EDI Implementation Steps (Ameritech’s EDI Billing Program)
Ameritech’s EDI Billing Program covers nine major phases of EDI implementation. Each phase will be described in our blog posts. Today we start with stages 1 (Preparation and Assessment) and 2 (Payment Requirements).
Preparation and Assessment
The objective of the EDI Preparation and Assessment phase is to gain an understanding of what is involved in an EDI implementation, identify the benefits to be achieved, secure commitment from all stakeholders and to assemble a plan for implementation. This phase can take from a few weeks to several months depending on your company’s experience with EDI and your management’s commitment to implementing EDI systems. EDI offers great benefits, but implementations are complex and require the cooperation of many different departments within a company. Ameritech requests that you submit the Trading Partner Survey during this phase of the implementation. The Trading Partner Survey will provide Ameritech with EDI contact information and help to etermine your EDI experience and the level of assistance you may require from the EDI Trading Partner Support team.
Payment Requirements
The objective of this phase is to establish the requirements of your payment applications. The selection of an EDI payment method will depend heavily on existing systems. If your bank is not a VAB, then it cannot process transactions like the 820. Ameritech urges you to consult your bank on the best method to pursue. Once you have established your requirements and are aware of your general implementation plan, Ameritech requests that you submit the Implementation Timeline form. This will allow Ameritech to schedule the activities to support your implementation. Ameritech will be very flexible concerning these dates — delays can be expected – but this timeline will provide us with a general time frame to work from.
To learn more about EDI and become a certified EDI Professional please visit our course schedule page.