EDI – an overview Linda Sather Cheryl Kolbe Oregon State University Consultant Office of the Registrar

EDI – an overview What is EDI? Why use it? How does it work? What does it take to implement? How much ongoing support is required? Who in Oregon is using it?

Electronic Data Interchange EDI Is the electronic transfer of information between two trading partner’s systems using a set of transactions that have been adopted as a national or international standard for the particular business function. To give you an idea of what EDI can do, I will show you how EDI can be used to improve your procedures for sending and receiving transcripts.

The Transcript Trail Print Transcript Re-key Data Receive Transcript U.S. Mail Student Information System Someone in office request transcript from SIS SIS processes transcript & prints Someone manually stuffs the transcript into an envelope & puts it in the mail Few days later, mail arrives at receiving institution Routes to office personnel who manually keys the data into their SIS Recipient’s Student Information System Request Transcript

The Transcript Trail with EDI Print Transcript Re-key Data Receive Transcript U.S. Mail Student Information System This picture simplifies the EDI process, but most manual steps are taken out of the picture. Transcript is sent electronically to the receiving institution An added bonus, the receiving institution then sends an electronic acknowledgement back to the sender. Next, I’ll show you what is happening behind the scenes of these two red EDI lines. EDI Recipient’s Student Information System Request Transcript

Why use it? Oregon K-16 data transfer system College Admission & Placement Profile

The College Admission and Placement Profile (CAPP) Electronically transfers traditional high school transcript elements, state assessment data, and other data indicating student proficiency from Oregon school districts to Oregon's community colleges and the Oregon University System campuses.

The College Admission and Placement Profile (CAPP)  High school counselors/registrars can electronically send data on an individual student to many institutions for use in college admission and/or placement.

K-16 Integrated Data Transfer System  

What it takes to use EDI EDI server Internet access Translation & mapping software Staffing Registration Encryption software

Your EDI Server Install translation & mapping software on stand-alone machine or on an existing server. Old, spare pc works great for EDI.Smart Trusted Link software requires Windows 95 or better

Internet Access

Software Buy it off the shelf Write your own EDI.Smart Quick ‘n’ Easy Partner Sungard SCT Quick ‘n’ Easy Freeware Receive & Print Inovis Trusted Link Partner Datatel Mercator Integration Broker AXIOM Write your own Univ. of Maryland

Registration Univ. of Texas – Austin Internet EDI server Free 1 e-mail Receive reply with username & password

Security Encryption software What’s available Optional sftp to/from UT server PGP Freeware RSA security CryptoHeaven

Communications with U.T.Austin Your EDI Server Your FTP Server U.T. Austin Server When a transcript is requested for an EDI trading partner, put into a flat file by SHREDIE placed in a download area where our EDI server can pick it up. Our EDI server translates the flat data file to the EDI standard format, puts in an electronic kind of envelope sends the transcript to the Texas Server – which acts like an electronic post office and routes the transcript out to the receiving institution. receiving institution sends back an acknowledgement Sever sends to the “address” OSU gave them for deliveries. Now that you know what EDI is and what it can do for you, I’ll let Trevor explain what it takes to implement. Other Universities, Colleges & High Schools

EDI & Banner at OSU OSU’s FTP drop point OSU’s EDI.Smart Server Banner SHREDIR & SHREDIP Processes U.T. Austin Server OSU’s Banner download Area OSU’s Banner System When a transcript is requested for an EDI trading partner, put into a flat file by SHREDIE placed in a download area where our EDI server can pick it up. Our EDI server translates the flat data file to the EDI standard format, puts in an electronic kind of envelope sends the transcript to the Texas Server – which acts like an electronic post office and routes the transcript out to the receiving institution. receiving institution sends back an acknowledgement Sever sends to the “address” OSU gave them for deliveries. Now that you know what EDI is and what it can do for you, I’ll let Trevor explain what it takes to implement. Other Universities, Colleges & High Schools Banner SHREDIY Process

