Control Number Validation

Control numbers are used to identify EDI transactions. For example, any acknowledgment must indicate what EDI transaction it is acknowledging.

A control number is used to indicate the transaction. Also, if a problem occurs with a transaction, trading partners contact each other and note that control number X transaction had a problem.

For information on how to use control numbers to reconcile acknowledgments, see Reconciling Acknowledgments. The fields are found in the X12 protocol Control Numbers tabs. See the Setting Control Number Properties sections in the configuration guides for these protocols.

Increment Group Control Numbers Across Outbound Interchanges

This field determines whether to generate group control numbers that always increase when sending EDI documents.

For example, if it is set to false, the pattern of control numbers are similar to the following information:

int 1

grp 1

txn 1

txn 2

grp 2

txn 1

int 2

grp 1 <---- the group number has been reset

txn 1

If it is set to true, the pattern looks like the following information:

int 1

grp 1

txn 1

grp 2

txn 1

int 2

grp 3 <---- the group number continues to increase

txn 1

Increment Transaction Control Number Sequentially Across Interchanges

This field determines whether to generate the transaction control numbers that always increase when sending EDI documents across interchanges.

For example, if it is set to false, the pattern of control numbers are similar to the following information:

int 1

grp 1

txn 1

txn 2

grp 2

txn 1

int 2

grp 1

txn 1 <---- the transaction number has been reset

If it is set to true, the pattern looks like the following information:

int 1

grp 1

txn 1

grp 2

txn 2 <---- the transaction number continues to increase

int 2

grp 1

txn 3 <---- the transaction number continues to increase

Group Control Numbers Increment Across Inbound Interchanges

This field determines whether group control numbers are expected to increase when receiving EDI documents. This is important only if the control number validation (Group Control Number Sequence Check) is on.

If the field is set to true and the Group Control Number Sequence Check is set to Incremental or Chronological, the following sequence comes in:

int 1

grp 1

txn 1

txn 2

grp 2

txn 1

int 2

grp 1 <---- the group number has been reset

txn 1

This results in a validation failure. The group number must be 3 (for Incremental) or >2 (for Chronological). The group control numbers can always increase because of acknowledgment reconciliation. 997s only acknowledge at the group and transaction level, not the interchange level.

Any trading partner that only sends back 997s (and not TA1) might have reconciliation problems unless the group control numbers always increase. For example, without setting the field to true, the following sequence is ambiguous for 997-only acknowledgment reconciliation:

int 1

grp 1

txn 1

int 2

grp 1

txn 1

Since 997s have no interchange information, int 1/grp 1/txn 1 looks exactly the same as int 2/grp 1/txn 1.

Interchange Control Number Sequence Check

This field determines how interchange control numbers on inbound must be validated.

If the field is set to Incremental, the following sequence comes in:

int 1

grp 1

txn 1

txn 2

grp 2

txn 1

int 2 <---- this number must be exactly one greater than the previous interchange any value other than 2 will

fail

validation

grp 1

txn 1

For chronological, int 2 can also be any value greater than 1. For none, the value can be anything. When a resend of an interchange is received from a trading partner, the chronological or incremental sequence check of the Control Number is not validated.

Interchange Control Number Seed

This field determines what number to start at for the interchange control number.

Group Control Number Sequence Check

This field determines how group control numbers are validated. It works with the Group Control Number Increment Across Interchanges.

For example, the following sequence might come in:

int 1

grp 1

txn 1

grp 2

txn 1

int 2

grp 1

txn 1

The preceding information is valid for Incremental or Chronological, but the group is not expected to always increase.

int 1

grp 1

txn 1

grp 2

txn 1

int 2

grp 3 <-----

txn 1

The preceding information is only valid for Chronological and always increase.

For transaction settings:

int 1

grp 1

txn 1

txn 3 <-----

grp 2

txn 1

This is only valid for Chronological. If validation for transactions is set to Incremental, the highlighted value must be 2.

When a resend of an interchange is received from a trading partner, the chronological or incremental sequence check of the Control Number is not validated.

Transaction Control Number Sequence Check

When a resend of an interchange is received from a trading partner, the chronological or incremental sequence check of the Control Number is not validated.