem with the issue and not with the person. In most cases people tend to get personal. And within no time the issue takes the shape of ego. Thus, starts the pulling down game. So, the key here is to remember that no one really has anything against you.

 

So, if employees don’t use tools against each other and not make an issue or a problem a personal war, offices could be happier places. For instance, employees should realise that emails are used to ease the workflow and not as a charge sheet against a person.

 

In case you are pulled into the game, be honest, accept your responsibility and get your seniors on your side. It’s always best to keep your manager in the loop or to have supporter from the senior management. This will only happen if the manager to gain your manager’s trust by being honest.

 

Thus, the key to steer out of office politics is to be honest and to work outside of your ego.

How to Face the First Day in Office?

How to Face the First Day in Office?

 

What is common between a fresher and one with eight years of experience? The nervousness of making it through the first day of work! After all as the famous adage goes: you don’t get a second chance to make the first impression!

 

The good news is that your boss and colleagues have gone through it, so they will make it easier for you to settle in. First day of work is filled with nervousness and anxiety for anyone, and this is irrespective of age or experience. But, the trick to is to keep your outside appearance calm and confident. What will help is to wear a warm smile, a confident gait and keep eye contact.

 

And to make it even simpler, try:

 

1. Wearing a positive attitude: This will make your new job exciting and will help you to develop a strong foundation. However, don’t fake it or overdo it. You don’t want to fall into the trap of over-committing, where you eventually fail to meet the expectations. So, remember to keep it simple and easy.

 

2. Wearing the right clothes: Yes, clothes make a man. So, it doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman, spend some time grooming yourself before your first day. It’s best to learn about the company culture and what kind of clothes people usually wear at work. For instance, you don’t want to walk into an advertising agency, where the environment is causal, wearing a suit and jacket.

 

3. Taking a break: It is always best to take a week off before joining your new office. It’s always good to start on a fresh note. If that’s not possible, take enough rest before your first day. A fresh mind will help you fight the nervousness better.

 

4. Letting go off the past: Don’t compare your new office to the last place of work. And, most importantly don’t expect to create the same environment. This will only add to your frustration, leaving you miserable and grumpy on your first day. Give yourself time to adjust to the new place and do try to mould yourself to the new surroundings.

 

5. Expressing your gratitude: Be kind and appreciative to everyone. This will help you to ease into the process and system easily. People will be more open and willing to accept you. After all no one really wants to welcome a rude newbie, isn’t it?

 

Lastly, don’t go by old theory of a firm handshake is a confident handshake. Times have now changed. You don’t want to send out wrong signals. Thus, in case of a handshake follow the lead and modulate your pressure in accordance to the other person.

 

Of course, try and reach at least 20 minutes earlier. You can use this time to calm yourself before taking the first step into your new role.

How to face your rude boss in the office?

How to face your rude boss in the office?

If your boss or manager is rude, your life may become difficult and hard. In this article we have tried to mention some points which may help you in handling your rude boss as you have to spend 8-9 hours of a day in the office.

1. Keep your boss posted: It is important for your boss to feel in control and aware of all aspects of work. He may be a delegator or a dictator but each boss wants to be updated on progress of work on a regular basis.

2. Find the root cause: Rather than whining over a bad boss and his attitude towards you. Try and find the reason for such an attitude. Find out if he reacts the same way with all his subordinates. At many times the boss is not aware of this attitude and the problem it causes you. Openly discussing the problem with the boss may be the easiest solution.

Every boss values a loyal subordinate. It is important to be faithful to your boss. No matter how he handles his work, it is a bad idea to bad-mouth about him to everybody. Chances are somebody will tell him about your antics, creating more trouble for you.

3. Meet your boss outside the office: If your boss never seems to have the time to listen to your ideas, take him out for a drink. Many people have a Jekyll-Hyde personality. They have a very different attitude when they are at work and very different once in a casual environment. This extra effort of taking out time for work related issues will surely put you in your boss’ good books.

4. Reach out to the authority: It would be unfair to say that no matter what your boss does, you do not report it to anybody. The point here is to get the right people to notice the problem. Talking about the problem to people junior to him will not help. But reaching out to his superior or even the HR department might do the trick for you.

If all these tricks fail, then it is good to blame it on luck. Maybe the job or the opportunity was not quite right for you. The best thing to do under these circumstances is to get transferred to another department. This is better than quitting the organization altogether as it will not show on your resume. If that is not a possibility then put in your papers and walk away. As nothing is worth your self-respect.

Finding the perfect boss-employee equation is like a dream come true. Bosses should understand that employees like to be mentored but dislike being managed. Bad management can lead to the loss of employee, as well as all the training and intellectual investments that were made in making him/her suitable for the job.

For Working Mothers: How to balance work and child after maternity leave?

For Working Mothers: How to balance work and child after maternity leave?

When you come to office after maternity leave, its very hard to maintain a balance between office work and your new born baby. Its very tough situation you have to cope with. So we have tried to chalk out some key points which may help you to tackle this hard time.

1. Planning is the key: Realistically planning for family priorities and workplace commitments help in managing varied and multiple demands. Be honest and realistic when listing goals, needs and expectations of both, family and workplace. Planning should ideally start before you actually resume work. Arrange for childcare well in advance. Make a daily to-do list and stick to it. Prioritize work and adhere to deadlines. Take out few minutes before leaving the workplace to plan and organize for the next day.

2. The balancing act: Spell-out job responsibilities and obligations to understand workplace expectations after maternity leave. Maintaining a good work-life balance is a must. Do not take work home and don’t bring home-related issues to office. Identify tasks at office and home and fix ownership. Further divide these tasks based on what can be kept on hold and what can be skipped. Seek permission for flexible hours, telecommunications or working half-day or part time, if a full-time job is posing difficulties.

