Developed more than a decade ago to address the needs of large manufactures looking to automate the parts-ordering process, EDI is a set of specification for ordering, billing, and paying for parts and services over private electronic networks.

• 十几年前针对大制造商期待其零件订购过程实现自动化之需求而开发的电子数据交换（EDI），是一组通过专用的电子网络对零件和服务进行订购、记帐和支付的技术规范。