Resources
"SPS Commerce has provided Arena with an outsourced EDI solution that has exceeded my expectations. By outsourcing to SPS Commerce, Arena has been able to improve our productivity and enhance our supply chain relationships."
Keith Ritchie, Corporate IT Director, Arena Brands Inc.
Resources Case Studies
Signatures Network (www.signaturesnetwork.com) holds the rights to market and license more than 125 superstars, artists, celebrities and entertainment properties, including Alicia Keys, Billy Joel, Coldplay, Madonna, The Beatles, Tim McGraw and U2.
Founded in 1994, Signatures Network aggressively sells licensed products including apparel, stationery, printed materials, toys, games and housewares through its N Hollywood, CA office to major retailers nationwide.
Signatures quickly learned that EDI was a requirement for business. Therefore, it had purchased an EDI software package, its associated infrastructure requirements (hardware, VAN, etc.) and trained its personnel. However, the EDI demands of its customers quickly outpaced this solution and Signatures was faced with a decision - upgrade to another software solution or outsource to a hosted service.
The decision was easy. Signatures was in the business of licensing products, tours and more, why should it continue to devote internal resources to EDI? A hosted EDI service was best.
Signatures requirements for its hosted EDI service included the ability to:
- Meet the EDI requirements of its current and new trading partners
- Comply rapidly to retailer requirements (retailers required EDI before sending sales orders)
- Provide barcode shipping labels
- Deliver a turn-key service with little or no training required
After receiving a referral to SPS Commerce, Signatures evaluated and selected its hosted service. But first, they did a lot of research on SPS and tested its customer support claims by:
- Calling SPS customer support line to see how easy it was to reach a live person. SPS line was answered almost immediately by a person, not an automated system.
- Asking SPS and other EDI service providers if there is a charge for technical support, software maintenance or upgrades. SPS customers pay only their standard monthly service fee, with includes technical support. As a hosted service, SPS customers also never pay for any software maintenance or upgrades.
- Asking others in their industry about what theyve heard about EDI service or software you are evaluating. Everyone Signature talked to was highly complimentary of SPS services and its staff.
Signatures chose SPS WebForms service and quickly completed the setup process, meeting all of its Service Level Goals. Today, Signatures has eight connections to its retail customers and is adding several more each month.
"SPS Commerce is the leading service for good reason. It has the EDI technology necessary to meet any and all of our trading partners requirements and their customer support is the best weve ever seen. I have just processed by first ASN and am amazed at the ease! You really have it down right! And, a user guide thats in English and easy to read! Absolutely amazing. Take over all of the other EDI companies please!"
- Rachel Repcik, Signatures Network
Business Driver:
Customers EDI demands had outpaced its internal EDI systems capabilities.
SPS Services in Use:
WebForms
Connections:
8 connections today and adding several each month.
