0.    INTRODUCTION

       This specification provides the definition of the Order status
       enquiry message (OSTENQ) to be used in Electronic Data
       Interchange (EDI) between trading partners involved in
       administration, commerce and transport.

1.    SCOPE

1.1   Functional Definition

       A message between a buyer or buyer's agent and a seller or
       seller's agent for information on the current status of a
       previously sent order(s).

1.2   Field of Application

       The Order status enquiry message may be used for both national
       and international applications. It is based on universal
       practice related to administration, commerce and transport, and
       is not dependent on the type of business or industry.

1.3   Principles

       This message may relate to:
       
       - one type of enquiry
       
       - one or more orders
       
       - specific lines within orders
       
       The order status enquiry can be sent as 'non-specific
       enquiries', i.e. asking for all outstanding orders, or as
       'specific enquiries', i.e. asking for specific orders or order
       lines.

2.    REFERENCES

       See UNTDID, Part 4, Chapter 2.6 UN/ECE UNSM - General Introduction,
       Section 1.

3.    TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

3.1   Standard terms and definitions

       See UNTDID, Part 4, Chapter 2.6 UN/ECE UNSM - General Introduction,
       Section 2.

4.    MESSAGE DEFINITION

4.1   Data Segment Clarification

       This section should be read in conjunction with the Segment
       Table which indicate mandatory, conditional and repeating
       requirements.
       
       The following guidelines and principles apply to the whole
       message and are intended to facilitate the understanding and
       implementation of the message:
       
       - All specified dates/times should be in the format
       'yymmdd'/'hhmm' unless all parties involved in the transaction
       agree that there is a functional requirement for an alternative
       format. Periods should be specified as whole numbers
       representing the required period as indicated in the format
       qualifier (weeks, months, etc.)
       
       - Where a choice of code or text is given only the code element
       should be used wherever possible. 
       
       - Data that is not necessary to meet the functional
       requirements of the message should not be included.
       
       - Care must be taken that the segment qualifier in dependent
       segments do not conflict with the segment qualifier of the
       trigger segment.
       
       - Free text information within the message should be avoided as
       this inhibits automatic processing.

4.1.1  Header section

       Information to be provided in the Header section:

   UNH, Message header
       A service segment starting and uniquely identifying a message.
       The message type code for the Order status enquiry message is
       OSTENQ.
       
       Note: Order status enquiry messages conforming to this document
       must contain the following data in segment UNH, composite S009:

       Data element  0065 OSTENQ
                     0052 D
                     0054 99A
                     0051 UN

   BGM, Beginning of message
       A segment by which the sender must uniquely identify the order
       status enquiry by means of its type and number and when
       necessary it's function.

   DTM, Date/time/period
       A segment specifying general dates and, when relevant, times
       related to the whole message. The segment must be specified at
       least once to identify the request date. The Date/Time/Period
       segment within other Segment group should be used whenever the
       date/time/period requires to be logically related to another
       specified data item e.g. Reference issue date is specified
       within the RFF Segment group.

   FTX, Free text
       A segment with free text information, in coded or clear form,
       used when additional information is needed but cannot be
       accommodated within other segments. In computer exchanges such
       text will normally require the receiver to process this segment
       manually.


   Segment group 1: NAD-SG2
       A group of segments identifying the parties with associated
       information.

      NAD, Name and address
          A segment identifying names and addresses of the parties, in
          coded or clear form, and their functions relevant to the
          proposed order. Identification of the sender (normally the
          buyer) is mandatory for the enquiry. It is recommended that
          where possible only the coded form of the party ID should be
          specified.


      Segment group 2: CTA-COM
          A group of segments giving contact details of the specific
          person or department within the party identified in the NAD
          segment.

         CTA, Contact information
             A segment to identify a person or department, and their
             function, to whom communications should be directed.

         COM, Communication contact
             A segment to identify a communications type and number
             for the contact specified in the CTA segment.

4.1.2  Detail section

       Information to be provided in the Detail section:


   Segment group 3: DOC-DTM-SG4
       A group of segments providing details of the individual
       requested order(s).

      DOC, Document/message details
          A segment giving references to the purchase order(s)
          enquired. Other references may also be given, e.g. sellers
          reference number.

      DTM, Date/time/period
          A segment specifying the date/time related to the reference.


 |    Segment group 4: LIN-PIA-IMD-MEA-STS-SG5-SG6
          A group of segments providing details of the individual
          requested order(s) lines.

         LIN, Line item
             A segment used to identify a line item.

         PIA, Additional product id
             A segment providing additional identification on the
             product specified in the LIN segment. E.g. To give
             seller's item number, EAN number, technical specification
             number.

         IMD, Item description
             A segment for describing the product as well as product
             characteristic. This segment should be used for products
             and services that cannot be fully identified by a product
             code or article number.

         MEA, Measurements
             A segment enabling the physical measurements of the
             ordered item to be specified where this is required for
             full identification of the product. Any measurements must
             refer to the product in its unpacked form e.g. thickness
             of plastic film, length, weight, etc.

 +       STS, Status
             This segment is used to specify the reason why an order
             status enquiry is being made for to the current product.


         Segment group 5: RFF-DTM
             A group of segments giving references related to the
             order line(s) and, where relevant, its dates.

            RFF, Reference
                A segment giving references to sellers reference
                number, contract numbers, etc.

            DTM, Date/time/period
                A segment specifying the date/time related to the
                reference.


         Segment group 6: LOC-DTM-QTY
             A group of segments used to request the status of only
             certain delivery of an order line.

            LOC, Place/location identification
                A segment indicating the location to which goods are
                to be delivered. This segment will only be used for
                multi destination deliveries.

            DTM, Date/time/period
                A segment specifying the date/time related to the
                product quantities.

            QTY, Quantity
                A segment identifying the product quantities.

   UNT, Message trailer
       A service segment ending a message, giving the total number of
       segments in the message and the control reference number of the
       message.

4.2   Data segment index (Alphabetical sequence by tag)

          BGM Beginning of message
          COM Communication contact
          CTA Contact information
          DOC Document/message details
          DTM Date/time/period
          FTX Free text
          IMD Item description
          LIN Line item
          LOC Place/location identification
          MEA Measurements
          NAD Name and address
          PIA Additional product id
          QTY Quantity
          RFF Reference
       +  STS Status
          UNH Message header
          UNT Message trailer

Contents of OSTENQ