WAWF Made Easy – Submit Data in Batch
Posted by Brad Pendleton on Tue, Feb 16, 2010
From improving accuracy and tracking abilities, to decreasing payment delays, Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF) provides many advantages to both the US Department of Defense (DOD) and the Defense Supplier. But with those advantages come some process changes and challenges to the supplier. Using the interactive web application to submit your Receiving Reports and Invoices one at a time can be time consuming and often frustrating. The ability to submit Receiving Report and Invoice data in batch improves your efficiency. WAWF provides two methods to batch submit your data - Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and SSH File Transfer Protocol (sFTP).
Electronic Data Interchange
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is an automated process of electronically submitting information, in a standardized format, from one computer to another. Normally, utilizing EDI requires a subscription to a Value Added Network (VAN) service. A VAN service is often described as an electronic post office that receives files from one subscriber and delivers them to another subscriber's mailbox.
Considerations when choosing the EDI method for submitting data to WAWF:
• EDI processes high volumes of shipments seamlessly.
• Many packaging software solutions are optimized to submit data using a VAN service.
• VAN service providers provide many IT related functions, from assisting in the initial setup to monitoring your Receiving Report and Invoice submissions. This can be especially good for companies where users have limited computer knowledge or no internal IT support.
• The time required to begin submitting transactions is short as the VAN service provider has already completed transaction testing with JITC.
The activities that occur to submit your Receiving Reports and Invoices via EDI are as follows:
1. Create your Receiving Report, Invoice or RFID Pack Data and submit a file to a VAN server.
2. The GEX (Global Exchange Services) regularly checks the VAN server and will pick up your file to begin the import process.
3. The GEX checks for proper formatting and translates the file from the EDI file standards to a User Defined Format for WAWF. It also sends a receipt acknowledgement back to the VAN.
4. Once the file is successfully translated, it is automatically submitted to WAWF.
5. WAWF receives and imports the file. You will receive a system generated message stating that the imported file was Accepted, Accepted with Modification or Rejected.
6. If the file was accepted, it will appear in WAWF and can be viewed via the interactive web application.
SSH File Transfer Protocol
SSH File Transfer Protocol (sFTP), commonly known as Secure File Transfer Protocol or Secure FTP, allows an encrypted, computer to computer connection to WAWF. Although, in some cases, it requires additional manual steps by the Defense Supplier to submit through the protocol.
Considerations when choosing the sFTP method for submitting data to WAWF:
• In many cases, it requires additional manual steps to retrieve the data file from your packaging application and submitting it via a sFTP client.
• Setup can be time consuming and complicated.
• Testing with JITC will require several iterations before you are approved for production use.
The activities that occur to submit your data in batch via sFTP are as follows:
1. Create your Receiving Report, Invoice or RFID Pack Data file following the User Defined Format as defined by the Department of Defense.
2. Establish an encrypted connection to WAWF using sFTP and transfer the file.
3. WAWF receives and imports the file. You will receive the same type of system generated email as previously described.
4. If the file was accepted, it will appear in WAWF and can be viewed via the interactive web application.
Submitting your data to WAWF in batch provides many benefits to you. You no longer need to worry how busy the WAWF servers may be, because submitting in batch is an asynchronous process with your other work. By preparing the Receiving Report and Invoice on your personal computer, it removes concerns of having to start and finish your shipment in one session and concerns of your WAWF session expiring due to inactivity.