Last updated: November 4, 2026 · Reviewed by BOLD VAN's EDI team
In This Article
Quick Answer
Many EDI providers translate EDI documents into flat files and leave you to load them into your ERP. With integrated EDI for Infor VISUAL (formerly Visual Manufacturing), trading partner orders arrive in VISUAL as sales orders, and advance ship notices and invoices are created from VISUAL and your warehouse system and sent automatically. That removes manual import work, speeds up order processing and gives you readable documents you can manage directly.
EDI VANs are supposed to make your life easier. But if your provider translates an EDI file and hands you a flat file to load into your ERP yourself, it hasn't taken much of the work or cost out of EDI.
There is real value in working with an EDI provider that integrates your EDI data directly into your Infor VISUAL ERP. Integration is the hardest part of EDI for most companies. When EDI data lands in VISUAL ready to use, you avoid hiring staff to load data by hand, and you can act on orders sooner, which strengthens your relationships with trading partners.
Definition
Flat File is a plain text file, often fixed-width or delimited, that an EDI translator produces from an EDI document. It holds the data in a simpler layout than raw EDI but still has to be imported or mapped into an ERP before the business can use it.
Flat files are a step between raw EDI and usable business data. Someone still has to import them into your ERP, check for errors and fix anything that doesn't load. That takes time, delays orders and adds labor costs, and when something fails, the file itself is hard for most people to read.
With integration included in your EDI service, data flows both ways between your trading partners and VISUAL:
Because the data is already in VISUAL, your team's job shifts from importing data to reviewing and approving it.
| Flat File Delivery | Integrated EDI for VISUAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Inbound orders | Flat file must be imported into VISUAL | Arrive in VISUAL as sales orders |
| Outbound ASNs and invoices | Exported and formatted manually or with custom scripts | Created from VISUAL and WMS data and sent automatically |
| Staff needed | Staff or a third party to import and troubleshoot | Review and approve |
| Readability | Hard-to-read flat file data | Readable documents in the portal |
| Speed | Delays while files wait to be loaded | Orders ready to process sooner |
2026 Free Mapping Event
Moving VANs or moving to the cloud? Through Dec. 31, 2026, we build and maintain the maps for the trading partners you move to BOLD Integration, at no mapping cost.
Speak with one of BOLD VAN's cloud solution specialists about integrated EDI for Infor VISUAL. Call (844) 265-3777 or email info@boldvan.com.
Talk to an EDI ExpertInfor VISUAL, formerly known as Visual Manufacturing, is an ERP system for manufacturers that manages orders, production, inventory, purchasing and shipping.
A flat file is a plain text file produced by an EDI translator. It is easier to work with than raw EDI but still has to be imported into an ERP before the data can be used.
Yes. With integrated EDI, trading partner orders arrive in VISUAL as sales orders, and ASNs and invoices are created from VISUAL data and sent automatically.
Common documents include the 850 purchase order (inbound), the 856 advance ship notice and the 810 invoice (outbound), along with acknowledgments such as the 997.
Not with integrated EDI. Your provider builds and maintains the maps, so your team reviews and approves data instead of importing it.
Yes. BOLD VAN customers can look up documents and their status in a readable format in the portal from any device.
Key Facts
Many EDI providers deliver translated data as flat files that must be imported into an ERP by hand. With integrated EDI for Infor VISUAL (formerly Visual Manufacturing), trading partner orders arrive in VISUAL as sales orders, and ASNs and invoices are created from VISUAL and warehouse data and sent automatically.
According to BOLD VAN, BOLD Integration builds and maintains maps into Infor VISUAL and other ERPs, documents are readable in its portal from any device, new trading partners are typically live within about a business day, and documents are encrypted in transit and at rest on SOC 2 Type II audited infrastructure.
