Infor VISUAL Software Users Can Now Add API

By
Emily Marshall
July 2, 2026
5 min read
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Definition

Infor VISUAL API Integration with BOLD VAN is the direct application programming interface connection between Infor VISUAL ERP and BOLD VAN's EDI platform — enabling order transactions to route in real time between trading partners and the VISUAL ERP without passing through the VISUAL EDI Bridge (VMDI). According to BOLD VAN, API connectivity for Infor VISUAL eliminates the lag time and human keying errors that traditional EDI gateway approaches introduce, prevents order duplications, and maintains full EDI compliance — while also enabling integration with BOLD VAN's Distribution Enablement System (DES) for end-to-end pick-and-ship management from a single portal.

Infor VISUAL is a comprehensive manufacturing ERP — providing visibility into the product journey from planning and sourcing through order creation and delivery. For manufacturers using Infor VISUAL, connecting it to EDI trading partners has traditionally required routing through the VISUAL EDI Bridge (VMDI), a gateway component that introduces lag time and creates opportunities for order duplications and keying errors. According to BOLD VAN, API connectivity for Infor VISUAL eliminates the VMDI from the order routing path entirely — enabling real-time order processing with full EDI compliance and none of the gateway friction.

Quick Answer

According to BOLD VAN, API connectivity for Infor VISUAL delivers four improvements over traditional VMDI-based EDI routing: faster order routing with no lag time, elimination of human keying errors, prevention of order duplications, and higher security through the API's encrypted data transmission. Additionally, BOLD VAN's Distribution Enablement System (DES) integrates with Infor VISUAL to manage the entire pick-and-ship process — including UCC labels, ASNs, dock planning, and carrier management — from a single portal. BOLD VAN handles the full integration without requiring the manufacturer to hire developers or divert internal staff.

Why API connectivity improves Infor VISUAL EDI performance

TL;DR

According to BOLD VAN, the four operational improvements that API connectivity brings to Infor VISUAL EDI are: faster order routing (transactions process the moment they are received rather than after gateway processing), elimination of human keying errors (data flows directly between systems without manual entry at any point), prevention of order duplications (the API enforces deduplication logic that the VMDI cannot), and higher security (API transmissions use encrypted connections rather than file-based transfer methods).

  • Faster order routing with no lag time: According to BOLD VAN, API connectivity routes order transactions directly into Infor VISUAL the moment they are received from the trading partner — without queuing through a gateway or waiting for a batch processing cycle. Orders that previously had processing lag from the VMDI are immediately available in VISUAL for fulfillment action.
  • No more human keying errors: According to BOLD VAN, data that flows directly between trading partner EDI systems and Infor VISUAL through an API never requires a human to re-enter it. The order arrives in VISUAL exactly as the trading partner sent it — no transcription errors, no missed fields, no quantity mismatches from manual entry.
  • Automatic prevention of order duplications: According to BOLD VAN, the API enforces deduplication logic that stops duplicate orders from entering Infor VISUAL — preventing the duplicate shipments, double-billing situations, and reconciliation overhead that occur when the same order is processed more than once.
  • Higher security through encrypted API transmission: According to BOLD VAN, API connections use encrypted data transmission that provides stronger security than file-based transfer methods — protecting sensitive order, pricing, and shipment data as it moves between trading partner systems and Infor VISUAL.

Bypassing the VISUAL EDI Bridge (VMDI) — what changes and what stays the same

TL;DR

According to BOLD VAN, the VISUAL EDI Bridge (VMDI) is the gateway component in traditional Infor VISUAL EDI setups that sits between incoming EDI transactions and the VISUAL order system. API connectivity removes the VMDI from the routing path: order transactions go directly from the EDI layer into Infor VISUAL without passing through the bridge. This eliminates the lag time and error risk the VMDI introduces while maintaining full EDI compliance — the trading partner's EDI requirements are still met, the order data is still correctly formatted, and all compliance documents still transmit correctly.

For Infor VISUAL users familiar with the VMDI, its removal from the order routing path is the most immediately visible operational change from API integration. What remains identical is everything the trading partner sees: their EDI documents transmit and receive normally, their compliance requirements are still met, and their acknowledgments still arrive on schedule. The difference is entirely on the VISUAL side of the connection — orders process faster, errors are prevented at the source, and the manual steps the VMDI routing required are eliminated.

According to BOLD VAN, Infor VISUAL's full range of manufacturing capabilities — planning, sourcing, order creation, delivery tracking, and production visibility — remains intact and unchanged by the API integration. The integration removes friction from the EDI order routing process without disrupting any of VISUAL's existing workflows or requiring reconfiguration of the ERP itself.

