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About Electronic Data Interchange

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has been used in business and government since the 1960s. EDI saves a company money by providing an alternative to, or replacing of, the flow of information that require a great deal of human interaction and materials such as paper documents. EDI also reduces errors because it eliminates the need to rekey documents, increasing the speed in which the trading partners receive and incorporate the information into their respective systems.

EDI is a method of computers communicating without human intervention so that data can be passed as quickly, efficiently, and cost effectively as possible. This is done by both parties, Trading Partners, agreeing to, and exchanging data following a standard specification for the transfer of the data.

The standard specification assures that both parties in the data exchange have a clear understanding of what data is expected, that the data is available, and provides a format to present the data and a transmission method for exchanging the data.

New Hampshire follows the International Association of Industrial Boards and Commissions (IAIABC). The IAIABC was founded in 1914 with the mission of improving workers' compensation systems. The IAIABC specifications are the product of a collaborative volunteer effort by members of the IAIABC EDI Systems, Claims, and Triage Committees, governed by the EDI Council.

The IAIABC website includes much more information on EDI for workers' compensation. The EDI committees work continuously on refining EDI reporting, and welcome new participants. Descriptions of the committees, contact lists, the J. Baxter Swing Web Board, and other help with EDI are accessible on the website.

Starting up a new EDI system can be complex endeavor. Make sure you understand all that is required before investing resources. Otherwise, you may end up with a collection of piecemeal fixes rather than a comprehensive solution.

Through research we have attempted to address the concerns of trading partners. If you encounter a problem or have any comments or questions please e-mail us at EDI@dol.nh.gov.


New Hampshire Department of Labor  |  
95 Pleasant Street  |  Concord, NH 03301
Telephone: 603-271-3176  |  
Hours of Operation: 8am - 4:30pm M-F