3. Move over that guilt: Remember that being a working mother doesn't make you a bad mother, at all. Returning to work after maternity leave will pose emotional conflicts for new mothers. But, don’t feel guilty about leaving your little baby at home. Remind yourself that whatever you are doing is for the benefit of your family. Be confident to take up the challenges of balancing work and life after motherhood.

4. Know your worth: Never underestimate yourself. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance post maternity is not rocket science. However, you need to push yourself to multitask and focus, to successfully accommodate work and home obligations. Tell yourself that you are a valuable asset for your organisation and precious for your family.

5. Winning with support: For any new mother, returning back to work after maternity requires a lot of family support. A supportive spouse and family instill confidence and takes off the emotional stress of being away from the child. You tend to be at ease when you know that you have people you can trust to take care of your child at home. Be open and share your concerns and feelings with your family and acknowledge their support.

Overall, maintain a positive attitude and be proactive. Remember that this is a temporary phase and will pass. Once you get into the groove, managing home and work will not seem tedious. Finally, take pride in yourself – Be a proud mother and savor achievements at workplace.

When to switch the job?

When to switch the job?

There are many circumstances when you get fed up with your job and want to switch the job. There are many things to keep in mind while taking the decision of switching the job. Following are the situations when you consider job switching in search of better career opportunities and mental satisfaction.

1. You are far from your individual goals: We all have goals for ourselves and we all want to reach them at a certain time. But, if you feel that the present can’t offer you that opportunity, then it’s time to reconsider your options. This is very individualistic and the person must be very clear about his or her vision. One must carefully analyse whether the organization has the ability to offer the right opportunity or not before taking this decision.

2. Work is equal to boredom: If you are always bored at work and you feel that the company is not allowing you to utilize your full potential, then instead of whiling your time and hoping for things to turn around, it’s best to look for other options.

3. Colleagues or bosses are bringing down your morale: This is rated as among the top three reasons for job switch. This may or may not be right reason every time. One has to learn to fight their way through and differentiate between personal and professional life. Thus, if the organization has the potential to help you grow, don’t blow it away because your have problem with colleagues or your boss. However, if it is affecting your confidence or ability to perform or it’s also affecting your health, personal life then it’s time to speed up that notice period.

4. Money, money, money: A common reason why people want to quit their jobs. It’s valid to a certain extent. More money is always right. Here, the person has to evaluate or draw a balance between personal growth and money. More money in another organization doesn't always mean progress. Sometime if one sticks to an organization, chances are that they may grow faster and eventually make more money.

5. You are an emotional wreck: You are upset with everything – big or small – that’s happening at work; you are looking and feeling stressed all the time; you are avoiding people; you are not sleeping or eating well; and your anxiety levels are always high then you have most certainly reached a break point.

Career Growth: Small vs Big Companies

Career Growth: Small vs Big Companies

In this article "Small vs Big Companies", we try to compare small companies with big fishes. Which one is better for you for better overall career growth in terms of salary, learning, work-family balance, work culture and job satisfaction. What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in a big or small company?

While there is no general rule why a smaller company is a better place to work than a larger company, small organisations do offer advantages, which are otherwise difficult to avail in a big company.In the case of small organisation, focus point is not salary or career growth opportunities but better discretionary perks to recognize employees’ contribution, which give these companies a competitive edge over bigger players. The advantage of working in any small company arises out of this ability to attend to detail.

Small companies tend to be flat, typically 4 levels at most. So it is easier to get the attention of seniors. If the seniors and the individual are good at their work, it is much easier to find opportunities for individual advancement.

Since, small companies have limited areas of operation, so it is much easier to understand the overall business. If one can make the effort, then an individual gets an understanding of an industry in a shorter time than in a big company. In small businesses, you are exposed to the entire gamut of business, rather than just your function / department. You can feel the impact of your decisions and work on the overall business performance.

Experts have named flexibility and work-life balance as the biggest benefits of working in a small-scale organisation. Reward and Recognition is another area where employees of small companies are treated well in comparison to large-scale industries.

For this same reason, salary negotiations tend to be simpler because the relative value of the contribution is more easily demonstrated. Better performance elicits better discretionary perks because the relative contribution of employees is higher.

Lastly, you really get a lot of autonomy while working with small businesses. Autonomy to think, to experiment, to fail, which actually fascinates. This also involves you emotionally in your work, encourages you to take your new initiatives and ultimately leads you to success.

If you have an entrepreneurial drive and out of box thinking capability, then you must work in a small business set-up to see the overall impact of your work and have a greater sense of achievement.

5 Common Mistakes that Candidates Make during Job Interview

5 Common Mistakes that Candidates Make during Job Interview

If you are going for a job interview, must keep the following points in mind. This article lists down various common mistakes that we do during the job interview. So please try to avoid them as these common and silly interview mistakes can snatch away your dream job. Here are five important and common mistakes that candidates make during job interview:

1. Don’t Fib: Your mom was right; lying can get you into trouble. So, always be honest. Remember your interviewer has been in the industry long enough to read in between the lines.

2. Don’t bad-mouth your ex-employer: The rule don’t wash your dirty linen in public is especially applicable in this case. That’s right. It shows you are disrespectful and it makes you appear critical and negative. So, if you are unhappy with your ex-boss or your ex-colleagues, be polite about it. Instead, talk about your work and your contribution and not about how they didn’t appreciate you or they over-burdened you.

3. Being underprepared: This is the worst mistake you could make. It only shows that you don’t respect your work, your time and more, importantly other people’s time. Also, in addition to reading up about the company, make sure you read the job profile and your resume before the interview. This way you will be able to play up your stronger points.

