1. I am a new vendor and understand your company requires me to do EDI. What information do I need and where do I go first?

2. I am a new vendor and we need to ship an order right away. We have not had time to test EDI documents. What should we do?

3. I am not ready to do EDI. What do I do?

4. I submitted a New Partner Set-up Form, but no one has contacted us. We want to avoid assessments for EDI Non-Compliance. Whom should we contact?

5. What VAN should I use to trade EDI documents with Kroger?

6. Does Kroger support EDI-INT (EDI over the Internet), AS1 or AS2?

7. How do I test EDI documents with a division of Kroger?

8. Do I have to test all documents with each division of Kroger?

9. Where do I find a communication profile for the Kroger division we ship?

10. What version(s) does Kroger support?

11. I pulled the EDI maps for the Kroger EDI support division I plan to work with. I have questions regarding the requirements. Who should I contact?

12. We are trying to support EDI in-house. Can Kroger tell me how to do mapping?

13. We don't use UPC numbers and Kroger requires them. Where do I get them?

14. I received an 824 Application Advice. What do I do?

15. I received a 997 Functional Acknowledgement. How do I read it?

16. In a phone message. a Kroger person wanted to verify if we received an EDI document. We don't know how to contact this person. What do I do?

17. I did not receive a 997 Functional Acknowledgement for the EDI document I sent. What do I do and whom do I contact?

18. Kroger deducted $150 per Invoice from our payment. This deduction appears to be an EDI Non-Compliance assessment. Who do I contact to discuss this?

19. Does Kroger or Fred Meyer require our company to send ASNs?

20. Does Kroger or Fred Meyer require our company to label all cartons with a UCC-128 label?

21. The item information sent on the EDI purchase order is incorrect. How can we get this corrected?

22. We received a UPC on our EDI order and it does not belong to our company. How do we get this corrected?

Q #1: I am a new vendor supplying one of Kroger's divisions. The buyer told me I am required to do EDI and to visit this website for more information. What information do I need and where do I go first?
A: New vendors to Kroger are required to do EDI. Several years ago, Kroger began trading EDI documents and saw first hand how doing so takes cost out of the supply chain. Kroger wants to pass this cost savings onto our customers and drive sales, mutually beneficial for both Kroger and its vendors. Please review our information on EDI Compliance. Kroger requires most companies to accept via EDI, purchase orders (850 or 875), and application advices (824), and send invoices (810 or 880). Under Getting Started you will find our EDI Standard Agreement and the Terms and Conditions of an EDI Order. Once you have chosen an EDI Provider or are ready to begin trading with Kroger, submit an EDI New Partner Set-up Form. We manage all request based on our business requirements. When we are to begin establishing an EDI connection, we will contact your company.

Q #2: I am a new vendor to a Kroger division (s) and we need to ship an order right away. We have not had time to test EDI documents. What should we do?
A: Although we would like to have EDI connections in place at the time the first order is written, we recognize this is not always possible. However, acceptance of a purchase order from a Kroger division is consent to establish an EDI relationship. In the very near future, a Kroger division will send a formal notice with a given timeframe to establish an EDI connection. Your compliance to our EDI requirements must be met before the end of the specified time. Should you not send or receive documents electronically after the compliance deadline, a $150.00 assessment will be applied against all future payments until EDI compliance is met to help offset the cost of manual processes.

Q #3: I am not ready to do EDI. What do I do?
A: Kroger requires most companies to accept via EDI, purchase orders (850 or 875), and application advices (824), and send invoices (810 or 880). Under Getting Started you will find our EDI Standard Agreement and the Terms and Conditions of an EDI Order. Once you have chosen an EDI Provider or are ready to begin trading with Kroger, submit an EDI New Partner Set-up Form. We manage all request based on our business requirements. When we are to begin establishing an EDI connection, we will contact your company.

Vendors who do not submit an EDI Partner Set-Up Form prior to doing business with a Kroger division will receive a formal notice from our division with a given timeframe to establish an EDI connection. Your compliance to our EDI requirements must be met before the end of the specified time. Should you not send or receive documents electronically after the compliance deadline, a $150.00 assessment will be applied against all future payments until EDI compliance is met to help offset the cost of manual processes.

