EDI Order Exchange (UBL) New in 19

Odoo 19 introduces electronic order interchange using the UBL BIS 3 (Peppol) standard. This allows businesses to exchange purchase orders and sales orders as XML files - no manual data entry required.

What is UBL?

Universal Business Language (UBL) is an international XML standard for business documents. The Peppol BIS Ordering 3.5 format is widely used in Europe for B2B e-commerce, enabling:

• Automated order exchange between companies
• Standardized format understood by any compliant software
• Reduced errors from manual data entry
• Faster order processing
• Legal compliance for e-invoicing requirements

Why EDI Matters

The Problem Without EDI

graph LR
    S1[Seller creates order] --> E1[Emails PDF]
    E1 --> B1[Buyer receives]
    B1 --> M1[Manual data entry]
    M1 --> E2[Errors possible]
    E2 --> P1[Purchase Order created]

Issues:

• Manual data entry takes time
• Typos and errors
• Inconsistent formatting
• No automation possible
• Hard to track status

The Solution With EDI

graph LR
    S2[Seller creates order] --> X2[Exports XML]
    X2 --> B2[Buyer receives XML]
    B2 --> I2[Imports automatically]
    I2 --> P2[Purchase Order created]

Benefits:

• Zero manual entry
• No typos
• Standardized format
• Full automation
• Complete audit trail

How It Works

The Order Exchange Flow

sequenceDiagram
    participant SA as Seller's Odoo
    participant X as XML File
    participant BA as Buyer's Odoo

    SA->>SA: Create Sale Order
    SA->>SA: Confirm Order
    SA->>X: Export UBL XML
    X->>BA: Transfer (email, Peppol, FTP)
    BA->>BA: Upload XML
    BA->>BA: Purchase Order Created

Step-by-Step

Step	Seller (Your Customer)	Buyer (Your Company)
1	Creates Sale Order in their Odoo	-
2	Confirms order	-
3	Downloads XML from portal: "Connect with your software!"	-
4	Sends XML file (email, Peppol network, FTP)	Receives XML file
5	-	Uploads XML in Purchase Orders
6	-	Purchase Order created automatically

For Sellers: Exporting Orders

Customer Portal Download

When your customer has a portal account:

1. Customer receives Sale Order confirmation email
2. Clicks "View Order" to open portal
3. Clicks "Connect with your software!" button
4. Downloads XML file (filename: SO001_order.xml)

Direct URL: /my/orders/<order_id>/download_edi

What's in the XML?

The exported XML includes all order details:

Section	Contents
Header	Order reference, date, currency, validity period
Buyer Party	Company name, VAT, address, contact
Seller Party	Supplier info with identifiers
Delivery	Shipping address, requested date
Payment Terms	From the order's payment term
Order Lines	Products, quantities, prices, taxes
Totals	Subtotal, tax amounts, grand total

XML Structure Example

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Order xmlns="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:Order-2">
  <ID>SO/2024/00042</ID>
  <IssueDate>2024-12-15</IssueDate>
  <DocumentCurrencyCode>EUR</DocumentCurrencyCode>

  <BuyerCustomerParty>
    <Party>
      <PartyName><Name>Acme Corporation</Name></PartyName>
      <PartyTaxScheme>
        <CompanyID>BE0123456789</CompanyID>
      </PartyTaxScheme>
    </Party>
  </BuyerCustomerParty>

  <OrderLine>
    <LineItem>
      <ID>1</ID>
      <Quantity unitCode="EA">10</Quantity>
      <LineExtensionAmount currencyID="EUR">500.00</LineExtensionAmount>
      <Item>
        <Name>Widget Pro</Name>
        <SellersItemIdentification><ID>WIDGET-PRO</ID></SellersItemIdentification>
      </Item>
      <Price><PriceAmount currencyID="EUR">50.00</PriceAmount></Price>
    </LineItem>
  </OrderLine>
</Order>

For Buyers: Importing Orders

Creating Purchase Orders from XML

When you receive an order XML from a supplier:

1. Go to Purchase → Orders → Requests for Quotation
2. Click "Upload" button in the list view (or drag-drop)
3. Select the XML file
4. Odoo parses the XML and creates a new Purchase Order

Auto-Matching Logic

XML Field	Matched To	Matching Logic
SellerSupplierParty	Partner (Vendor)	VAT number first, then name, or creates new
SellersItemIdentification	Product	Vendor's product code from pricelist
BuyersItemIdentification	Product	Your internal reference
TaxCategory	Taxes	Tax percentage + type
DeliveryParty	Delivery Address	Address matching or creates contact
PaymentTerms	Payment Terms	Matches by name or creates

Setting Up Vendor Product Codes

For accurate product matching, configure vendor pricelists:

1. Go to Purchase → Products → Products
2. Select a product
3. Go to Purchase tab
4. Add vendor with their product code

Field	Purpose	Example
Vendor	Supplier partner	"Acme Supplies"
Vendor Product Code	Their SKU	"ACME-WGT-001"
Your Product	Your internal product	"Widget Pro"
Price	Their price to you	45.00

Document Types in EDI

Supported Documents

Document	Direction	Purpose
Order	Buyer → Seller	Place an order
Order Response	Seller → Buyer	Confirm/reject order
Despatch Advice	Seller → Buyer	Shipment notification
Invoice	Seller → Buyer	Request payment
Credit Note	Seller → Buyer	Refund/correction

