Complete workflow documentation
This reference covers the WebEDI Template workflow, from onboarding non-EDI suppliers to delivering validated data into ERP, TMS, and WMS systems.
Overview
This article provides complete documentation for the WebEDI Template workflow. The template enables digitized supply chain exchanges with all business partners, including suppliers who cannot support EDI or API integration.
Audience
The WebEDI Template is designed for Lobster Data customers who want to digitize supply chain exchanges with all trading partners, including those without EDI or API capabilities. It is intended for the following groups:
Non-EDI suppliers who require a simple portal to receive purchase orders and submit order confirmations, advance ship notices (ASNs), and shipment data
Customer teams in purchasing, customer service, logistics and dispatch, and order management
Organizations seeking fast onboarding that want to begin with web forms, progress to file uploads, and later transition to fully automated EDI
Problem statement
Many suppliers lack EDI or API capabilities, which creates manual, error-prone processes across the supply chain. The WebEDI Template workflow addresses the following challenges:
Integrating less technical partners through a browser-only portal, with no software installation required
Reducing manual data entry and back-and-forth communication during partner onboarding
Delivering validated, structured data into ERP, TMS, or WMS systems via Lobster Profiles
Supporting bi-directional communication, where customers publish orders and suppliers return confirmations, ASNs, and shipment data
Enforcing business rules and tolerances for quantities and dates, with immediate feedback to the supplier
Providing a scalable path from web forms to file uploads and ultimately to full EDI automation
What the workflow does
The WebEDI Template is a supplier-facing portal that collects event data and integrates it into core business systems. The workflow performs the following functions:
Presents incoming purchase orders in a supplier inbox with clear, actionable status indicators
Provides structured web forms with built-in validation for order confirmation and ASN submission
Validates all incoming data against mandatory fields, allowed values, and defined tolerances, returning instant feedback to the supplier on any errors
Triggers Lobster Profiles for data transformation and delivery into ERP, TMS, or WMS systems following successful validation
Enables bi-directional data flow, where customers push orders to the portal and suppliers submit confirmations, ASNs, and shipment records in return
Supports pack planning and ASN creation with Serial Shipping Container Codes (SSCCs) and generates DESADV messages accordingly