Q #4: I submitted a New Partner Set-up Form, but no one has contacted us. We want to avoid assessments for EDI Non-Compliance. Whom should we contact?
A: We turn over all completed forms to an EDI Business Analyst who handles your account. Because we manage our EDI Compliance program on the business requirements of Kroger, we will notify our vendors when we are ready become EDI partners. It is not until you do receive this notice that Kroger requires use of EDI. Since you have already taken the first steps to be connected, migrating to use of EDI should be quick. If your company does not get an immediate response from one of our EDI Business Analysts (their contact information is on our Contact Us pages), please contact the EDI Business Manager for the EDI group:

• EDI Business Manager for Kroger/Peyton's Group/Fred Meyer: Rose Crisan, rose.crisan@kroger.com, 303-715-2614

Q #5: What VAN should I use to trade EDI documents with Kroger?
A: Kroger does not require the use of a specific VAN or EDI provider to trade EDI documents. We are able to trade documents directly through Sterling Commerce, GXS, and QRS/AT&T Global Network (also known as IBM/Advantis/AGNS). If you use a different VAN, or your service provider uses a different VAN, please have your VAN or provider setup an interconnection to one of these providers.

Q #6: Does Kroger support EDI-INT (EDI over the Internet), AS1 or AS2?
A: The Kroger Co recognizes the potential of EDI-INT and is currently examining various options for deployment. Today we do not have the capability. Our preferred communication method is through the VANS. Please visit our Maps pages for a list of current VANS and a link to third party providers who have proven reliable in working with us.

Q #7: How do I test EDI documents with a division of Kroger?
A: Please visit our Programs & Requirements pages for specific information on how we test each EDI document.

Q #8: Do I have to test all documents with each division of Kroger?
A: Kroger uses common systems across all divisions for many products categories. When approved for one store division, you are approved for all store divisions in the EDI support area. Kroger EDI supports these divisions: Atlanta, Central/Indianapolis, Central/Shelbyville, Cincinnati, City Markets, Columbus, Delta/Memphis, Dillon Stores, Fry's Food Drug & Marketplace, King Soopers, Kroger, Michigan, Mid Atlantic/Roanoke, Mid South/Louisville, Peyton's, Ralph's, Southwest/Houston, Southwest/Dallas, and W.T. Young Storage. Fred Meyer EDI supports Fred Meyer Stores, and Smith's Food & Drug. Some documents have special testing requirements for a specific division, but there are no specific division requirements for purchase orders, invoices and application advices.

The Peyton division requires EDI Invoicing testing through Grocery EC, a third party provider, Please contact Grocery EC directly for testing with Peyton, www.groceryec.com.

Q #9: Where do I find the communication profile for the Kroger division my company ships?
A: We maintain our communication profiles on our Maps and Contact Us pages. Please click on the appropriate EDI support team for contact information and communication profiles.

Q #10: What version(s) does Kroger support?
A: Kroger makes every effort to keep up with the EDI Standards as established by the UCC. For a current list of the version supported for each EDI document, please visit our Maps pages.

Q #11: I pulled the EDI maps for the Kroger EDI support division I plan to work with. I have questions regarding the mapping requirements. Who should I contact?
A: For specific questions regarding Kroger's EDI mapping requirements, please contact the EDI Business Analyst supporting our EDI relationship. You will find all contact information on our Contact Us page.

If you are working with a template, by an EDI provider, and your template does not align with Kroger's mapping requirements, please contact your EDI provider and ask for an updated template based on our requirements.

Q #12: We are considering or have started trying to support EDI in-house. Can Kroger tell me how to do the mapping?
A: The Uniform Code Council (UCC) is the best resource for information on how to create your EDI system. They offer a course on EDI called "Supply Chain U," as well as many other resources regarding EDI, and UPCs on their website www.uc-council.org. Your VAN or EDI service provider can also provide support on mapping. Unfortunately, Kroger has thousands and thousands of suppliers on EDI, and cannot provide specific consulting to any of our vendors on EDI.

Q #13: Our Company does not use UPC numbers and Kroger requires UPC numbers. Where do I get them?
A: The UCC manages and distributes UPC codes. Please contact the UCC to obtain UPC blocks.

Q #14: I received an 824 Application Advice. What do I do?
A: The Kroger Co uses the 824 Application Advices to ensure EDI documents meet our business and technical requirements for the specified document. If you receive an 824, please refer to our Programs & Requirements or Maps web pages for a list of codes for the specified transaction. Two levels of errors are reported, Warnings and Fatal. Warnings are minor errors are inconsistencies with the information sent, but did not prevent the document from being passed on. Fatal errors are a result of significant violation (s) of Kroger's requirements. Documents with fatal errors cannot be passed on. Please correct the errors reported and resend your document.

