Blog - EDI & VDA Knowledge for Automotive Suppliers

Practical guides on VDA 4984 / 4987, EDIFACT syntax and EDI onboarding - from the makers of the free browser-based VDA validators.

• What Is VDA 4987? The DESADV Despatch Advice Explained
  VDA 4987 is the German automotive industry's EDIFACT-based despatch advice (DESADV). Learn what it contains, how the message is structured, and who has to send it.
• VDA 4987 Validation: 10 Common Errors and How to Fix Them
  The most frequent VDA 4987 DESADV mistakes - missing DTM dates, wrong BGM type, bad date formats, broken control counts - and how to fix each one before transmission.
• What Is VDA 4984? The DELFOR Delivery Forecast Explained
  VDA 4984 is the German automotive delivery forecast (DELFOR): how OEMs tell suppliers what to ship and when. Structure, key segments, and how it differs from DESADV.
• VDA 4984 Validation: Common DELFOR Errors and Fixes
  Frequent VDA 4984 DELFOR mistakes: wrong BGM type, DESADV date qualifiers in a forecast, broken UNS separator codes, and control-count mismatches - with fixes.
• EDIFACT Basics: Segments, Elements and the Envelope in 10 Minutes
  A fast primer on UN/EDIFACT syntax for automotive EDI beginners: UNA/UNB/UNH/UNT/UNZ, segments, composites, data elements, separators and release characters.
• VDA vs EDIFACT vs ANSI X12: How the EDI Standards Fit Together
  Confused by VDA 4987 vs EDIFACT DESADV vs X12 856? A map of the three standards worlds automotive suppliers meet, and which one your customer actually wants.
• Why We Validate EDI Messages Locally in Your Browser
  EDI files contain prices, volumes and delivery plans - competitive secrets. Why this site's parsers run 100% in the browser and never upload your messages.
• The VDA 49xx Message Family: An Overview for Suppliers
  VDA 4902 to 4992 decoded: which VDA messages exist (4984 DELFOR, 4987 DESADV, 4938 INVOIC, 4985 DELJIT), what each one does, and which you need first.
• Reading a VDA 4987 Despatch Advice Step by Step
  A guided walk through a VDA 4987 DESADV file: what each segment group means, from UNB envelope to CPS packaging hierarchy - for non-EDI specialists.
• EDI Onboarding with a New Automotive Customer: A Practical Checklist
  From 'please send VDA 4987' to go-live: the complete EDI onboarding checklist for automotive suppliers - guidelines, mappings, test phases, and go-live traps.
• UNB, UNH, UNT, UNZ: Envelope Errors That Break the Whole File
  The EDIFACT envelope looks like boilerplate but causes outsized damage: mismatched control references, wrong segment counts and nested messages - how to spot them fast.