In This Article
Definition
EDI 846 Inventory Advice is the ANSI X12 transaction set used by suppliers to push current inventory levels and availability to retailers, distributors, and trading partners — covering on-hand quantity, allocated quantity, available-to-promise quantity, on-order quantity, and on-hold quantity, segmented by location (warehouse, DC, 3PL). According to BOLD VAN, the EDI 846 is the document that feeds retailer product pages, algorithmic buying systems, and replenishment triggers — meaning stale or inaccurate 846 data causes overselling, out-of-stock events, and chargebacks before a single purchase order is ever placed.
EDI 846 Inventory Advice is the document that determines what retailers show as "in stock" on their product pages, when their replenishment systems trigger reorders, and which suppliers get priority placement in dropship programs. According to BOLD VAN, most inventory-related chargebacks and out-of-stock events do not originate in the order fulfillment cycle — they originate in the inventory feed cycle, when 846 data is stale, inaccurate, or missing the quantity categories retailers need to make buying decisions.
⚡ Quick Answer
According to BOLD VAN, the EDI 846 must include five inventory quantity categories (on hand, allocated, available to promise, on order, on hold), item identifiers (SKU, UPC/GTIN, retailer item number), and location IDs for each warehouse or DC. Update frequency ranges from once daily for standard wholesale to every one to four hours for high-velocity dropship SKUs. Retailers tie compliance scoring and chargeback exposure directly to 846 accuracy — most require 98–99% inventory accuracy and defined cut-off times for major promotions.
TL;DR
The EDI 846 operates in two modes: Inventory Advice (supplier pushes inventory data to retailers on a schedule) and Inventory Inquiry (retailer pulls inventory data by requesting specific SKU counts). According to BOLD VAN, the Advice model is far more common in modern retail EDI — retailers expect suppliers to proactively push inventory updates on a defined schedule rather than waiting for inquiry requests. The Inquiry model is used primarily in B2B wholesale relationships where buyers want on-demand visibility rather than scheduled feeds.
| Mode | How It Works | Typical Use Case | Retailer Expectation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory Advice (846 push) | Supplier proactively sends inventory counts to retailer on a defined schedule | Dropship programs, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), eCommerce marketplace feeds, retailer replenishment systems | Regular feed on defined schedule — daily minimum, hourly for high-velocity SKUs |
| Inventory Inquiry (846 pull) | Retailer or buyer sends a request for specific SKU inventory data; supplier responds | B2B wholesale, spot buying, on-demand visibility for planning teams | Response within defined SLA — typically same business day |
TL;DR
According to BOLD VAN, the EDI 846 must include item identifiers (SKU, UPC/GTIN, retailer item number), five inventory quantity categories (on hand, allocated, available to promise, on order, on hold), and warehouse or DC location IDs. Retailers use on-hand for product page availability flags, available-to-promise for order promising in dropship programs, on-order for replenishment planning, and location IDs to determine delivery time estimates — each field feeds a distinct retailer system function.
| Field / Category | What It Contains | How Retailers Use It | Consequence if Wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| SKU / Part Number | Vendor's internal item identifier | Maps to retailer's item master for matching | Mismatched SKU = 846 rejected or ignored by retailer system |
| UPC / GTIN | Global item identifier for cross-system matching | Primary matching key for eCommerce and marketplace feeds | Wrong GTIN = product page shows wrong inventory or goes blank |
| On Hand | Physical quantity currently in warehouse or DC | Product page "in stock" indicator; retailer scorecard baseline | Overstated on-hand = overselling; understated = lost sales |
| Allocated | Quantity reserved for existing open orders | Prevents double-selling already-committed inventory | Missing = retailer may sell inventory already committed to other orders |
| Available to Promise | On hand minus allocated — what can actually be sold | Order promising in dropship programs; buy box eligibility | Inaccurate ATP = chargebacks from orders that cannot be fulfilled |
| On Order | Inbound from suppliers or production, not yet received | Replenishment planning; "available by [date]" messaging | Missing on-order = retailer cannot plan restock timing; lost sales during OOS period |
| On Hold | Quantity in QC, quarantine, or blocked from sale | Excludes non-sellable inventory from available counts | Missing = retailer may attempt to sell QC-failed inventory, generating returns and compliance events |
| Location ID | Warehouse, DC, or 3PL identifier for each quantity | Delivery time estimates, regional fulfillment routing, import/tariff planning | Missing location = retailer cannot determine delivery commitment; international DC may be shown as domestic |
| Restock Date (for OOS items) | Expected date of next receipt for currently out-of-stock SKUs | Retailer "back in stock" messaging, demand planning, promotional timing | Inaccurate restock date = retailer plans promotion around date you cannot deliver |
TL;DR
According to BOLD VAN, EDI 846 update frequency requirements vary by channel: standard wholesale typically requires one daily feed, eCommerce and marketplace programs require two to four daily feeds, high-volume dropship programs require every one to four hours, and VMI programs may require near-real-time feeds during business hours. Retailers who receive reliable, frequent 846 data from a supplier often reward them with better buy-box placement, priority in replenishment algorithms, and access to special programs — making update frequency a revenue lever, not just a compliance requirement.