Always have a set of intelligent answers prepared for the interviewer prior to the interview for you will be asked, “Do you have any questions for us?”. This shows that you have done your research and are genuinely interested.

4. Avoid extremes: Appearing either extremely nervous or overconfident can work against you. Nervousness is a sign of under confidence and no employer can trust someone who can’t trust their own abilities. Also, being overconfident makes you sound pompous and no one really likes people who are full of themselves. However, if you have the interview blues try mock interviews or seek professional help.

5. Poor communication skills: This includes both verbal and non-verbal communication. Verbal doesn’t mean just poor language skills, it also means bad use of language and talking too much. Also, in terms of non-communication skills candidates are judged on details like eye contact and handshake. It tells us a lot about the way to conduct yourself. For instance, if you avoid eye contact, the interviewer has every right to doubt that you are hiding some facts.

So, if you avoid these 5 big mistakes and just be yourself you will be a winner!

Bonus Job Interview Tips:

1. Never cut off the interviewer while he or she is talking.

2. If offered tea or coffee, it is courteous to accept.

3. Don’t forget to shake hands before and after the interview.

4. If your hands are unoccupied, do not fidget. Place them neatly on your lap or on the table.

How to Send Secured and Encrypted Emails? Services and Softwares

How to Send Secured and Encrypted Emails? Services and Softwares

 

You would be sending a lot of emails everyday to convey your messages to others. But please mind the security of your email contents and attachments. Anybody in the way can read and edit your unencrypted and plain-text emails. It becomes utmost important to send secure emails when your emails carry sensitive business and financial data. If any of your important and sensitive messages get intercepted and read by other people, it could bring a lot of damage to you. So sending secured and encrypted email message is very important for your organization now a days.

 

So, I will advise you to use some email encryption services and softwares which are very easy and convenient to send and receive encrypted email. These encryption email softwares help you to keep your information private and data protected.

 

There are a lot of email encryption softwares and services available in market which use various encryption algorithms to encrypt your emails and send them securely over the internet. I would like to mention some key points to keep in mind before choosing any email encryption software from the market.

 

How to choose best email encryption software? Features of Email Encryption Softwares

 

1. Email Encryption Softwares should uses advanced techniques like OpenPGP and S/MIME message formats to securely encrypt your email message.

2. Email Encryption Softwares should provides email encryption services for all major email clients like Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, Lotus Notes, Windows Mail, Incredimail, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, Gmail, Juno Mail, Lycos Mail, Eudora Webmail, Brinkster WebMail etc.

3. Email Encryption Softwares should automatically encrypt and decrypt your email message without huma intervention or command.

4. Email Encryption Softwares should achieve compliance with corporate and government regulations.

5. Your recipients should be able to view your messages with no software required on their side.

 

6. Process of encrypting email messages should not be lengthy, difficult, and cumbersome. Your email encryption software should be highly configurable, powerful, easy to use and should have user-friendly interface.

7. Your email encryption software should also protect your computer from viruses and worms that spread via email.
 

8. Your email encryption software should supports Text, RTF and HTML e-mails.

9. Your email encryption software should encrypt both email content and attachments.

10. No ads should be displayed in your emails by your email encryption software.

Some Email Encryption Softwares I would like to recommend

 

1. Comodo SecureEmail
2. Symantec PGP Desktop Email
3. SafeExpress
4. SendInc

 

Some Freeware Email Encryption Softwares

 

1. iSafeguard Freeware 6.2
2. HushMail
3. Safe Express Home 5.5
4. Sbwave
5. Gold Lock Desktop

FTP vs FTPS vs SFTP: Difference between FTP, FTPS and SFTP - Which one to use?

FTP vs FTPS vs SFTP: Difference between FTP, FTPS and SFTP - Which one to use?

 

FTP, FTPS and SFTP terms are often confused because there is very minute difference among FTP, FTPS and SFTP. In simple words, FTP is a basic file transfer protocol while FTPS and SFTP provide secure file transfers. SFTP uses Secure Shell Protocol to send secure data while FTPS uses SSL to send data securely. The use of FTPS and SFTP depends upon your application nature and requirement. Lets understand the usage and difference between FTP, FTPS and SFTP.

 

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

 

FTP is the File Transfer Protocol which defines the rules and standards for the communications for transferring the file from one host to other host over the network using the TCP/IP. 

 

It was first proposed in RFC 114 over 40 years ago and eventually evolved into RFC 959 which is the standard that FTP clients and servers follow today.

 

Security Issues with FTP: FTP transfers the unsecured data over network i.e. clear username, password, files and the FTP commands. This data can be read by anyone over the network.

 

SFTP (Secure File Transferred Protocol)

 

SFTP is the replacement of the FTP for securely transferring the data using the Secure Shell Protocol.

 

SFTP has following features:

 

1. SFTP encodes the data while transferring it on the network.
2. SFTP encrypts both commands and data providing effective protection against common network security risks.
3. SFTP encrypts the session, preventing the casual detection of your username, password or anything you’ve transmitted.

 

FTPS (File Transfer Protocol – SSL)

 

FTPS is not a replacement of FTP. FTPS implements the original FTP protocol through a separately created secure tunnel. FTPS is the pure FTP over SSL/TSL (Secure Socket Layer / Transport Layer Security) which encrypts the control session and data sessions if required during the transmission over the network.

 

With FTPS the control session is always encrypted, but the data session might not be, because with the control session encrypted the authentication is protected and you always want this (normal ftp uses clear text). If you are not pre-encrypting the file, you want the data session encrypted so that the file is encrypted while the data is in flight. However, if you are pre-encrypting the file then you do not need to have the data connection encrypted as you do not need to add the overhead of encrypting the data connection, since the file is already encrypted.

