INTRO

EANCOM^® PART II		31.08.2000
PROINQ	- Product Inquiry Message

1. Introduction

Status

MESSAGE TYPE	: PROINQ
REFERENCE DIRECTORY	: D.96A
EANCOM® SUBSET VERSION	: 003

Definition

A message enabling the sender to inquire on a product or group of products from a master product catalogue according to criteria defined in the message.

Principles

The message usually relates to a manufacturer and/or supplier of goods and a buyer, or their respective agents.

The buyer may specify in the message the attributes of a product or group of products for which it is interested in receiving additional information. This will allow a manufacturer and/or supplier to send the buyer only information for those products the buyer is specifically interested in rather than the entire product catalogue.

The Product Inquiry message may request information in order to:

select a specific group or family of products from a suppliers entire product catalogue, e.g. a buyer requesting from a supplier of medical equipment all product information related to sterilised products.

select a product or group of products according to attributes or product characteristics as defined by the sender in the message, e.g. a retailer requesting a clothing manufacturer to send product information for all blue, white or stripped men's shirts, sizes medium to extra-large.

determine the availability, lead-time and/or general commercial/sales conditions for a specific product.

The response to a Product Inquiry message will be either a Price/Sales Catalogue (PRICAT) or Product Data (PRODAT) message, or both.

The Product Inquiry message is a status zero EDIFACT message and therefore will not appear in any EDIFACT directory. The message is currently being developed within the EDIFACT process.