What is so important about the implementation conventions?
The ICs specify how a transaction set is used. They describe the segments, data elements, and data qualifiers used. They also designate optional segments or data elements in the EDI standards that are required for the receiving party. They include implementation notes to help explain how segments or data elements are used, when to use certain codes, what the limitations are, and more. They also establish the version and release of the EDI standard used for the IC. They are an important tool to help write the programs to import and export data out of application systems because they describe all the parameters needed (e.g., records, fields, field length, and delimiters). They also serve as a compliance check on the data that are exchanged. See the Implementation Conventions page for more information.