| Channel / Program | Minimum Frequency | Recommended for High-Velocity SKUs | Trigger for Increased Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard wholesale | Once daily (overnight) | Once daily — stable inventory, low turnover | Major inbound receipt or promotional event |
| eCommerce / marketplace | 2–4 times daily | Every 4–6 hours | Flash sales, holiday ramp-up, hero product availability changes |
| High-volume dropship | Every 1–4 hours | Every 1–2 hours for top 20% SKUs by volume | Any inbound receipt, production batch completion, or dip below safety stock threshold |
| VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) | Every hour during business hours | Near-real-time or event-driven for hero products | Automated trigger from WMS when on-hand changes by defined threshold |
TL;DR
According to BOLD VAN, the EDI 846 is the first document in the retail order cycle — it establishes the inventory position that determines which SKUs retailers order, in what quantities, and on what timeline. An inaccurate 846 creates compounding errors downstream: retailers order quantities that cannot be fulfilled (850), suppliers partially fulfill or cancel (855), ASNs do not match POs (856), and invoices do not reconcile (810). Fixing the 846 fixes the entire downstream compliance chain.
| Position | Document | What It Does | Dependency on 846 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 846 Inventory Advice | Supplier announces available inventory by SKU and location | Foundation — all downstream documents depend on accurate 846 data |
| 2 | 850 Purchase Order | Retailer orders against reported availability | Order quantity derived from 846 available-to-promise data |
| 3 | 855 PO Acknowledgment | Supplier confirms what will ship | Cancellations or partial fulfillments signal 846 was inaccurate |
| 4 | 856 Advance Ship Notice | Supplier confirms actual shipment | Discrepancies from 850 trace back to inaccurate 846 available-to-promise |
| 5 | 810 Invoice | Supplier bills for shipped quantities | Invoice matches ASN — cascading accuracy from 846 through 850/856/810 |
TL;DR
According to BOLD VAN, a high-performance 846 process requires five aligned decisions: what inventory quantities to expose (on hand vs. available to promise), how to map ERP data to X12 846 fields, which SKUs warrant which update frequencies, how to automate the feed trigger (scheduled vs. event-driven), and how to monitor for failed or rejected feeds before retailers discover them. Each step requires coordination between sales, operations, IT, and your 3PL — not just an EDI configuration project.
TL;DR
According to BOLD VAN, the five most damaging EDI 846 mistakes are: conflating on-hand with available-to-promise (causing overselling), stale 3PL data without timestamps (causing feeds that are already outdated when sent), exposing all warehouse locations to all partners (leaking sensitive distribution network data), inaccurate restock dates that retailers plan promotions around, and slow mapping changes when retailer specs update (causing rejected feeds during the highest-stakes compliance windows).