Document Flow

sequenceDiagram
    participant B as Buyer
    participant S as Seller

    B->>S: Order (Purchase Order)
    S->>B: Order Response (Confirmation)
    S->>B: Despatch Advice (Shipment)
    S->>B: Invoice
    B->>S: Payment

Business Scenarios

Scenario 1: Multi-Company Order Flow

Setup: Company A sells to Company B, both use Odoo

1. Company A (Seller): Creates Sale Order SO/2024/001 for Company B
2. Company A: Confirms order → Customer receives portal link
3. Company B (Buyer): Downloads XML from Company A's portal
4. Company B: Uploads XML → Purchase Order PO/2024/042 created automatically

Result: Both orders linked, no manual data entry, no errors

Scenario 2: Cross-Platform Exchange

Setup: Your company uses Odoo, supplier uses SAP

1. Supplier creates order in SAP
2. SAP exports Peppol BIS 3 XML
3. Supplier emails XML to you
4. You upload XML in Odoo
5. Purchase Order created with all details

Result: Works because both systems speak UBL

Scenario 3: Peppol Network

Setup: Both parties are on Peppol network

1. Seller creates and confirms order
2. Order automatically sent via Peppol Access Point
3. Buyer's system receives and imports automatically
4. No manual file transfer needed

Result: Fully automated, no email/file handling

Peppol Network

What is Peppol?

Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement Online) is a network for exchanging electronic business documents:

Aspect	Details
Coverage	39+ countries worldwide
Documents	Orders, invoices, credit notes
Format	UBL BIS 3 standard
Transport	Secure AS4 messaging
Identifiers	Peppol ID for each participant

Connecting to Peppol

1. Get a Peppol ID - Register with an Access Point provider
2. Configure Odoo - Enter your Peppol credentials
3. Exchange documents - Automatic sending/receiving

Peppol Providers

Odoo doesn't provide direct Peppol connectivity. You need an Access Point provider:

• Storecove
• Basware
• Pagero
• Many country-specific providers

Technical Details

Modules & Auto-Install

Module	Purpose	Auto-Install When
sale_edi_ubl	Export Sale Orders as UBL XML	sale + account_edi_ubl_cii installed
purchase_edi_ubl_bis3	Import/Export Purchase Orders	purchase + account_edi_ubl_cii installed
account_edi_ubl_cii	Core UBL/CII parsing library	Manual or via localization

Checking Installation

1. Go to Apps
2. Search for "UBL" or "EDI"
3. Install required modules

Configuration

1. Company VAT: Settings → Companies → VAT number (required for party identification)
2. Peppol ID: Partner form → Accounting tab → Peppol Endpoint
3. Product Codes: Products → Purchase tab → Vendor pricelists

Handling Import Issues

When Matching Fails

If some data couldn't be imported:

• An activity is scheduled to review
• Partially matched data is saved
• Manual intervention required for unmatched items

Common Issues

Issue	Cause	Solution
Vendor not found	No matching VAT/name	Create vendor or fix VAT
Product not found	No matching code	Add vendor product code
Tax not found	Different tax rate	Create matching tax
Address mismatch	Different format	Create/link address

Best Practices for Matching

1. Configure vendor VAT numbers - Primary matching key
2. Set up vendor product codes - In purchase pricelists
3. Standardize tax codes - Match with trading partners
4. Test with sample files - Before going live

Integration Patterns

Email-Based Exchange

Seller → Email with XML attachment → Buyer uploads manually

• Simple setup
• Manual step required
• Good for occasional orders

Peppol Network

Seller → Access Point → Peppol Network → Access Point → Buyer

• Fully automated
• Requires Peppol registration
• Best for high-volume B2B

Direct API

Seller's system → API call → Buyer's system

• Custom integration
• Real-time exchange
• Requires development

Compliance & Legal

E-Invoicing Mandates

Many countries now require electronic invoicing:

Country	Requirement
Italy	Mandatory since 2019
France	Phased 2024-2026
Germany	Required for B2G
Belgium	B2G mandatory
Poland	KSeF from 2026

Benefits for Compliance

• Standardized format accepted by authorities
• Automatic archiving
• Audit trail
• Tax reporting integration

Knowledge Check

Q1: What is the main benefit of UBL order exchange?

Answer: Eliminates manual data entry and reduces errors

UBL XML files contain all order information in a standardized format. The receiving system can automatically create records without human intervention, eliminating typos and data entry time.

Q2: How do you download an order XML for a customer?

Answer: Customer clicks "Connect with your software!" on the portal

After confirming a sale order, customers can access their portal, view the order, and click the download button to get the UBL XML file.

Q3: Product matching fails during import. What should you configure?

Answer: Vendor product codes in purchase pricelists

Go to the product, Purchase tab, and add the vendor with their product code (SellersItemIdentification). This allows Odoo to match the XML product code to your internal product.

Q4: What's the difference between direct file exchange and Peppol?

Answer: Peppol is automated via a network; files require manual transfer

With direct files, you manually send/receive XML via email. Peppol is a network where documents route automatically between registered participants through Access Points.

Q5: Can Odoo exchange EDI documents with non-Odoo systems?

Answer: Yes - any UBL/Peppol compliant system

UBL is an international standard. Any system that can export/import UBL BIS 3 XML (SAP, Microsoft, Oracle, etc.) can exchange documents with Odoo.