Most business ecosystems are complex. They comprise a plethora of interdependent entities including, customers, suppliers, partners, marketplaces, applications, and data that work in unison to drive value.
What holds it all together? The supply chain indeed!
But what holds the supply chain together? Data integration technology with robust EDI functionality.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is an electronic method that enables business users to exchange data across supply chain systems. By replacing manual or outdated order management processes or business communication methods (phone, fax, email, paper) with standardized electronic document types and data transfer protocols, EDI enables business users to improve operational efficiency and order visibility by leaps and bounds.
The majority of companies leverage EDI to connect to multiple trading partner ecosystems, thereby placing the technology directly in the middle of their business operations.
As such, the demand for viewing EDI transactions or order processes has risen hugely. In short, organizations aim to achieve maximum EDI visibility.
How Important is EDI Visibility for Businesses?
EDI visibility is the degree of ease through which an enterprise can monitor, display, and analyze EDI data. Intuitive screens and dashboards offer increased visibility through electronic reporting, allowing users to gain direct insight into order statuses.
It’s fair to say that EDI visibility and order visibility are almost the same. The digitalization of EDI capabilities has accelerated routine business transactions, improved information accuracy, helped companies manage exceptions in real time, and generally delivered better outcomes for all parties.
Suffice it to say, that no supply chain management strategy can succeed without proper EDI visibility. In fact, the business and relationships that make it will suffer immensely. But, mastering the supply chain performance starts with EDI integration software.
Is Gaining EDI Visibility Challenging? How Can It Be Maximized?
No doubt, EDI visibility underpins a supply chain’s success. However it is fraught with many challenges: poor data integration, lack of automation, and poor scalability as well as agility. Companies that struggle with these hurdles fail to gain maximum EDI visibility.
Poor Data Integration: It impedes data flows and forces reliance on manual processes. What companies need is a modern EDI integration solution that delivers maximum visibility into mission-critical business processes (e.g. order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, load tender to invoice) and streamlines business operations to improve the ease of doing business. With self-service and AI data mapping features, companies can ensure complete visibility for business and technical users alike, while also ensuring the supply chain agility and responsiveness today’s companies need to ensure a consistent customer experience.
Lack of Automation: A second challenge manifests as a general lack of automation. As a result, processes such as order-to-cash and procure-to-pay suffer. Companies find it difficult to gain the visibility and control they need. Here a modern solution’s role comes into play.
Deploying such a solution will not only optimize these processes but also make staff more efficient since they can apply real-time insights to make better decisions or use the extra time to focus on more productive tasks.
Poor Scalability and Agility: When a company relies on a legacy approach to integration, it fails to keep up with the rapid pace of digital transformation that’s redefining business today. Integration brokerages and B2B gateways aren’t enough, because they exhibit two fundamental flaws that limit their customers’ agility and growth. A modern data integration solution with supercharged EDI capabilities can help business users overcome these issues and ultimately deliver value.