EDI, Peppol and XML: format or delivery channel?

Asking whether an invoice should be “EDI or XML” mixes different levels. EDI means electronic data interchange; XML is a family of syntaxes. Peppol provides an interoperable exchange framework, while Peppol BIS Billing specifies document rules. A project needs to describe these layers separately.

Ask the right questions

Ask which document the customer expects, which profile it applies and which delivery channel it requires. Establish the destination address, commercial references and available responses. The transport provider should explain how it handles an unknown recipient, an interruption and a repeated submission.

Separate three outcomes

A file can pass local checks without being transmitted. Transmission may be accepted while the accounting department is still missing a purchase reference. A received document can also be disputed for commercial reasons. Show these states separately in your tracking process instead of reducing the entire journey to a green tick.

Test the complete process

Use a test invoice agreed with the recipient. Follow it from export through to import into the customer’s software. Record identifiers used to match responses and verify the correction procedure. KlarFakt’s Peppol validator checks the supported document rules; it provides no network access and does not submit invoices to an access point. Retain the recipient’s confirmation as well as the local report, because they answer different questions about the same exchange.

Check your own case reproducibly

Work on a copy first and retain the unchanged original. Record the expected result, the action actually performed and the software version used. Afterwards, compare the document number, parties, currency and amounts with the original invoice. Investigate any difference before reusing the result. A small anonymised example is more useful for diagnosing a failure than indiscriminately sharing complete customer records. Repeat the test after changing an export setting and, where relevant, confirm that the actual business partner can receive and process the resulting document.

Sources and next steps

• OpenPeppol : Peppol.
• Peppol BIS Billing.