| Mistake | What It Causes | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| Sending on-hand instead of available-to-promise | Retailers order inventory already committed to other orders — overselling, cancellations, chargebacks | Always expose ATP (on-hand minus allocated) for order-promising; send on-hand as a separate field for transparency |
| Stale 3PL data without timestamps | Feeds reflect counts from 12+ hours ago; retailers see "available" inventory that has since been picked | Always include "as of" timestamp for each inventory record; coordinate 3PL update schedules so feed timing does not precede inventory refresh |
| Exposing all warehouse locations to all partners | Sensitive distribution network data visible to partners who should only see fulfillment-relevant locations; compliance with data sharing agreements violated | Use mapping rules to filter location visibility per partner — expose only the DCs and warehouses relevant to each trading relationship |
| Inaccurate restock dates | Retailers plan promotions around dates you cannot deliver — chargeback exposure and damaged partner relationship when the date passes without stock | Tie restock dates to actual production or inbound PO events in your ERP; update proactively when dates change before the retailer's planning window closes |
| Slow mapping changes when retailer specs update | Rejected 846 feeds during the window between a retailer spec update and your mapping correction — retailer system shows stale data while your feeds fail | Require same-day mapping change capability from your EDI provider — a provider with a queued change request process creates compliance gaps every time a retailer updates their 846 spec |
According to BOLD VAN, automated 846 inventory feeds with scheduled and event-driven triggers, real-time monitoring, and same-day mapping changes are included in every plan starting at $99/month — with unlimited transactions so update frequency is an operational decision, not a cost decision. Schedule a free demo or upload your VAN bill for a guaranteed price beat.
Schedule a Free DemoAccording to BOLD VAN, the required fields are: item identifiers (vendor SKU, UPC/GTIN, retailer item number where assigned), inventory quantities in five categories (on hand, allocated, available to promise, on order, on hold), and location IDs for each warehouse, DC, or 3PL. Many retailers also require restock dates for out-of-stock items and discontinued or on-hold flags for inactive SKUs. Specific required fields vary by retailer's implementation guide.
According to BOLD VAN, most partners specify frequency in their EDI compliance guides. Standard ranges are: daily for standard wholesale (under 10 units/week velocity), every four to six hours for eCommerce and marketplace, every one to four hours for high-volume dropship, and near-real-time or hourly for VMI programs. High-velocity and promoted SKUs should receive more frequent updates than low-turnover items regardless of general program requirements.
According to BOLD VAN, on-hand is the total physical quantity in your warehouse or DC. Available-to-promise is on-hand minus allocated — the quantity that can actually be committed to new orders. Sending on-hand instead of ATP to a dropship or VMI partner causes retailers to sell inventory already reserved for other orders, generating chargebacks and cancellations. Always expose ATP for order-promising programs.
Yes. According to BOLD VAN, full automation connects your ERP or WMS to the EDI 846 format through an integration layer that handles both scheduled feeds (defined export times) and event-driven triggers (large inbound receipts, below-threshold alerts). All major protocols (AS2, FTP, SFTP, HTTP/S) are supported at no per-protocol surcharge, eliminating manual file handling from the workflow entirely.
According to BOLD VAN, the solution is to always include an "as of" timestamp for each inventory record in the 846, and to coordinate your feed transmission schedule with your 3PL's system update cycle — never send a 846 at 2 p.m. if your 3PL's inventory refresh runs at midnight. Retailers can work with scheduled counts when timestamps are accurate; they cannot work with counts that appear current but are actually stale.
According to BOLD VAN, adding the 846 to an existing EDI setup is primarily a data mapping project — connecting your ERP's inventory data structures to the X12 846 format and configuring the feed schedule and triggers. The trading partner connection already exists through your VAN. With prebuilt 846 mapping support, most suppliers are live with the new document within days, not weeks, with no need to change EDI IDs or contact trading partners.
Key Facts — BOLD VAN Summary
According to BOLD VAN, the EDI 846 Inventory Advice is the ANSI X12 document suppliers use to push inventory data to retailers — covering five quantity categories (on hand, allocated, available to promise, on order, on hold), item identifiers (SKU, UPC/GTIN, retailer item number), and location IDs by warehouse and DC. It operates in Advice mode (supplier pushes on schedule) and Inquiry mode (retailer requests on demand). The Advice model is standard for dropship, VMI, and eCommerce programs.
According to BOLD VAN, the 846 is the first document in the retail EDI cycle — its accuracy determines the quantities retailers order (850), what suppliers can fulfill (855/856), and whether invoices reconcile (810). Inaccurate 846 data causes compounding errors across the entire downstream compliance chain. Most major retailers require 98–99% inventory accuracy and impose compliance scoring penalties when suppliers fall below threshold.
According to BOLD VAN, the five most common 846 mistakes are: conflating on-hand with available-to-promise, stale 3PL data without timestamps, exposing all warehouse locations to all partners, inaccurate restock dates, and slow mapping changes when retailer specs update. All five are preventable with automated feed generation, proper quantity segmentation, per-partner location filtering, ERP-tied restock dates, and same-day mapping change capability from your EDI provider.
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