EDI 860 Purchase Order Changes: How to Handle a Revised Order

A purchase order is rarely the last word. A buyer may need to change a quantity, move a date or cancel a line after you have already received the order. The EDI 860 Purchase Order Change Request is how that change reaches you electronically.

What an 860 is

The 860 is sent by the buyer after the original order. It refers back to the purchase order you already hold, which arrived as an EDI 850, and states what is different now. It does not replace the order. It amends it.

What it can change

Depending on the retailer, an 860 may cover:

• Quantities: more units, fewer units, or a line removed.
• Prices: a corrected cost on a line.
• Dates: a new ship or delivery date.
• Shipping details: changes to how or where the order goes.
• Cancellation: a single line or the whole order.

Which of these a retailer actually uses varies. The retailer’s mapping guide is the reference.

Why it matters before you ship

The risk is working from an old version of the order. If a change arrives after you have started picking or have already sent an Advance Ship Notice, the shipment and the order no longer match. That mismatch can turn into a rejected shipment or an invoice dispute, and the cost of sorting it out is yours.

Our guide to EDI 856 ship notice practice explains why the ASN has to reflect the order as it now stands.

How to handle changes well

• Check for changes before you pick. Make sure the order you are about to fulfill is the current version.
• Match the change to the original. Every 860 points back to a specific order. Confirm it applies to the one you expect.
• Respond the way the retailer requires. Some retailers expect an acknowledgment of the change. Read your retailer’s guide to see which.
• Keep your system in step. If the 860 lands in a portal and nobody updates your ERP, you are shipping against a stale order.

A quick test: pull one open order and check whether an 860 has touched it. If you cannot tell, that is the gap to close first.