 

Both FTPS and SFTP use a combination of an asymmetric algorithm (RSA, DSA), a symmetric algorithm (DES/3DES, AES, Twhofish and so on), and a key-exchange algorithm. For authentication, FTPS (or, to be more precise, SSL/TLS protocol under FTP) uses X.509 certificates, whereas SFTP (SSH protocol) uses SSH keys.

 

FTP vs FTPS vs SFTP (Difference between FTP, FTPS, SFTP)

 

FTP: Using FTP both the command and data channels are unencrypted.  Any data sent over these channels can be intercepted and read.

 

FTPS: In order to address the security issues with FTP,  a set of security extensions to the original FTP protocol were proposed in RFC 2228 that protect FTP data as it travels over the network using SSL encryption.

 

SFTP: SFTP is often confused with FTPS and vice-versa even though these protocols share nothing in common except their ability to securely transfer files. SFTP is actually based on the SSH (Secure Shell) protocol which is best known for it's use in providing secure access to shell accounts on remote servers.

 

Unlike FTPS, SFTP does not utilize separate command and data channels.  Both data and commands are transferred in specially formatted packets via a single connection.

 

Which One To Choose? FTPS or SFTP

 

As usual, the answer depends on what your goals and requirements are. In general, SFTP is technologically superior to FTPS. Of course, it's a good idea to implement support for both protocols, but they are different in concepts, in supported commands, and in many other things.

 

It's a good idea to use FTPS when you have a server that needs to be accessed from personal devices (smartphones, PDAs, and the like) or from some specific operating systems that have FTP support but don't have SSH/SFTP clients. If you are building a custom security solution, SFTP is probably the better option.

 

As for the client side, the requirements are defined by the server(s) that you plan to connect to. When connecting to Internet servers, SFTP is more popular because it's supported by Linux and UNIX servers by default.

 

For private host-to-host transfer, you can use both SFTP and FTPS. For FTPS, you would need to search for a free FTPS client and server software or purchase a license for commercial one. For SFTP support, you can install an OpenSSH package that provides free client and server software.

Common EDI Transaction Codes for Electronic Data Interchange

Common EDI Transaction Codes for Electronic Data Interchange

 

We are going to discuss common EDI Transaction codes for Electronic Data Interchange. We will try to put light on EDI Transaction Standards and EDI Transaction Sets and how EDI Transactions impact your business? We will also see EDI Transaction Mappings and Integration.

 

There are many electronic data interchange (EDI) transaction codes that correspond to business documents, such as purchase orders and invoices, that can be exchanged with your trading partners and other third parties using EDI.

 

EDI transaction is most frequently associated with a set of codes that have been established as part of the ANSI X12 standard to denote a specific business exchange. For example an EDI transaction of type 810 is used to refer to an invoice.

 

While some EDI transaction sets are unique to a particular industry, many EDI transaction sets are in use among multiple industries.

 

EDI Transaction Standards

 

ASC X12, chartered by the American National Standards Institute more than 30 years ago, develops and maintains EDI and CICA standards along with XML schemas, which drive business processes globally. The diverse membership of ASC X12 includes technologists and business process experts, encompassing health care, insurance, transportation, finance, government, supply chain and other industries.

 

EDI Transaction Sets

 

A transaction set is a meaningful unit of information that is exchanged between trading partners. There are more than 300 transaction sets in the X12 standard, including purchase orders, invoices, and many more. Each set is represented by a unique number - for example, an 850 is a purchase order.

 

Impact of EDI Transactions on your business

 

The term EDI transaction is most frequently associated with a set of codes that have been established as part of the ANSI X12 standard to denote a specific business exchange. For example an EDI transaction of type 810 is used to refer to an invoice.

 

The EDI transaction will definitively impact your business - in more ways than you may imagine. At the most basic level you will need to gain an understanding from your trading partner of each EDI transaction they expect you to support.

Many retailers for example only require each of their suppliers to support the 810 EDI transaction and the 830 EDI transaction. While this is not ordinarily the case, your individual trading partners will have a full set of instructions (known as an implementation guide) that will give you details as to each EDI transaction required and the specific ways of implementing each.

 

Supporting the EDI Transaction Mapping

 

As you consider the process of selecting a software vendor for your EDI solution, one of the first considerations should be what level of support they offer for each EDI transaction that you will need. While most software vendors provide full support for the EDI X12 specification, many of them leave the actual implementation of each EDI transaction up to you. This is a process that can be complicated and very convoluted for each trading partner you intend to support. A better option might be to ask your software vendor to provide "kits" for each trading partner you plan on supporting that will have each EDI transaction pre-configured to each trading partner's specification.

 

Mapping Your EDI Transaction to your ERP System

 

As your adoption of EDI continues to grow, you will at some point begin to consider an integration option. Specifically, you may want to being the process of integrating a specific EDI transaction to its equivalent area in your ERP system.

For example the EDI transaction 830 specifies a purchase order; with the right software you would be able to map the output of your EDI software to your ERP's inbound order system so that no manual re-keying of data takes place.

 

This process, known as EDI integration, is the ultimate use of EDI and can provide significant cost savings over the long term. When deciding to pursue an EDI integration project, you should decide which EDI transactions are the most critical for your organization. While it is certainly feasible to map every EDI transaction possible to your ERP system it's often not very practical. As a rule of thumb you should only map the EDI transactions that you use most often - for many people this means simply mapping the EDI 810 (Invoice) and EDI 830 (Inbound Purchase Order).

