How to achieve order automation – even when customers don’t use EDI
Manual entry of PDF orders drains time, slows down fulfillment and increases the risk of costly errors.
With an electronic data interchange (EDI) solution, you can electronically transmit documents such as orders, inventory updates, shipping notices and invoices. This not only eliminates time-consuming data-entry tasks and automates your order processes but also helps you support more clients and more retailers without adding operational strain.
But what about your customers who aren’t set up to use EDI?
If you’re like many suppliers and 3PLs, you work with a mix of retailers and clients who still send orders by PDFs, spreadsheets, emails and attachments.
Managing orders from non-EDI customers can be a step backwards into the inefficiencies of manual workflows. You have higher operational costs and an extra layer of difficulty when it comes to scaling and growing your business. Manual entry slows down receiving, creates downstream errors and adds cost to every order you handle.
There’s a better way.
SPS Commerce PDF Order Automation is the key to seamlessly processing non-EDI orders across your entire network, reducing effort, eliminating errors and enabling faster, more reliable fulfillment.
Navigating non-EDI order hassles
Once you’ve experienced smooth EDI order processing, the challenges of handling non-EDI orders feel even more painful, especially in a warehouse environment where every minute matters:
- High operational costs: Manually entering orders into your system costs you both time and resources, driving up cost per order and slowing down the floor, especially during peak volume.
- Errors and delays: The fallout of mis-keyed data for your business can be picking mistakes, incorrect shipments, chargebacks, damaged client trust and missed SLAs.
- Limited scalability: The more your business grows, the more manually processed PDFs and emails simply cannot keep pace with client onboarding or seasonal volume spikes.
Outdated workflows are what keep many operations from reaching true supply chain efficiency.
Transforming non-EDI orders with automation
When you manage your EDI processes with SPS Commerce Fulfillment, you already have access to 400+ pre-built system integrations for ERP, OMS, WMS solutions and more.
Our PDF Order Automation uses your existing Fulfillment integrations to map and translate non-EDI orders directly into your EDI workflow. AI-assisted mapping and translation seamlessly integrates your orders into Fulfillment.
With PDF order automation, you can:
- Process all orders through one automated workflow
- Reduce errors and speed up fulfillment
- Handle seasonal or rapid growth without increasing headcount
- Free your CSRs and warehouse teams to focus on strategic and revenue-generating work
As the largest retail network with 4,000+ buying organizations, SPS is uniquely positioned to automate even the most complex, multi-client order channels.
Tackling the accuracy issue: OCR versus AI
You may be wondering how this works or be skeptical about success if you’ve experienced the shortcomings of solutions that claim to automate non-EDI orders with optical character recognition (OCR).
OCR behaves like a scanner: it recognizes characters, not meaning. For 3PLs, where order accuracy determines pick efficiency and shipment correctness, that’s a problem. When an “O” becomes a “0,” your warehouse ends up picking the wrong SKU — and the cost hits your margins.
SPS PDF Order Automation is not OCR. Our solution uses AI, so instead of just reading characters, our system actually understands the structure and meaning of the documents.
Thanks to AI-assisted mapping, our solution also learns how to match the fields in each unique PDF to the fields in your order system.
This proprietary technology extracts data with near-perfect accuracy. This ensures your PDF orders are processed just like EDI orders — precisely, consistently and reliably enough for warehouse execution.
SPS PDF Order Automation delivers the highest level of accuracy and efficiency, eliminating the concerns associated with legacy OCR systems.
Weighing the need: PDF order volume
While PDF Order Automation may seem like an obvious solution for high-volume businesses, it’s also valuable for low order volumes and for warehouses with mixed clients or unpredictable order patterns.
Manual processes for smaller orders still create inefficiencies, errors and unnecessary costs. SPS PDF Order Automation reduces these burdens, providing a scalable foundation that saves time and money now while preparing your business for growth.
Leveling up: now is the time
Automating non-EDI orders isn’t just about saving time—it’s a strategic move that prepares you to move ahead in a competitive market and accelerate your growth. Leading the way with innovative automation helps you better meet customer demands, handle growing order volumes and eliminate costly errors.
Whether you’re an existing SPS customer or just starting your supply chain optimization journey, SPS PDF Order Automation is a reliable, scalable solution that eliminates inefficiencies from your non-EDI workflows and prepares your warehouse for the future.
Non-EDI orders don’t have to slow your business down. Automating these workflows enables you to process orders faster, reduce your costs and focus on your business goals.
Ready to eliminate manual PDF orders? Talk to a rep to see how PDF Order Automation fits into your operations.
RELATED POSTS
Overlooked Strategies for Managing Vo...
Solving the 5 critical challenges pre...
Unlocking the power of SPS Analytics:...