How EDI Service Providers Help Unlock EDI Success

Like many technologies, EDI services are not one-size-fits-all solutions. EDI need to be implemented in a unique manner for different businesses.

Full-service EDI providers are staffed by experts in multiple disciplines who work behind the scenes to make your EDI deployment a success.

To get more insights on selecting the right EDI service provider for your company, as well as a complete list of questions to ask, download our white paper: Evaluating Your EDI Options: Seven Building Blocks of Full-Service EDI.

What are EDI Services?

An EDI service is an outsourced third party that syncs with tens, hundreds or even thousands of other company’s business processes and rules on your behalf.

On the surface, EDI solutions sound similar, but in reality, there are vast differences between providers. Cloud EDI solutions generally fall into two categories: managed services and full-service. A managed EDI service is a cloud-based solution in which the provider is responsible for developing and maintaining the core technology, while the customer’s internal staff is responsible for the day-to-day customization, optimization and maintenance of the technology.

In contrast, a full-service solution is a cloud-based solution and associated staffing resources responsible for customizing, optimizing and operating the technology. In this model, the provider carries out a complete business function on behalf of the customer.

Questions to ask your provider about your EDI service implementation

When it comes to designing and configuring your EDI solution, it’s important to understand how much of the work your team is responsible for and what your provider will handle on your behalf. Here are some questions to ask your provider:

• Who researches my trading partner (retail, grocer, distributor, 3PL) requirements for connectivity, fulfillment models and other specifications?
• Who designs the EDI solution based on my requirements?
• Who develops the project plan for rolling out my EDI solution?
• Who handles implementing my EDI solution? What does your team do and what is my team responsible for?
• Who manages issues or risks that may come up during the implementation process?

The industry’s most trusted EDI solution

Don’t just take our word for it. SPS Commerce is the industry’s most trusted EDI service. Many customers choose SPS so they can spend more time on growing their business and less time on time-consuming EDI tasks.

According to Anni Stroud, operations manager at Caprice,“Our orders arrive electronically on Monday evening. On Tuesday morning when we arrive at work, the orders are already in our ERP and ready to process. No manual entry is needed. By the afternoon our warehouse is picking the orders and readying shipments. Without EDI integration from SPS, entering these orders would take weeks to do. It simply couldn’t be done without automation.”

There are a lot of EDI companies out there. Learn how to distinguish between EDI service providers in our free white paper: Evaluating Your EDI Options: 7 Building Blocks of Full-Service EDI.

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Angela Hariohoedojo

Angela is a General Manager for the APAC region at SPS. Her teams work alongside many APAC retailers and suppliers to develop strategies that involve technology along with the people and process around it to address their merchandising and supply chain business objectives.

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• How EDI Service Providers Help Unlock EDI Success - October 28, 2020