 

List of Common EDI Transaction Codes for Electronic Data Interchange

 

X12C Communications & Controls

 

EDI 102 - Associated Data
EDI 242 - Data Status Tracking
EDI 815 - Cryptographic Service Message
EDI 864 - Text Message
EDI 868 - Electronic Form Structure
EDI 993 - Secured Receipt or Acknowledgment
EDI 997 - Functional Acknowledgment
EDI 999 - Implementation Acknowledgment

 

X12F Finance

 

EDI 130 - Student Educational Record (Transcript)
EDI 131 - Student Educational Record (Transcript) Acknowledgment
EDI 132 - Human Resource Information
EDI 133 - Educational Institution Record
EDI 135 - Student Aid Origination Record
EDI 138 - Education Testing and Prospect Request and Report
EDI 139 - Student Loan Guarantee Result
EDI 144 - Student Loan Transfer and Status Verification
EDI 146 - Request for Student Educational Record (Transcript)
EDI 147 - Response to Request for Student Educational Record (Transcript)
EDI 155 - Business Credit Report
EDI 188 - Educational Course Inventory
EDI 189 - Application for Admission to Educational Institutions
EDI 190 - Student Enrollment Verification
EDI 191 - Student Loan Pre-Claims and Claims
EDI 197 - Real Estate Title Evidence
EDI 198 - Loan Verification Information
EDI 199 - Real Estate Settlement Information
EDI 200 - Mortgage Credit Report
EDI 201 - Residential Loan Application
EDI 202 - Secondary Mortgage Market Loan Delivery
EDI 203 - Secondary Mortgage Market Investor Report
EDI 205 - Mortgage Note
EDI 206 - Real Estate Inspection
EDI 245 - Real Estate Tax Service Response
EDI 248 - Account Assignment/Inquiry & Service/Status
EDI 259 - Residential Mortgage Insurance Explanation of Benefits
EDI 260 - Application for Mortgage Insurance Benefits
EDI 261 - Real Estate Information Request
EDI 262 - Real Estate Information Report
EDI 263 - Residential Mortgage Insurance Application Response
EDI 264 - Mortgage Loan Default Status
EDI 265 - Real Estate Title Insurance Services Order
EDI 266 - Mortgage or Property Record Change Notification
EDI 810 - Invoice
EDI 811 - Consolidated Service Invoice/Statement
EDI 812 - Credit/Debit Adjustment
EDI 814 - General Request, Response or Confirmation
EDI 819 - Joint Interest Billing and Operating Expense Statement
EDI 820 - Payment Order/Remittance Advice
EDI 821 - Financial Information Reporting
EDI 822 - Account Analysis
EDI 823 - Lockbox
EDI 824 - Application Advice
EDI 827 - Financial Return Notice
EDI 828 - Debit Authorization
EDI 829 - Payment Cancellation Request
EDI 831 - Application Control Totals
EDI 833 - Mortgage Credit Report Order
EDI 844 - Product Transfer Account Adjustment
EDI 849 - Response to Product Transfer Account Adjustment
EDI 872 - Residential Mortgage Insurance Application
EDI 880 - Grocery Products Invoice

 

X12G Government

 

EDI 103 - Abandoned Property Filings
EDI 105 - Business Entity Filings
EDI 113 - Election Campaign & Lobbyist Reporting
EDI 149 - Notice of Tax Adjustment or Assessment
EDI 150 - Tax Rate Notification
EDI 151 - Electronic Filing of Tax Return Data Acknowledgment
EDI 152 - Statistical Government Information
EDI 153 - Unemployment Insurance Tax Claim or Charge Information
EDI 154 - Secured Interest Filing
EDI 157 - Notice of Power of Attorney
EDI 158 - Tax Jurisdiction Sourcing
EDI 175 - Court and Law Enforcement Notice
EDI 176 - Court Submission
EDI 179 - Environmental Compliance Reporting
EDI 185 - Royalty Regulatory Report
EDI 194 - Grant or Assistance Application
EDI 195 - Federal Communications Commission (FCC) License Application
EDI 196 - Contractor Cost Data Reporting
EDI 249 - Animal Toxicological Data
EDI 251 - Pricing Support
EDI 280 - Voter Registration Information
EDI 283 - Tax or Fee Exemption Certification
EDI 284 - Commercial Vehicle Safety Reports
EDI 285 - Commercial Vehicle Safety and Credentials Information Exchange
EDI 286 - Commercial Vehicle Credentials
EDI 288 - Wage Determination
EDI 500 - Medical Event Reporting
EDI 501 - Vendor Performance Review
EDI 511 - Requisition
EDI 517 - Material Obligation Validation
EDI 521 - Income or Asset Offset
EDI 527 - Material Due-In and Receipt
EDI 536 - Logistics Reassignment
EDI 540 - Notice of Employment Status
EDI 561 - Contract Abstract
EDI 567 - Contract Completion Status
EDI 568 - Contract Payment Management Report
EDI 650 - Maintenance Service Order
EDI 805 - Contract Pricing Proposal
EDI 806 - Project Schedule Reporting
EDI 813 - Electronic Filing of Tax Return Data
EDI 826 - Tax Information Exchange
EDI 836 - Procurement Notices
EDI 838 - Trading Partner Profile
EDI 839 - Project Cost Reporting
EDI 996 - File Transfer

 

X12I Transportation

 

