Why waste time trying to figure out what data type and field length a data element should be.  The industry has been working on these issues for decades.  Using the CIECA Data Dictionary as a basis for building your application ensures that you have the appropriate data fields, data types, field lengths and context.  While the data dictionary was not intended to define a database, it provides a valuable resource for the information that your databases will contain.  Building your systems with CIECA Standards ensures that integrations with your trading partners will be simpler and cleaner down the road.

Before getting started, take a few minutes to understand how CIECA Standards are structured and where to look for the information you need.  We have developed short tutorial that provides a great starting point to work with CIECA Standards.  CIECA STANDARDS TUTORIAL

Chances are you will want to build integrations with your customers as early in the process as possible.  Knowing how to build an integration and what steps you should take to ensure a successful integration is key to success.  Working with a group of CIECA members who frequently integrate with other companies, we have developed ashort video to help new companies anticipate the hurdles and steps necessary when trying to build integrations.