Inventory Balance - Eurofer

ESIDEL 

(European Steel Industry Data Exchange Language) 

Inventory balance 

Version 1.0 

by EDIFER «XML Business Group» 

April 2003

ESIDEL - Definition of the Inventory balance 

Inventory Balance 

By EUROFER - EDIFER working group ‘E-commerce and XML’ 

Creation date: 02 April 2003 

Reference: ESIDEL-2003-003(Inventory balance v1.0).doc 

Version: version - 1.0 

1


Table of contents 

1. Inventory balance information 3 

1.1. General information 3 

1.2 The business function of the Inventory balance covered by the message 4 

2. Class diagram of the Inventory balance 5 

2.1. Class diagram entities 7 

2.2. Class diagram attributes 8 

2.3. Attribute code lists 13 

2


1. Inventory balance information 

1.1. General information 

In the steel industry the Inventory report (message) is used to report on the stock held and 

the stock movements in, out or inside a warehouse between the warehouse manager and 

the supplier or the customer. 

Warehouses are used by the steel companies on request of the customers (such as the 

automotive manufacturers), or for strategic reasons (transport costs, just in time delivery). 

The steel companies are confronted with two different types of external warehouses. 

The first type is that the warehouse is managed by a third party and a contract exists 

between the supplier, the warehouse and the customer to guarantee the just in time 

delivery of the requested goods. The goods placed in this stock are still under the 

ownership of the supplier. This case is known as a third party warehouse. 

The second possibility is known as a customer consignment warehouse, managed by 

the customer. In fact this is a place reserved in the customers’ warehouse where the 

supplier can deliver a certain amount of goods. The goods placed in this stock are still 

under the ownership of the supplier. Once the customer needs the goods for his own 

production, he will take the goods out of the consignment stock and he should inform the 

supplier. 

In both cases the supplier of the goods is informed by a Inventory report message about the 

received goods (incoming goods) and the goods delivered to the customer or taken into 

production. The Inventory message might also be used for reporting on the goods in the 

warehouse for bookkeeping reasons (stock balance). 

When a warehouse is used for strategic reason, the information exchange between the three 

parties is a function of the party managing or controlling the warehouse for incoming goods 

from the supplier or for outgoing goods to the customer. 

The following situations apply : 

- the incoming and outgoing process is completely managed by the supplier, 

- the incoming process is controlled by the supplier, but the outgoing process 

is managed by the customer directly with the warehouse. 

For this type of warehouse the Inventory message can be used for 

- reporting of received goods 

- reporting of delivered goods to customer 

- reporting about the goods in the warehouse (inventory balance). 

3


1.2 The business function of the Inventory balance covered by the message 

This message, sent by the warehouse manager to the stock controller or other interested 

parties, is intended to advise the stock controller or other party about balances within the 

warehouse so that they are able to control the stock. 