EDI 104 - Air Shipment Information
EDI 106 - Motor Carrier Rate Proposal
EDI 107 - Request for Motor Carrier Rate Proposal
EDI 108 - Response to a Motor Carrier Rate Proposal
EDI 109 - Vessel Content Details
EDI 110 - Air Freight Details and Invoice
EDI 120 - Vehicle Shipping Order
EDI 121 - Vehicle Service
EDI 125 - Multilevel Railcar Load Details
EDI 126 - Vehicle Application Advice
EDI 127 - Vehicle Baying Order
EDI 128 - Dealer Information
EDI 129 - Vehicle Carrier Rate Update
EDI 160 - Transportation Automatic Equipment Identification
EDI 161 - Train Sheet
EDI 163 - Transportation Appointment Schedule Information
EDI 204 - Motor Carrier Load Tender
EDI 210 - Motor Carrier Freight Details and Invoice
EDI 211 - Motor Carrier Bill of Lading
EDI 212 - Motor Carrier Delivery Trailer Manifest
EDI 213 - Motor Carrier Shipment Status Inquiry
EDI 214 - Transportation Carrier Ship. Status Message
EDI 215 - Motor Carrier Pick-up Manifest
EDI 216 - Motor Carrier Shipment Pick-up Notification
EDI 217 - Motor Carrier Loading and Route Guide
EDI 219 - Logistics Service Request
EDI 220 - Logistics Service Response
EDI 222 - Cartage Work Assignment
EDI 223 - Consolidators Freight Bill and Invoice
EDI 224 - Motor Carrier Summary Freight Bill Manifest
EDI 225 - Response to a Cartage Work Assignment
EDI 227 - Trailer Usage Report
EDI 228 - Equipment Inspection Report
EDI 240 - Motor Carrier Package Status
EDI 250 - Purchase Order Shipment Management Document
EDI 300 - Reservation (Booking Request) (Ocean)
EDI 301 - Confirmation (Ocean)
EDI 303 - Booking Cancellation (Ocean)
EDI 304 - Shipping Instructions
EDI 309 - Customs Manifest
EDI 310 - Freight Receipt and Invoice (Ocean)
EDI 311 - Canada Customs Information
EDI 312 - Arrival Notice (Ocean)
EDI 313 - Shipment Status Inquiry (Ocean)
EDI 315 - Status Details (Ocean)
EDI 317 - Delivery/Pickup Order
EDI 319 - Terminal Information
EDI 322 - Terminal Operations and Intermodal Ramp Activity
EDI 323 - Vessel Schedule and Itinerary (Ocean)
EDI 324 - Vessel Stow Plan (Ocean)
EDI 325 - Consolidation of Goods in Container
EDI 326 - Consignment Summary List
EDI 350 - Customs Status Information
EDI 352 - U.S. Customs Carrier General Order Status
EDI 353 - Customs Events Advisory Details
EDI 354 - U.S. Customs Auto. Manifest Archive Status
EDI 355 - U.S. Customs Acceptance/Rejection
EDI 356 - U.S. Customs Permit to Transfer Request
EDI 357 - U.S. Customs In-Bond Information
EDI 358 - Customs Consist Information
EDI 359 - Customs Customer Profile Management
EDI 361 - Carrier Interchange Agreement (Ocean)
EDI 404 - Rail Carrier Shipment Information
EDI 410 - Rail Carrier Freight Details and Invoice
EDI 412 - Trailer or Container Repair Billing
EDI 414 - Rail Carhire Settlements
EDI 417 - Rail Carrier Waybill Interchange
EDI 418 - Rail Advance Interchange Consist
EDI 419 - Advance Car Disposition
EDI 420 - Car Handling Information
EDI 421 - Estimated Time of Arrival & Car Scheduling
EDI 422 - Equipment Order
EDI 423 - Rail Industrial Switch List
EDI 424 - Rail Carrier Services Settlement
EDI 425 - Rail Waybill Request
EDI 426 - Rail Revenue Waybill
EDI 429 - Railroad Retirement Activity
EDI 431 - Railroad Station Master File
EDI 432 - Rail Deprescription
EDI 433 - Railroad Reciprocal Switch File
EDI 434 - Railroad Mark Register Update Activity
EDI 435 - Standard Transportation Commodity Code Master
EDI 436 - Locomotive Information
EDI 437 - Railroad Junctions & Interchanges Activity
EDI 440 - Shipment Weights
EDI 451 - Railroad Event Report
EDI 452 - Railroad Problem Log Inquiry or Advice
EDI 453 - Railroad Service Commitment Advice
EDI 455 - Railroad Parameter Trace Registration
EDI 456 - Railroad Equipment Inquiry or Advice
EDI 460 - Railroad Price Distribution Request or Response
EDI 463 - Rail Rate Reply
EDI 466 - Rate Request
EDI 468 - Rate Docket Journal Log
EDI 470 - Railroad Clearance
EDI 475 - Rail Route File Maintenance
EDI 485 - Ratemaking Action
EDI 486 - Rate Docket Expiration
EDI 490 - Rate Group Definition
EDI 492 - Miscellaneous Rates
EDI 494 - Rail Scale Rates
EDI 601 - U.S. Customs Export Shipment Information
EDI 603 - Transportation Equipment Registration
EDI 715 - Intermodal Group Loading Plan
EDI 854 - Shipment Delivery Discrepancy Info.
EDI 858 - Shipment Information
EDI 859 - Freight Invoice
EDI 920 - Loss or Damage Claim - Gen. Commodities
EDI 924 - Loss or Damage Claim - Motor Vehicle
EDI 925 - Claim Tracer
EDI 926 - Claim Status Report and Tracer Reply
EDI 928 - Automotive Inspection Detail
EDI 980 - Functional Group Totals
EDI 990 - Response to a Load Tender
EDI 998 - Set Cancellation

 

X12M Supply Chain

 

