UN/EDIFACT UNITED NATIONS STANDARD MESSAGE (UNSM)

# Request for document message

| Version:| D  
---|---  
Release:| 01A  
Contr. Agency:| UN  
Revision:| 3  
Date:| 2000-10-26  
SOURCE:| D2 Purchasing (SWG)  
CONTENTS Request for document message For general information on UN standard message types see UN Trade Data Interchange Directory, UNTDID, Part 4, Section 2.3, UN/ECE UNSM General Introduction  
---  
  


# 0\. INTRODUCTION

This specification provides the definition of the Request for document message (REQDOC) to be used in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) between trading partners involved in administration, commerce and transport.

# 1\. SCOPE

## 1.1. Functional definition

A message to enable a party request the sending, or re-sending, of data, either as a document or message, or in some other agreed form.

## 1.2. Field of application

The Request for document message may be used for both national and international applications. It is based on universal practice related to administration, commerce and transport, and is not dependent on the type of business or industry.

## 1.3. Principles

The message is used to request a document to be sent, either electronically or otherwise. Its use should be limited to requesting documents, for which there is no other more specific message already provided (e.g. Request for Quotation).

Parties can request documents on their own behalf, or on behalf of third parties.

The message can be used to request individual documents by identity, or by specifying product and/or other related data to retrieve all relevant documents.

Typical uses of the Request for Document Message are to request information from a data base (e.g. requesting a copy of a test certificate), requesting catalogue data, and requesting statements of account.

# 2\. REFERENCES

See UNTDID, Part 4, Chapter 2.3 UN/ECE UNSM - General Introduction, Section 1.

# 3\. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

## 3.1. Standard terms and definitions

See UNTDID, Part 4, Chapter 2.3 UN/ECE UNSM - General Introduction, Section 2.

# 4\. MESSAGE DEFINITION

## 4.1. Segment clarification

This section should be read in conjunction with the segment table which indicates mandatory, conditional and repeating requirements.

#### 0010 UNH, Message header

A service segment starting and uniquely identifying a message. The message type code for the Request for document message is REQDOC.

Note: Request for document messages conforming to this document must contain the following data in segment UNH, composite S009:

Data element| 0065| REQDOC  
---|---|---  
0052| D  
0054| 01A  
0051| UN  
  
#### 0020 BGM, Beginning of message

A segment by which the sender must uniquely identify the request for document by means of its type and number.

#### 0030 DOC, Document/message details

A segment indicating the type of document that is required, how many copies, and in what form it is required, e.g. EDI, mail, etc.

#### 0040 DTM, Date/time/period

A segment specifying general dates and, when relevant, times related to the whole message. The request preparation date must be specified using this segment.

#### 0050 FTX, Free text

A segment with free text information, in coded or clear form, used when additional information is needed but cannot be accommodated within other segments. In computer to computer exchanges such text will normally require the receiver to process this segment manually.

#### 0060 Segment Group 1: RFF-DTM

A group of segments for giving references and where necessary, their dates, relating to the whole message.

#### 0070 RFF, Reference

A segment identifying the reference by its number and where appropriate a line number within the document.

#### 0080 DTM, Date/time/period

A segment specifying the date/time related to the reference.

#### 0090 Segment Group 2: NAD-LOC-SG3

A group of segments identifying the parties with associated information.

#### 0100 NAD, Name and address

A segment identifying names and addresses of the parties, in coded or clear form, and their functions relevant to the request for document message. Identification of the sender of the request and the recipient is mandatory for the request for document message. It is recommended that where possible only the coded form of the party ID should be specified e.g. the sender and receiver of the report are known to each other, thus only the coded ID is required, but when a new address might have to be clearly specified, e.g. where the document is to be sent to a third party, this should be done preferably in structured format.

#### 0110 LOC, Place/location identification

A segment to identify a location within the above name and address.

#### 0120 Segment Group 3: CTA-COM

A group of segments giving contact details of the specific person or department within the party identified in the NAD segment.

#### 0130 CTA, Contact information

A segment to identify a person or department, and their function, to whom communications should be directed.

#### 0140 COM, Communication contact

A segment to identify a communications type and number for the contact specified in the CTA segment.

#### 0150 Segment Group 4: LIN-GIS-DTM-PIA-IMD-MEA-SG5-SG6

A group of segments providing details of what information is required to be included in the document. There must be at least one occurrence of Segment group 4 within a request for document message.

