EDI Integration – Can It Be Smoother For Mid-Tier Companies?
EDI Integration in large enterprises have demonstrated the ability to modernize supply chain and data networking in order to reduce the costs of business. Large companies EDI programs have demonstrated the value of building a modern supply chain via global trading standards for reducing costs and meeting customer demand. But what about smaller and mid-tier companies? They are looking to take advantage of the same innovations overcoming the challenges surrounding electronic data interchange. This goal requires logistics and data solutions architects to work in parallel.
The first good practice for overcoming “EDI difficulties” is to simply use Web services for sending EDI messages in the existing format. This can lower the cost of modernizing the infrastructure while building out a more efficient supply chain architecture. Third-party logistics (3PL) providers are transitioning to a greater role as data management providers. This includes managing B2B services, customizing rules and looking at the logistics network holistically. The approach is to look at individual loads and shipments with a focus on available price and services. Another good practice is to decouple the elements in the data and logistics architectures. This makes it easier to implement improvements without breaking existing processes. This approach makes it easier to implement different transformations, business logic, and workflows for various use cases. Going forward, the third approach will make it easier to move away from managing legacy connectors like AS2 and FTP. This will make it easier to focus their efforts on adding more value to their customers’ logistics processes.
It is also important to document shifting to EDI Integration and reiterate it back to the business executives and each business location to ensure agreement. The best way is to document how the current state looks and what a future state could look like. This will be one of the competitive advantages of easing EDI implementation in the small company.