4


2. Class diagram of the Inventory balance 

Steel grade designation 

- Steel grade standard name 

- Steel grade standard country code 

- Steel grade standard year of issue 

- Steel grade name 

- Steel grade number 

- Temper 

- Steel type 

0..1 

Has a steel grade as 1 

Has an additional steel 

0..N 

grade as 1 


- Inventory balance number 

- Inventory balance date/time 

- Inventory balance type code 

- Request of Inventory balance 

number 

- Inventory balance start period 

- Inventory balance end period 

- Inventory balance free text 

Has inventory balance item as 

Inventory balance item 

- Inventory balance sequence number 

- Calculation date 

- Nature of stock 

- Inventory balance indicator 

- Order number customer 

- Order item number customer 

- Order number supplier 

- Order item number supplier 

- Customers article number 

- Suppliers article number 

- Article description 

- Number of packages 

- Number of pieces 

- Product group coded 

- Product category coded 

- Product sub-category coded 

- Product form coded 

- Product shape coded 

- Rolling family 

- Product designation 

- Registered trade mark name 

- Registered trade mark steel 

grade name 

- Inventory balance item free text 

5 

1 

0..N 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Has a ordered 

dimension as 

Has warehouse manager as 

Has warehouse as 

1 0..1 

1 

1 

Has stock controller as 

Has sales agent as 

Has customer as 

Has supplier as 

Has consignee as 

0..N 

Has package information as 

1 0..N 

1 

Party details 

See details on the next page 

0..1 

Dimensions 

0..1 

- Dimension type 

- Dimension value 

- Dimension minimum value 

- Dimension maximum value 

0..1 

0..1 

Package information 

- Type of package 

- Serial number 

- Marks and numbers text 

- Marking label number 

- Gross weight 

- Serial number warehouse 

- Physical location in 

warehouse 

1 

0..1 

Has manufacturer as 

1


Detailed Class diagram of the Party details 

Address – 

Unstructured details 

- Address line 1 





- Postal code 

- City name 

- State or Province name 

- Country code 

- Country name 

- Location identifier 

0..1 

Address – 

Postbox details 

- Post office box 

- Postal code 

- City name 



0..1 

Address – 

Structured details 

- Building name 

- Street name 

- District name 

- District sub-division name 

- Postal code 

- City name 

- State or Province name 



- Location identifier 

0..1 

Has unstructured 

address details as 

Has postbox details as 

PARTY DETAILS 

6 

Contact details 

- Contact name 

- Contact function code 

- Contact identifier 

- Telephone number 

- Extension number 

- Mobile telephone number 

- Fax number 

- E-mail address 

Has structured 

address details as 

0..N 

Has contact details as 

1 

1 

1 

Party Identification 

- Party name 

- Responsible agency 

- Party identification, coded 

1 

Additional Identification 

- Responsible agency 

- Party identification, 

coded 

0..N 

Has additional identification as 

1


2.1. Class diagram entities 

The following entities are contained within the class diagram. 

Entity Description 

Inventory balance The entity contains the general information about a inventory 

balance of steel products. 

Inventory balance item The entity groups inventory items by nature of inventory and 

article number or order item number. 

Dimensions The entity specifies the dimension details such as the type (e.g. 

length, width, height), the measure unit and the value of the 

dimension. 

Steel grade designation The entity contains the steel grade information. 

Package information The entity contains the information of the package and marking 

and labelling. 

Party identification The entity contains the name and the prime identification of a 

party. 

Additional identification The entity contains the additional identification of a party. 

Address - unstructured details The entity contains the details of the address in the unstructured 

format. 

Address - structured details The entity contains the details of the address in the structured 

format. 

Address – post box details The entity contains the details of the post office box. 

Contact details The entity contains the contact details of a person or a department 

of a party. 

7


2.2. Class diagram attributes 

For each entity specified a list of attributes and a description is given. 

Remark: 

Based on the Core Component Types (CCT) specified in the UN/CEFACT Core Components 

Technical Specifications (CCTS), the CCT supplementary components such as Date Time 

format, Amount currency code, Measure unit code and Quantity unit code are not mentioned 

as attributes. 


Attributes Description Code list Data type 

Inventory balance number The unique number given by the warehouse 

manager to identify an inventory balance. 

Inventory balance date/time The date/time when the inventory balance is issued 

by the warehouse manager. 

Inventory balance type code The code specifying the type of the inventory 

balance. 

Request of inventory balance The unique number given to the request of an 

number 

inventory balance. 

Inventory balance start period The date/time of the starting period for the 


Inventory balance end period The date/time of the end period for the inventory 

balance. 

Inventory balance free text The free text information related to the complete 



8 

M an..35 

M an..35 

Yes C an..3 

C an..35 

C an..35 

C an..999 


Inventory balance sequence The unique number given by the warehouse 

number 

manager to identify a inventory balance item. 

Calculation date/time The date/time when the inventory balance item was 

calculated 

Nature of inventory The code specifying whether inventory balance 

affects bonded inventory, reserved inventory, etc. 

Inventory balance indicator The indicator which specifies if inventory balance 

is an opening or closing balance. 