EDI & Trusted Link at CCC CCC’s FTP drop point CCC’s Trusted Link Server Datatel EITP Process U.T. Austin Server CCC’s Datatel download Area CCC’s Datatel System When a transcript is requested for an EDI trading partner, put into a flat file by SHREDIE placed in a download area where our EDI server can pick it up. Our EDI server translates the flat data file to the EDI standard format, puts in an electronic kind of envelope sends the transcript to the Texas Server – which acts like an electronic post office and routes the transcript out to the receiving institution. receiving institution sends back an acknowledgement Sever sends to the “address” OSU gave them for deliveries. Now that you know what EDI is and what it can do for you, I’ll let Trevor explain what it takes to implement. Other Universities, Colleges & High Schools Datatel STRQ Process

Staffing Installation & Mapping Daily Operation Maintenance Registrar’s office and Admissions office Functional/Technical manager IT Systems Analyst/Programmer Analyst Daily Operation Office Specialist/Transcript Staff Maintenance Same as Installation & Mapping

Implementation Timeline To be ready to test with a partner 2 – 3 months Speed process by sharing information between institutions Testing with trading partners Approx. 2 weeks each (in real world) Develop good sample pack of transcripts

Testing Issues Review all modifications to your transcript print process Known issues with your software Process differences (paper vs. EDI) Confidentiality/FERPA

Additional Test Cases Two or more transfer institutions Multiple degrees Repeated courses Student with Holds Old courses, all grade codes In-progress courses Ungraded and graded in same term

EDI Transcripts in Oregon by Sender 2004 *UO began receiving in July

EDI Transcripts in Oregon Trades January – April, 2005

EDI Transcripts in Oregon Total transcripts traded in Oregon in 2004 is 11,118 Average = 927 per month 3 institutions are sending 5 institutions are receiving At least 4 institutions are now in the process of implementing EDI Chemeketa CC, Clackamas CC, Lane CC, Southern Oregon U.

EDI or XML What is XML? Characteristics of EDI Characteristics of XML Is EDI going away?

Extensible Markup Language XML Is a dynamic trading language that enables applications to flexibly, intelligently & cost efficiently exchange information. XML-based EDI is well suited to use over the Internet. To give you an idea of what EDI can do, I will show you how EDI can be used to improve your procedures for sending and receiving transcripts.

Characteristics of EDI Provides standardized rigid format American National Standards Institute (ANSI) EDI standards (X12) Stability and uniformity High level of security Point-to-point integration Exchanges large amounts of data with no intervention

Characteristics of EDI Requires dedicated EDI server Minimizes file size in the exchange Machine decipherable (difficult for a person to read) Focus on data and structure Not web based Many trading partners available

Characteristics of XML Transacts over existing internet Focus on syntax and graphics Developed for graphic representations A way to format & manipulate text Very large file size Less efficient transmission A cousin to HTML New, hot technology; easy to learn

Characteristics of XML Approved Version 1.0.0 by the Postsecondary Electronic Standards Committee in April 2004 UT Austin Server supports PESC XML standard XML users cannot trade with EDI users (crosswalk is being developed) Man and machine decipherable (easy to read by humans; not as secure)

Is EDI going away? NO There are benefits of both EDI and XML. One significant factor in favor of EDI is that our current trading partners are using EDI.

Benefits of EDI More Secure than paper Cost savings Acknowledgements from receiving institution Speed Easy partner exchange each term Automated transfer articulation Small file size

Perspectives Server issues All technological systems need upgrades Staff training Interface with your student software system Move from SSN to generated ID Web transcript requests Who owns EDI processing?

  AACRAO EDI in Education: general introduction to EDI technology http://www.aacrao.org/speede/index.htm    Quick ‘n’ Easy SPEEDE: includes the software, implementation guide, and FAQ’s http://www.utexas.edu/student/giac/speede/spaacrao/  Univ. of Texas-Austin EDI Server: includes registration how to, list of participants, and FAQ’s http://www.utexas.edu/student/giac/speede/ediserv.html  MIT Distribution Center: download the freeware version of PGP 6.5.8 http://web.mit.edu/network/pgp.html EDI on the Web

   Beginner’s Guide to PGP: step-by-step instructions for installing & using PGP http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/pgp/  EDI.Smart Discussion List: listserv for Banner schools listserv@sct.com  Conferences: AACRAO Technology Conference (encompassing EDI and XML) October 9 - 11 in Atlanta, GA http://www.aacrao.org/tech05/index.htm EDI on the Web (more)

Questions? Linda Sather Cheryl Kolbe linda.sather@oregonstate.edu kolbec@earthlink.net