EDI 101 - Name and Address Lists
EDI 140 - Product Registration
EDI 141 - Product Service Claim Response
EDI 142 - Product Service Claim
EDI 143 - Product Service Notification
EDI 159 - Motion Picture Booking Confirmation
EDI 170 - Revenue Receipts Statement
EDI 180 - Return Merchandise Authorization & Notification
EDI 244 - Product Source Information
EDI 290 - Cooperative Advertising Agreements
EDI 503 - Pricing History
EDI 504 - Clauses and Provisions
EDI 620 - Excavation Communication
EDI 625 - Well Information
EDI 753 - Request For Routing Instructions
EDI 754 - Routing Instructions
EDI 816 - Organizational Relationships
EDI 818 - Commission Sales Report
EDI 830 - Planning Schedule w/ Release Capability
EDI 832 - Price/Sales Catalog
EDI 840 - Request for Quotation
EDI 841 - Specifications/Technical Information
EDI 842 - Nonconformance Report
EDI 843 - Response to Request for Quotation
EDI 845 - Price Authorization Acknowledgment/Status
EDI 846 - Inventory Inquiry/Advice
EDI 847 - Material Claim
EDI 848 - Material Safety Data Sheet
EDI 850 - Purchase Order
EDI 851 - Asset Schedule
EDI 852 - Product Activity Data
EDI 853 - Routing and Carrier Instruction
EDI 855 - Purchase Order Acknowledgment
EDI 856 - Ship Notice/Manifest
EDI 857 - Shipment and Billing Notice
EDI 860 - Purchase Order Change Request – Buyer Initiated
EDI 861 - Receiving Advice/Acceptance Certificate
EDI 862 - Shipping Schedule
EDI 863 - Report of Test Results
EDI 865 - Purchase Order Change Acknowledgment/Request – Seller Initiated
EDI 866 - Production Sequence
EDI 867 - Product Transfer and Resale Report
EDI 869 - Order Status Inquiry
EDI 870 - Order Status Report
EDI 873 - Commodity Movement Services
EDI 874 - Commodity Movement Services Response
EDI 875 - Grocery Products Purchase Order
EDI 876 - Grocery Products Purchase Order Change
EDI 877 - Manufacturer Coupon Family Code Structure
EDI 878 - Product Authorization/De-authorization
EDI 879 - Price Information
EDI 881 - Manufacturer Coupon Redemption Detail
EDI 882 - Direct Store Delivery Summary Information
EDI 883 - Market Development Fund Allocation
EDI 884 - Market Development Fund Settlement
EDI 885 - Retail Account Characteristics
EDI 886 - Customer Call Reporting
EDI 887 - Coupon Notification
EDI 888 - Item Maintenance
EDI 889 - Promotion Announcement
EDI 890 - Contract & Rebate Management
EDI 891 - Deduction Research Report
EDI 893 - Item Information Request
EDI 894 - Delivery/Return Base Record
EDI 895 - Delivery/Return Acknowledgment or Adjustment
EDI 896 - Product Dimension Maintenance
EDI 940 - Warehouse Shipping Order
EDI 943 - Warehouse Stock Transfer Shipment Advice
EDI 944 - Warehouse Stock Transfer Receipt Advice
EDI 945 - Warehouse Shipping Advice
EDI 947 - Warehouse Inventory Adjustment Advice

 

X12N Insurance

 

EDI 100 - Insurance Plan Description
EDI 111 - Individual Insurance Policy & Client Info.
EDI 112 - Property Damage Report
EDI 124 - Vehicle Damage
EDI 148 - Report of Injury, Illness, or Incident
EDI 186 - Insurance Underwriting Requirements Reporting
EDI 187 - Premium Audit Request and Return
EDI 252 - Insurance Producer Administration
EDI 255 - Underwriting Information Services
EDI 256 - Periodic Compensation
EDI 267 - Individual Life Annuity & Disability Application
EDI 268 - Annuity Activity
EDI 269 - Health Care Benefit Coordination Verification
EDI 270 - Eligibility, Coverage or Benefit Inquiry
EDI 271 - Eligibility, Coverage or Benefit Information
EDI 272 - Property and Casualty Loss Notification
EDI 273 - Insurance/Annuity Application Status
EDI 274 - Health Care Provider Information
EDI 275 - Patient Information
EDI 276 - Health Care Claim Status Request
EDI 277 - Health Care Information Status Notification
EDI 278 - Health Care Services Review Information
EDI 362 - Cargo Insurance Advice of Shipment
EDI 834 - Benefit Enrollment and Maintenance
EDI 835 - Health Care Claim Payment/Advice
EDI 837 - Health Care Claim

 

Source: http://www.x12.org/x12org/docs/EDITransactions.pdf

What is Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)? EDI Document Standards, Benefits and Drawbacks

What is Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)? EDI Document Standards, Benefits and Drawbacks

 

In this article on Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), we will try to understand basics of EDI with simple example. We will see how Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) documents make your business easier and faster as compared to the paper documents. We will discuss some benefits and disadvantages of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). We will also come to know EDI standards and compliance.

 

What is EDI? Defination of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

 

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is a standard format for exchanging business data and documents. In other words, EDI is a process which allows one company to send information and documents to another company electronically rather than with paper.

 

The real power of EDI is that it standardizes the information communication communicated in business documents, which makes possible a "paperless" exchange. EDI replaces the faxing and mailing of paper documents.

 

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) documents use specific computer record formats that are based on widely accepted standards. However, each company will use the flexibility allowed by the standards in a unique way that fits their business needs.

 

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) Standards

 

The standard is ANSI X12 and it was developed by the Data Interchange Standards Association. ANSI X12 is either closely coordinated with or is being merged with an international standard, EDIFACT.

 

EDI: The Basic Example

 

Most companies create invoices using a computer system, print a paper copy of the invoice and mail it to their customers. Upon receipt the customer frequently marks up the invoice and enters it into its own computer system. The entire process is nothing more than the transfer of information from the seller's computer to the customer's computer.

 

EDI makes it possible to minimize or even eliminate the manual steps involved in this transfer.

 

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) Compliant

 

Almost any business document that one company wants to exchange with another company can be sent via EDI. However each EDI document must be exchanged with the partner in exactly the format they specify.