Q #15: I received a 997 Functional Acknowledgement. How do I read it?
A: Please refer to the UCC on how 997 Functional Acknowledgements should be processed and read. Kroger will acknowledge all documents received from partners within the timeframe specified by the standard and version being used or 24 hours, whichever is shorter.

Q #16: I received a phone message from a Kroger person who wants to verify if I had received an EDI document. We have received the EDI document and we do not know how to contact this person. What do I do?
A: As defined in our EDI Standard Agreement, Kroger requires vendors to acknowledge our transactions of UCS, VICS, and other ANSI ASC X.12 transaction sets. We monitor for acknowledgments and take appropriate action if the expected acknowledgment has not been received within the time specified by the standard and version being used or within 24 hours, which ever is the shorter period. You will need to send your 997 for the document sent by Kroger to avoid a disruption in EDI service. Kroger reserves the right to revoke an EDI partnership at any time and revert to documentation transmitted in hard copy or electronically without being on a formal EDI basis. Termination of an EDI partnership by Kroger for failure to return EDI Acknowledgments could result in a $150.00 assessment fee for EDI Non-Compliance.

Q #17: I did not receive a 997 Functional Acknowledgement for the EDI document I sent. What do I do and whom do I contact?
A: Transmission of vendor EDI transactions will be acknowledged according to the guidelines for the standard version being used. For ANSI ASC X.12 transactions including UCS and VICS, the 997 acknowledgement will be used. As the sender, it is your responsibility to verify The Kroger Co has acknowledged transmissions and take appropriate action if the expected acknowledgments have not been forthcoming within the time specified by the standard and version being used or 24 hours, whichever is the shorter period. Please check your EDI system or contact your EDI VAN or provider to investigate if the EDI document was transferred to Kroger's mailbox before contacting a Kroger EDI Business Analyst.

Q #18: Kroger deducted $150.00 per Invoice from our payment. This deduction appears to be an EDI Non-Compliance assessment. Who do I contact to discuss this?
A: All EDI Non-Compliance assessments sent to our vendors include a letter from the appropriate accounting group handling your account. The letter accompanying the check should include an accounting person to contact regarding your specific assessment. Please contact this person. At the request of our accounting groups, we will provide them the specific detail and status of our EDI relationship.

Q #19: Does Kroger or Fred Meyer require our company to send ASNs (Advanced Ship Notice)?
A: Kroger and Fred Meyer only require selected companies on specific supply chain programs to send ASNs. For more information regarding our supply chain programs, please visit our Programs & Requirements pages on this website. If you are capable of meeting the requirements of one of our EDI supply chain programs, please contact our buyer (s) and let them know your EDI and business capabilities.

Q #20: Does Kroger or Fred Meyer require our company to label all cartons with a UCC-128 label?
A: Kroger and Fred Meyer only require selected companies on specific supply chain programs to label all cartons with the UCC-128 label. For more information regarding our supply chain programs, please visit our Programs & Requirements pages on this website. You will need to contact the buyer (s), warehouse (s), or traffic department of the Kroger division (s) you supply for specific carton labeling instructions.

Q #21: The item information sent on the EDI purchase order is incorrect (this could include the buying unit, UPC, stock or style number, color and/or size and pack). How can we get this corrected?
A: Data related to item information is stored and maintained in our procurement applications, not within EDI. If there is an error with the buying unit, UPC, stock or style number, color and/or size or pack size, please contact our buyer to have the information corrected.

Q #22: We received a UPC on our EDI order and it does not belong to our company. How do we get this corrected?
A: The Fred Meyer division will create an 'in-house' UPC when an orderable UPC is not available from its vendor. All in-house orderable UPCs start with 40001 since the Fred Meyer division assigns them. Buyers will create this UPC type when the vendor does not have an orderable UPC assigned for the packing configuration the buyer and vendor agreed to. For example, when the Fred Meyer buyer is buying a set of six Red t-shirts, there is one medium, three larges, and two x-larges in the pre-pack of six units' orders. If you receive a Fred Meyer in-house UPC on your EDI order you will need to either maintain this UPC on your systems or work through your Sales group to assign an orderable UPC for the pre-pack the Fred Meyer division is buying from your company. If an orderable UPC for the pack exists, please contact our buyer to have them assign your UPC as the orderable UPC.