EDI consultants or full-service EDI: which is better?
EDI consultants have specialized skills that can help your supply chain run smoothly. But a full-service EDI solution offers access to EDI experts without staffing hassles or high overhead costs. Learn how SPS Commerce can meet your EDI needs without your adding in-house staff or hiring expensive consultants.
Are you looking for an EDI consultant?
Often, businesses hire EDI consultants to build an EDI map for a specific retail requirement. Finding qualified EDI consultants that are properly trained can be difficult and expensive, particularly when retail requirements constantly change.
If you’re looking for EDI expertise, SPS Commerce can help. We offer reliable EDI capabilities that relieve your IT team from ongoing EDI management.
What do EDI consultants do?
EDI is widely used throughout the retail industry, yet EDI professionals are hard to find. EDI consultants offer specialized capabilities that are in short supply.
Here are some typical functions performed by an EDI consultant:
Analyzing EDI and data integration/transformation requirements from trading partners
Implementing EDI systems, including data mapping, translation and interfaces
Creating and updating trading partner maps, and troubleshooting issues with trading partners
Managing EDI integrations with business systems including ERP, TMS and WMS
If you’re thinking about retaining an EDI consultant, consider an EDI service instead. Unlike EDI consultants, an EDI service provides a long-term partner to secure and maintain your business-critical EDI data flow.
What is the value of full-service EDI?
On the surface, hiring an EDI consultant may appear affordable and easy to execute. However, consultants only take jobs that offer a short-term fix for a one-time project or issue, then move on to their next client project.
A full-service EDI solution like Fulfillment from SPS Commerce addresses your long-term needs while easing the burden on your IT team. We offer EDI technology plus access to an expert team that keeps everything running smoothly.
Here are some of the benefits of our full-service EDI solution versus hiring an EDI consultant:
- Access the world’s largest retail network with over 350,000 pre-built connections
- Manage all wholesale, eCommerce and marketplace orders in one place
- Full-service team handles set-up, changes and maintenance on your behalf
- Quickly onboard new trading partners
- Automation with your ERP, eCommerce or other business system
- Complete visibility into individual EDI transactions
- Transparent platform status reporting
Our EDI project spanned multiple continents, several third parties and our business needed it to go well. The implementation ran very smoothly and was well-orchestrated. It was an excellent display of international coordination as we rolled out 35 retail partners on EDI at the same time, along with our new ERP.
– Chief Operating Officer, Moose Toys
Connect with our EDI experts
Talk to a specialist for a free, no-obligation consultation. Get a clear, concise explanation of EDI options that meet your needs and budget.