Output Formats
For every completed document Workist creates an output file and delivers it to your system. Workist agrees with you during setup which format your channel uses. The subpages show an example for every standard format and describe each element Workist writes. The examples were generated with the Workist serializers and indented for readability; delivered files are not indented by default.
Available formats
| Document type | Standard formats |
|---|---|
| Orders | Workist XML (default), SAP IDoc ORDERS05, openTRANS 2.1, cXML OrderRequest, ANSI X12 850 |
| Requests for quotation | Workist XML (default), SAP IDoc (message type REQOTE), openTRANS 2.1 |
| Invoices | Workist XML |
| Delivery notes | openTRANS 2.1 |
| Order confirmations | openTRANS 2.1 |
| Lists of services | SAP IDoc BOMMAT07 (default), GAEB DA XML X94 via the API |
You can also retrieve all document types as JSON through the Document API. Workist builds other formats on request, see Custom formats on request.
Which fields the file contains
- Workist XML (orders, requests for quotation, invoices): The file contains the header and line item fields configured in your channel, plus the fields under Additional header data fields and Additional position line fields in the output file configuration. If a field name there is unknown to the format, Workist creates no file. For orders and requests for quotation Workist omits empty fields; for invoices it writes every configured field, even when it is empty.
- All other formats (SAP IDoc, openTRANS, cXML, X12) have a fixed structure. Your channel's field selection does not change it. The only exception: the SAP IDoc for orders and requests for quotation contains the bill-to party only if the invoice address is one of the header fields.
Options in the output file configuration
| Option | Effect | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Include reference to the analyzed file (on by default) | Writes the file name of the original document delivered alongside (External_Document_Link or MIME_INFO) | Workist XML for orders and requests for quotation, openTRANS for order confirmations |
| Include link to the Workbench | Writes a link to the document in the Workbench (Workist_URL or ALT_CUSTOMER_ORDER_ID) | Workist XML for orders and requests for quotation, openTRANS for order confirmations |
| Include email sender information | Writes the sender address of the email in which the document arrived (Received_By) | Workist XML for orders and requests for quotation |
| Use short external file name | Uses a short ID instead of a UUID in the file name | Workist XML for orders and requests for quotation, openTRANS for delivery notes and order confirmations |
| Overwrite position | Uses the line number of the matched order line | openTRANS for order confirmations |
These options have no effect in any other format.
File names
| Format | File name |
|---|---|
| Workist XML (orders, requests for quotation), openTRANS (delivery notes, order confirmations) | <ID>.xml; <ID> is a UUID or, with Use short external file name, a short ID |
| Workist XML (invoices), openTRANS (orders, requests for quotation), cXML | <UUID>.xml |
| SAP IDoc ORDERS05 | <IDoc number>.xml (16 digits, sequential) |
| SAP IDoc BOMMAT07 | BOM_<IDoc number>.xml |
| ANSI X12 850 | <customernumber>_<ordernumber>_<uuid>.edi in lower case, e.g. cust-12345_po-2025-0001_9f8c2b7e-4d1a-4c3e-9b6f-2a7d5e1c0b34.edi; without a customer or order number just <uuid>.edi |
If Upload original document is active in the upload configuration (default), Workist delivers the original document with the same name as the output file, usually as .pdf. With Upload original e-mail, Workist also stores the email as <ID>.eml on SFTP. Attachments delivered through Additional Files are named <ID>_file_<n>.<extension>.
Date and number formats
| Format | Date | Decimal numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Workist XML | YYYY-MM-DD | No thousands separator and no trailing zeros. Decimal comma by default (1487,5); on request Workist switches your channel to a decimal point (1487.5). |
| openTRANS | YYYY-MM-DD | Decimal point (12.5) |
| cXML | YYYY-MM-DD with time T00:00:00+00:00 | Decimal point (12.5) |
| SAP IDoc, ANSI X12 | YYYYMMDD | – |
Some fields differ; the field tables of each format say so.
When no file is created
If certain values are missing, Workist cannot create the file:
| Format | Required |
|---|---|
| Workist XML | Only field names the format knows in the output file configuration |
| SAP IDoc ORDERS05 (orders, requests for quotation) | Order or request date and delivery date |
| cXML, openTRANS (requests for quotation, delivery notes, order confirmations) | A quantity on every line that can be read as a number |
Custom formats on request
If your system needs a format that is not listed here as standard, Workist builds it to your specification. For example:
- EDIFACT (e.g. ORDERS in the version your system expects)
- EDX
- proALPHA (PAI, pAX)
- Excel
- your own layouts in JSON, CSV, TXT (with a delimiter of your choice) or XLSX for orders and lists of services, with freely mapped fields, e.g. one row per line item
Agree on structure, field mapping and file names with your Workist contact. Workist can also extend the standard formats with fields or logic.