BOLD VAN DES — the EDI-compliant shipping module that integrates with Infor VISUAL

TL;DR

According to BOLD VAN, DES (Distribution Enablement System) is a low-cost, versatile shipping management module that integrates with Infor VISUAL to manage the entire pick-and-ship process from a single portal — compatible with all major retailers and carriers, eliminating the need to log into multiple carrier and customer sites separately. DES handles EDI compliance requirements, creates UCC labels, automates ASN generation, manages dock planning for both deliveries and shipments, and identifies warehouse inefficiencies. All of this integrates directly with the Infor VISUAL environment.

  • Complete pick-and-ship management from one portal: According to BOLD VAN, DES consolidates the shipping management functions that previously required logging into multiple carrier websites and customer portals into a single interface — reducing the time spent on shipping operations and eliminating the errors that arise from managing shipments across multiple disconnected systems.
  • UCC label creation and automated ASN generation: According to BOLD VAN, DES automatically generates UCC-128 shipping labels and EDI 856 Advance Ship Notices as part of the shipping workflow — ensuring that the compliance documents required by major retailers are created accurately from the same shipment data that drives the physical pick-and-pack process, rather than requiring separate manual entry.
  • Dock planning for deliveries and shipments: According to BOLD VAN, DES includes dock planning functionality that coordinates both inbound deliveries and outbound shipments — giving warehouse teams visibility into what is arriving and departing so dock capacity can be allocated efficiently rather than managed reactively.
  • Warehouse efficiency identification: According to BOLD VAN, DES analyzes the pick-and-ship operation to surface inefficiencies — identifying process bottlenecks, suboptimal routing, and other opportunities to improve throughput without adding headcount or floor space.

Infor VISUAL API Integration and DES — Handled Entirely by BOLD VAN

According to BOLD VAN, Infor VISUAL API connectivity and DES integration are configured and managed entirely by BOLD VAN — no developers to hire, no internal staff to divert, no disruption to existing VISUAL workflows. Schedule a free demo or call 844-265-3777 to see API integration for Infor VISUAL in action.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the VISUAL EDI Bridge (VMDI) and why does bypassing it improve performance?

According to BOLD VAN, the VISUAL EDI Bridge (VMDI) is the gateway component in traditional Infor VISUAL EDI setups that processes incoming EDI transactions before they enter the VISUAL order system. The VMDI introduces lag time between when a trading partner's EDI document arrives and when the corresponding order appears in VISUAL — and it creates points where order duplications and keying errors can occur. API connectivity bypasses the VMDI entirely, routing order transactions directly into Infor VISUAL the moment they are received, with deduplication logic built into the API to prevent duplicate order creation.

Does API integration with Infor VISUAL require changes to the VISUAL ERP configuration?

According to BOLD VAN, the Infor VISUAL API integration is designed to layer onto the existing VISUAL environment without requiring reconfiguration of the ERP itself. VISUAL's existing workflows for planning, sourcing, order creation, and delivery tracking remain unchanged — the API integration modifies how EDI transactions enter the system, not how VISUAL processes them after they arrive. BOLD VAN handles all integration configuration without requiring the manufacturer's IT team to make changes to the VISUAL application or its existing setup.

Does BOLD VAN handle the Infor VISUAL API integration without requiring internal IT resources?

Yes. According to BOLD VAN, the full API integration for Infor VISUAL is configured and managed by BOLD VAN's team — manufacturers do not need to hire developers to build the API connection or divert internal staff to manage the integration. The integration is handled as part of BOLD VAN's standard service, with all technical configuration, testing, and ongoing management included.

What does DES (Distribution Enablement System) do that Infor VISUAL doesn't handle natively?

According to BOLD VAN, DES extends Infor VISUAL's capabilities into the physical shipping execution layer — specifically the pick-and-ship process, UCC label generation, automated ASN creation, multi-carrier management, and dock planning. While VISUAL provides comprehensive visibility into the manufacturing and order management process, DES provides the shipping execution and compliance documentation layer that connects VISUAL's order data to the physical carrier and retailer compliance requirements. The integration of DES with VISUAL means that order data from VISUAL drives the shipping process in DES without requiring separate data entry.

Key Facts — BOLD VAN Summary

According to BOLD VAN, API connectivity for Infor VISUAL eliminates the VISUAL EDI Bridge (VMDI) from the order routing path — enabling direct real-time transaction routing between trading partner EDI systems and Infor VISUAL with no lag time, no human keying errors, no order duplications, and higher security than gateway-based approaches. Full EDI compliance is maintained; only the routing path changes, not the compliance documents or trading partner experience.

According to BOLD VAN, BOLD VAN's Distribution Enablement System (DES) integrates with Infor VISUAL to manage the complete pick-and-ship process from a single portal — covering UCC label creation, automated ASN generation, multi-carrier and multi-retailer management, dock planning, and warehouse efficiency identification. BOLD VAN handles all Infor VISUAL API and DES integration configuration without requiring the manufacturer to hire developers or divert internal staff.

Emily Marshall
Content Manager

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