To realize all the functions of EDI, the following four conditions need to be met, including EDI communication standards and EDI semantic syntax standards.

1. Data communication network is the technical basis for realizing EDI

In order to deliver files, there must be a wide-coverage, efficient and secure data communication network as its technical support environment. Since EDI transmits commercial or administrative valuable documents in a standard format, in addition to the general data transmission and exchange functions, the communication network must also have format verification, confirmation, tracking, anti-tampering, and anti-theft capabilities. , electronic signature, file archiving and a series of security and confidentiality functions, and can provide legal evidence when legal disputes arise between users.

The message processing system MHS provides the most ideal communication environment for realizing EDI. In order to realize EDI in MHS, ITU-T proposed the EDI communication standard X.435 in 1990 according to the requirements of the EDI international standard EDIFACT, making EDI a business of the MHS communication platform.

2. Computer application is the internal condition for realizing EDI

EDI is not simply transmitting standard data files through the computer network, it also requires automatic identification and processing of received and sent files. . Therefore, EDI users must have a complete computer processing system.

From the perspective of EDI, a user's computer system can be divided into two parts: one part is the EDI subsystem closely related to EDI, including message processing, communication interfaces and other functions; the other part is The computer information processing system within an enterprise is generally called EDP (Electronic Data Processing).

The better an enterprise's EDP is, the higher the efficiency of using EDI. Similarly, only after EDI is widely used, the functions of EDP within each unit can be fully exerted. Therefore, only by comprehensively and effectively combining EDI and EDP can we obtain the greatest economic benefits.

3. Standardization is the key to realizing EDI

EDI is to realize the interoperability and automatic processing of commercial documents and documents, which is different from the interactive processing of human-computer dialogue. It is an automatic response and automatic processing between computers. Therefore, standardization of file structure, format, grammatical rules, etc. is the key to realizing EDI.

The development of EDI’s international standards is as mentioned above, that is, the UN/EDIFACT standard has become the mainstream of EDI standards. But international standards alone are not enough. In order to adapt to domestic conditions, countries also need to formulate their own EDI standards. Therefore, achieving EDI standardization is a very arduous and complex task. At the same time, after the adoption of EDI, some official seals and paper documents will be cancelled, and the management method will change from plan management to process management. All of these will cause a series of social changes, so people call EDI "a structural business revolution."

4.EDI legislation is the social environment that ensures the smooth operation of EDI

The use of EDI will inevitably cause changes in trade methods and administrative methods, and will also create a series of legal issues. For example: the legal validity of electronic documents and electronic signatures, legal evidence and arbitration issues in the event of disputes, etc. Therefore, in order to fully implement EDI, relevant laws and regulations must be formulated. Only in this way can a good social environment and legal protection be created for the comprehensive use of EDI.

However, developing laws is often a lengthy process. How to deal with legal disputes before EDI laws are officially enacted? The general practice in advanced foreign countries is that before using EDI, all EDI trading partners must sign an agreement to ensure the use of EDI. Such as the American Bar Association's "Trading Partner EDI Agreement, etc."