Order number customer The unique number given by the customer to 

identify a order. 

Order item number customer The unique number given by the customer to 

identify a order item within a order message. 

Order number supplier The unique number given by the supplier to identify 

a order. 

Order item number supplier The unique number given by the supplier to identify 

a order item within a order message. 

Customers article number The unique number given by the customer to 

identify an article 

M n..6 

M an..35 

Yes C an..3 

Yes C an..3 

C an..35 

C an..6 

C an..35 

C an..6 

C an..35




Suppliers article number The unique number given by the supplier to identify 

an article 

C an..35 

Article description The textual description of an article. C an..999 

Number of package The number of packages C n 6 

Number of pieces The number of pieces in the inventory balance item. C n..35 

Product group, coded The code identifying the steel product main group 

(Long products, flat carbon steel products…). 

Yes C an..7 

Product category, coded The code identifying the main condition category of 

steel products (rolled, heat treated, drawn, rolled..). 

Yes C an..7 

Product sub-category, coded The code identifying the sub category of the main 

condition category of steel products. 

Yes C an..7 

Product form, coded The code identifying the product form of steel 

products. 

Yes C an..7 

Product shape, coded The code identifying the product shape of steel 

products. 

Yes C an..7 

Rolling family, coded The code identifying the rolling family of steel 

products. 

Yes C an..35 

Product designation, coded The code identifying the product designation of 

long steel products. 

Yes C an..7 

Registered trade mark The identification of a trade mark of a steel grade. C an..35 

Registered trade mark steel grade 

name 

Name of a steel grade of a registered trade mark. C an..35 

Inventory balance item free text The free text information related to the complete 

inventory balance item. 

C an..999 

Package information 


Type of package The code specifying the type of package. Yes C an.35 

Serial number The unique number given by the supplier to identify 

a package. 

M an..35 

Marks and numbers These are all the kinds of information that must be 

printed on the transport label of the package units. 

C an..350 

Marking label number Number requested to be put on the label of the 

package unit(s). 

C an..35 

Gross weight of the package The total gross weight of the package. C n..15 

Serial number warehouse The unique number given by the warehouse to 

identify a package 

C an..17 

Physical location in warehouse The identification of the location of the package in 

the warehouse 

C an..70 

9


Dimensions 

Attributes 

10 

Description Code list Data type 

Dimension type Code specifying the type of a dimension (height, 

width,…). 

Yes M an..3 

Dimension value The value of a dimension. C n..18 

Dimension minimum value The minimum value of a dimension. C n..18 

Dimension maximum value The maximum value of a dimension. C n..18 

Steel grade designation 


Steel grade standard name The identification of a steel grade standard. C an..35 

Steel grade standard country code The identification of the country issuing the steel 

grade standard. 

Yes C an..3 

Steel grade standard year of issue The year of issue of the steel grade standard. C an..4 

Steel grade name Name of a steel grade of a steel grade standard. C an..35 

Steel grade number Identification number assigned to a steel grade 

name of a steel grade standard 

C an..35 

Temper Code specifying the level of mechanical properties 

aimed by the customer (used for packaging steel). 

Yes C an..35 

Steel type Code specifying the level of chemical properties 

aimed by the customer (used for packaging steel). 

Yes C an..35


Party identification 


Party name The name of the party involved in a transaction. C an..35 

Responsible agency The code identifying the agency responsible for the 

attribution of the identification. 

Yes M an..3 

Party identification, coded The code identifying a party involved in a 

transaction. 

M an..35 

Additional i.d. identification 


Responsible agency The code identifying the agency responsible for the 

attribution of the identification. 

Party identification, coded The code identifying a party involved in the 

transaction. 

