What is EDI 852 Data?

There’s a number of benefits retailers can gain thanks to their EDI 852 data. Just in case you don’t know what EDI 852 is, let us explain it like this. EDI 852 files are usually referred to as “product activity data” or “product activity report.”

A product activity report (EDI 852) is a document that highlights on 2 core factors:

  • It provides data on current products and inventory
  • It shows how products are selling – Point of Sale or POS data

Now, while there’s a lot of data and insights you can get out of your EDI 852, the core data points are going to be;

  • Item and Quantity sold in dollars
  • Item and Quantity sold in units
  • Quantity on hand (inventory)

EDI 852 data files are typically provided on a weekly basis.  The challenge is that each retailer uses a slightly different format, data descriptions, and code identifiers. This is why it’s difficult to estimate exactly what you’d need without having a conversation with you first.

None the less, EDI 852 files routinely contain the following information:

For each item

  • Item description
  • Item UPC

Data can be summarized by:

  • Store
  • Distribution center

Key product activity measures:

  • Quantity sold ($)
  • Quantity sold (units)
  • Quantity on hand ($)
  • Quantity on hand (units)
  • Quantity on order ($)
  • Quantity on order (units)
  • Quantity received ($)
  • Quantity received (units)

Key forecasting measures:

  • Quantity ($)
  • Quantity (units)

Key retail metrics which can be calculated to evaluate performance against your goals:

Working efficiently with EDI 852 data requires a good analysis tool like Accelerated Analytics®. Otherwise, the merchandise planner is left to sort through line after line of data to find problems and opportunities. By using Accelerated Analytics®, the routine tasks of formatting and consolidating data are eliminated, and exception logic can be used to save time.

The Accelerated Analytics® team understands how to work with EDI 852 data. We eliminate all the headaches and give you the preformatted reports you need to run your business.