Automated purchase order sync between ERP and supplier EDI using database triggers

ERP Infor CloudSuite
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1

I wanted to share our successful implementation of automated PO synchronization between Infor CloudSuite and our supplier EDI network in ICS 2022. We needed real-time PO transmission to suppliers without manual intervention, and the solution centered on database triggers combined with middleware integration.

Before automation, procurement staff manually exported POs and uploaded them to our EDI portal, creating 2-3 hour delays and occasional missed transmissions. We implemented database triggers that fire when PO status changes to ‘Approved’, automatically queuing the PO data for EDI transmission. The trigger captures PO details and writes them to an integration staging table:

CREATE TRIGGER trg_po_approved
AFTER UPDATE ON PURCHASE_ORDERS
WHEN (NEW.status = 'APPROVED')
INSERT INTO EDI_OUTBOUND_QUEUE...

A middleware service monitors the queue and transforms PO data into EDI 850 format, handling the actual transmission to supplier networks. This approach has reduced PO transmission time from hours to minutes and eliminated manual errors. The efficiency gains have been substantial - procurement can now focus on strategic sourcing rather than administrative tasks.

2

Helen’s point about trigger performance is valid and something we designed for from the start. Our trigger literally does three things: validate the PO is ready for EDI, insert a single row into the queue table, and exit. Total execution time is under 50 milliseconds. The queue table insert is asynchronous from the user’s perspective because it happens after the PO approval transaction commits. We specifically avoided putting any external API calls, complex transformations, or heavy processing in the trigger itself. That’s all handled by the separate middleware polling process.

3

We’re using a hybrid approach. The core transformation logic is custom code running in our integration layer (we use MuleSoft), but we leverage a commercial EDI gateway service for the actual B2B communication with supplier networks. Building the entire EDI stack from scratch wasn’t worth it - the gateway service handles all the AS2 protocols, certificates, and supplier network connectivity, which would be complex to maintain ourselves. Our custom code focuses on the CloudSuite-specific business logic and data mapping.