EDI vs API: what is the difference for a supplier?

They do the same job, moving orders, shipments, and invoices between companies without a person retyping them, through different plumbing. EDI is a standardized file format that has run supply chains for decades; every major trading partner accepts it. An API is a live connection where one system asks another a question and gets an answer now; it is faster and easier to build against, but only exists if your partner offers it.

When a partner's tech team says 'we want API, not EDI,' the right response is three questions: which system is the API for, do your other partners still require X12 files, and who owns the connection when it breaks on a Friday evening? Most suppliers end up needing both, plus one place where everything shows up as 'this order is in, this one is not.'

FlowChainLabs builds whichever connection each partner supports and gives you the one view across all of them. Bring the email their tech person sent you to the readiness audit and we will translate it.