You might be wondering what a Manufacturing EDI report looks like online. You should be able to count on the EDI service provider for a quality demonstration website. This is a place where you log in using a username and password, and the web browser shows a sample EDI report. What you should see in a demo is a large table of data displayed on a scrollable page in your web browser. This is really a report being pulled from information in your database and in the retail partners database. For example, you might look at a report that is a purchase order from the retailer for a shipment of pencils from your factory. The purchase order can be turned around in your Manufacturing EDI web portal to look like other business forms, such as an advanced shipping notice (ASN) or an invoice. That is because the same information is needed to populate these different kinds of business forms. On the purchase order view, the usual information will appear, such as the purchaser's information (which is your retail business partner), the purchase order number, items being purchased (by item number, description, and number of units), and unique transaction data (i.e. a control number). The great part about EDI reports is that you don't have to print them, unless perhaps you are hunting down a specific transaction or trying to troubleshoot inventory problems. Another benefit is that EDI reports can be shared with anyone in the manufacturing firm if they are given the username and password. With EDI, the inventory data you need is just a few clicks away!