What is Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) primarily used for?

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is primarily used for exchanging business documents between organizations, such as retailers and vendors. It allows businesses to transfer documents like purchase orders, invoices, and shipping notices electronically in a standardized format. This automation significantly improves efficiency, reduces human error, and accelerates the transaction process compared to traditional paper methods. By facilitating smoother communication and transaction processes, EDI also helps companies streamline their operations and enhance overall supply chain management.

The other options, while related to business operations, do not capture the core function of EDI. Scheduling deliveries and auditing sales transactions are important aspects of logistics and finance but are not the primary focus of EDI. Reducing in-store operational costs may be a byproduct of more efficient document exchanges made possible by EDI, yet it is not a direct usage of EDI itself. Instead, the central role of EDI lies in its ability to serve as a communication backbone for exchanging essential business documents.