#### 0160 LIN, Line item

A segment identifying the line item of the message by the line number and optionally identifying the product or service to be included in the document/message.

#### 0170 X GIS, General indicator

A segment allowing the user to specify any special processing requirements, e.g. that all related documents are also required.

#### 0180 DTM, Date/time/period

A segment identifying the date that pertain to the document, e.g. original date, required by date.

#### 0190 PIA, Additional product id

A segment providing additional identification of the product to which the document pertains.

#### 0200 IMD, Item description

A segment used to identify the product by free format or semi- structured description. Used when no appropriate code is available in the PIA segment to fully describe the product.

#### 0210 MEA, Measurements

A segment to describe the physical measurements of the required product, e.g. length, height, weight.

#### 0220 Segment Group 5: RFF-DTM

A group of segments providing references, and if required applicable dates, pertaining to the above document.

#### 0230 RFF, Reference

A segment to identify applicable references to be included in the document, e.g. order number, certificate number.

#### 0240 DTM, Date/time/period

A segment to provide dates/times applicable to the above references.

#### 0250 Segment Group 6: NAD-LOC-SG7

A group of segments allowing documents to be individually addressed to either particular places, and or particular people within locations.

#### 0260 NAD, Name and address

A segment to identify other parties requiring the document.

#### 0270 LOC, Place/location identification

A segment to further qualify the above address.

#### 0280 Segment Group 7: CTA-COM

A group of segments to identify individual contacts relevant to the above party.

#### 0290 CTA, Contact information

A segment to specify contact person or department.

#### 0300 COM, Communication contact

A segment to specify the communication channel and identifier for the above person / department.

#### 0310 UNT, Message trailer

A service segment ending a message, giving the total number of segments in the message (including the UNH & UNT) and the control reference number of the message.

## 4.2. Segment index (alphabetical sequence by tag)

BGM | Beginning of message  
---|---  
COM | Communication contact  
CTA | Contact information  
DOC | Document/message details  
DTM | Date/time/period  
FTX | Free text  
| GIS | General indicator  
IMD | Item description  
LIN | Line item  
LOC | Place/location identification  
MEA | Measurements  
NAD | Name and address  
PIA | Additional product id  
RFF | Reference  
UNH | Message header  
UNT | Message trailer  
  
## 4.3. Message structure

### 4.3.1. Segment table

├─UNH Message header|  ×1 | (M)  
---|---|---  
├─BGM Beginning of message|  ×1 | (M)  
├─DOC Document/message details|  ×1 | (M)  
├─DTM Date/time/period|  ×9 | (M)  
├─FTX Free text|  ×20 | (C)  
├─Segment Group 1|  ×99 | (C)  
│─├─RFF Reference|  ×1 | (M)  
│─└─DTM Date/time/period|  ×5 | (C)  
├─Segment Group 2|  ×99 | (M)  
│─├─NAD Name and address|  ×1 | (M)  
│─├─LOC Place/location identification|  ×9 | (C)  
│─└─Segment Group 3|  ×9 | (C)  
│───├─CTA Contact information|  ×1 | (M)  
│───└─COM Communication contact|  ×9 | (C)  
├─Segment Group 4|  ×999 | (M)  
│─├─LIN Line item|  ×1 | (M)  
│─├─GIS General indicator|  ×9 | (C)  
│─├─DTM Date/time/period|  ×9 | (C)  
│─├─PIA Additional product id|  ×9 | (C)  
│─├─IMD Item description|  ×9 | (C)  
│─├─MEA Measurements|  ×9 | (C)  
│─├─Segment Group 5|  ×99 | (C)  
│─│─├─RFF Reference|  ×1 | (M)  
│─│─└─DTM Date/time/period|  ×9 | (C)  
│─└─Segment Group 6|  ×99 | (C)  
│───├─NAD Name and address|  ×1 | (M)  
│───├─LOC Place/location identification|  ×9 | (C)  
│───└─Segment Group 7|  ×9 | (C)  
│─────├─CTA Contact information|  ×1 | (M)  
│─────└─COM Communication contact|  ×9 | (C)  
└─UNT Message trailer|  ×1 | (M)  
  
Change indicators  
---  
plus sign |  | An addition.  
asterisk |  | Addition/substraction/change to a code entry for a particular data element.  
hash or pound sign |  | Changes to names.  
vertical bar |  | Changes to text for descriptions, notes and functions.  
minus sign |  | A deletion.  
letter X |  | Marked for deletion.