 

Many partners will have an EDI implementation guide or kit that explains their specific requirements. Maps are required to translate the EDI documents from the trading partner’s format into the format that is useable by the receiving party.

 

Meeting all of an EDI trading partner's EDI requirements is called being EDI compliant.

 

Applications of EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

 

Many business documents can be exchanged using EDI, but the two most common are purchase orders and invoices. It allows value chain partners to exchange purchase orders, invoices, advance ship notices, and other business documents directly from one business system to the other, without human intervention.

 

Proven advantages are fewer errors, lower administrative costs, and faster order-to-cash cycles.

 

EDI Message Format

 

An EDI message contains a string of data elements, each of which represents a singular fact, such as a price, product model number, and so forth, separated by delimiter. The entire string is called a data segment. One or more data segments framed by a header and trailer form a transaction set, which is the EDI unit of transmission (equivalent to a message). A transaction set often consists of what would usually be contained in a typical business document or form.

The parties who exchange EDI transmissions are referred to as trading partners.

Benefits of EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

 

By moving from a paper-based exchange of business document to one that is electronic, businesses enjoy major benefits such as reduced cost, increased processing speed, reduced errors and improved relationships with business partners.

 

1. Much less labor time is required. Paper purchase orders can take up to 10 days from the time the buyer prepares the order to when the supplier ships it. EDI orders can take as little as one day. EDI replaces postal mail, fax and email.

 

While email is also an electronic approach, the documents exchanged via email must still be handled by people rather than computers. Having people involved slows down the processing of the documents and also introduces errors.

 

Instead, EDI documents can flow straight through to the appropriate application on the receiver’s computer (e.g. the Order Management System) and processing can begin immediately.

 

2. Fewer errors occur because computer systems process the documents rather than processing by hand.

 

3. Business transactions flow faster. Faster transactions support reduction in inventory levels, better use of warehouse space, fewer out-of-stock occurrences and lower freight costs through fewer emergency expedites.

 

Drawbacks of EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

 

1. Companies must ensure that they have the resources in place to make an EDI program work; however, the need for buying and hiring these resources or outsourcing them may be offset by the increased efficiency that EDI provides.

Delphi Programming Language Experts on Stackoverflow

Delphi Programming Language Experts on Stackoverflow

If you are programming in delphi and stuck anywhere which you cannot find on google, just go to stackoverflow and post your delphi programming question in detail with proper delphi tags. A lot of delphi programming experts are sitting there on stackoverflow to help you out. You will start receiving answers to your question in a minute or two. 

Today, in this post "Delphi Programming Language Experts on Stackoverflow", I will list down some delphi programming experts on stackoverflow who have helped me a lot whenever I have asked delphi questions on stackoverflow. These people are the great contributors of delphi programming language on stackoverflow. I have listed them in order of their stackoverflow reputation score. All the facts and figures are taken from their stackoverflow profile at the time of writing this article. I know I have missed many great delphi contributors in this article, but will try to include them in my next article. Here goes the list.

1. David Heffernan

Stackoverflow Reputation: 169,679

Questions Asked: 40

Answers Given: 5,263

Location: Ulverston, United Kingdom

Age: 42

Profile views: 21,965

2. Andreas Rejbrand

Stackoverflow Reputation: 45,481

Questions Asked: 38

Answers Given: 746

Location: Sweden

Age: 25

Profile views: 2,552

3. Ken White

Stackoverflow Reputation: 43,214

Questions Asked: 5

Answers Given: 1245

Location: United States

Age: 

Profile views: 6,239

4. TLama 

Delphi, C++ and Assembler enthusiast, InnoSetup insider, C# newbie

Stackoverflow Reputation: 24,585

Questions Asked: 12

Answers Given: 451

Location: Czech Republic

Age: 28

Profile views: 1,646

5. Arnaud Bouchez

Using Object Pascal since the beginning, and even before it was object-oriented. Writer of some Delphi Open Source libraries like SynPDF or the Synopse mORMot Framework (Client-Server ORM/SOA libraries).

Stackoverflow Reputation: 19,454

Questions Asked: 5

Answers Given: 477

Location: Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France

Age: 40

Profile views: 1,084

6. jachguate

Enterpeneur, software developer and traveler

Stackoverflow Reputation: 10,830

Questions Asked: 2

Answers Given: 316

Location: Guatemala

Age: 37

Profile views: 721

7. DazzaL

Oracle developer since 2001. He has used all oracle versions from 7.3.4 onwards.

Stackoverflow Reputation: 10,146

Questions Asked: 0

Answers Given: 417

Location: London, United Kingdom

Age: 

Profile views: 526

8. Chris Thornton

Stackoverflow Reputation: 9,504

Questions Asked: 12

Answers Given: 520

Location: Rochester, NY

Age: 47

Profile views: 1,005

9. bummi

Software developer and shareholder of www.devworx.de. Main interests are component development (Delphi) and SQL. 

Stackoverflow Reputation: 7,963

Questions Asked: 0

Answers Given: 333

Location: Augsburg, Germany

Age: 47

Profile views: 352

10. Kaf

Stackoverflow Reputation: 7,853

Questions Asked: 9

Answers Given: 486

Location: United Kingdom

Age: 

Profile views: 338

11. Robert Frank

Stackoverflow Reputation: 3,851

Questions Asked: 84

Answers Given: 92

Location: 

Age: 

Profile views: 200

12. Rafael T

Stackoverflow Reputation: 3,699

Questions Asked: 88

Answers Given: 197

Location: Hamburg, Germany

Age: 28

Profile views: 246

13. Arioch 'The        

Stackoverflow Reputation: 3,389

Questions Asked: 11

Answers Given: 187

Location: Ribbit!

Age: 

Profile views: 409