Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) allows companies to exchange commercial, logistical and financial information

If this information is to be exchanged efficiently, messages have to use the same computer language.

The e-commerce operations between Carrefour and its trading partners are based on a language understood and used by all. Forums such as GS1 Global Office and its different member organizations (GS1 France, EACOC in Spain, Indicod in Italy etc.) work together to select the technologies and define the standards which enable communication between different companies. These standards address not only the structure but the content of the information exchanged.

The EANCOM and XML GS1 standards are used for structuring the data involved in commercial transactions or other information flows covered by GS1 standards.

Carrefour's EDI specifications indicate functional and technical requirements for the electronic exchange of commercial information, and are principally based on EANCOM. XML GS1 is a relatively new standard whose use remains confined at present to the sending of product files over the GDS network.