Address - Unstructured details 

11 

Yes M an..3 

M an..35 


Address line 1 The first line of the address. M an..35 

Address line 2 The second line of the address. C an..35 

Address line 3 The third line of the address. C an..35 

Address line 4 The fourth line of the address. C an..35 

Address line 5 The fifth line of the address. C an..35 

Postal code The national postal code (ZIP code) of the address. C an..17 

City name The name of a city. C an..35 

State or province name The name of a state or province in a country. C an..35 

Country Code The Country code specified in ISO 3166 – 1993 

(2 alpha positions) 

C an..2 

Country name The name of the country. C an..35 

Location identifier The unique identification of a location based on the 

Duns (Duns & Bradstreet) number of the company 

followed by four numeric digits. 

C an..35 

Address - Structured details 


Building name The name of a building. C an..70 

Street name The name of a street. C an..70 

District name The name of a part of a city. C an..35 

District sub-division name The name of a sub-division of a district of a city.. C an..35 

Postal code The national postal code (ZIP code) of the address. C an..17 





C an..2 


Location identifier The unique identification of a location based on the 

Duns (Duns & Bradstreet) number of the company 

followed by four numeric digits. 

C an..35


Address – Post box details 


Post office box The post office box identifier. M an..17 

Postal code The national postal code (ZIP code) of the address. M an..17 





C an..2 


Contact data 


Contact name The Name of a contact person or department. M an..35 

Contact function code The code specifying the function of a contact (e.g. 

department or person). 

Yes C an..3 

Contact Identifier The unique identifier of a contact person or 

department 

C an..35 

Telephone number The telephone number including the country code. C an..35 

Extension number The number of the telephone extension. C an..35 

Mobile telephone number The mobile telephone number including the country 

code. 

C an..35 

Fax number The facsimile number including the country code. C an..35 

E-mail address The email address. C an..512 

12


2.3. Attribute code lists 

Date time format Use the date time format of the international standard ISO 8601 

Inventory balance type, coded Code list UN-EDIFACT data element 4503 

Code Description 

1 Book-keeping inventory balance 

2 Formal inventory balance 

3 Interim inventory balance 

Inventory balance indicator, coded Code list UN-EDIFACT data element 6063 


157 Opening stock balance quantity 

158 Closing stock balance quantity 

Nature of inventory, coded Code list UN-EDIFACT data element 7491 


1 Accepted product inventory 

2 Damaged product inventory 

3 Bonded inventory 

4 Reserved inventory 

5 Invoiced product inventory 

Type of package Code list UN-EDIFACT data element 7065 


BE Bundle 

BX Box 

CL Coil 

FR Frame 

NE Unpacked or unpackaged 

PK Package 

PX Pallet 

SL Sheetmetal 

SZ Sheets in bundle/bunch/truss 

13


Dimension type Code list UN-EDIFACT data element 6313 


DI Diameter 

HT Height dimension 

LN Length dimension 

TH Thickness dimension 

WD Width dimension 

Product group, coded Product category, coded Product shape, coded 

Product sub-category, coded Product form, coded Rolling family 

Product designation, coded 

See the code list present in the manual of Product information. 

Responsible agency Code list UN-EDIFACT data element 3055 


5 ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) 

10 ODETTE 

16 US, D&B (Dun & Bradstreet Corporation) 

17 S.W.I.F.T. 

58 EUROFER 

90 Assigned by manufacturer 

91 Assigned by seller or seller’s agent 

92 Assigned by buyer or buyer’s agent 

Contact function code Code list UN-EDIFACT data element 3139 


AD Accounting contact 

BD New development contact 

CR Customer relations 

DL Delivery contact 

GR Goods receiving contact 

OC Order contact 

IC Information contact 

MC Material control contact 

SU Supplier contact 

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All information provided in this documentation is provided "as is" without any warranties of any 

kind including warranties of accuracy, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement or 

intellectual property. 

EUROFER shall not be held responsible for any errors or any loss resulting from any use of this 

document or the specification herein. 

The materials contained in this document may be copied provided that ALL copies retain the 

copyright and any other proprietary notices contained on the materials. No material may be 

modified, edited or taken out of context such that its use creates a false or misleading statement or 

impression as to the positions, statements or actions of the publisher. 

©2003 EUROFER. All rights reserved. All countries 

15

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