It’s true that there’s a song for every occasion. If you do your research, in fact, you can find pop songs with lyrics that correspond to just about any situation you could possibly find yourself in. Going Thrift Shopping? Perfect. Being chased through the woods by a deranged cannibal celebrity? You got it. When it comes to your relationship with your EDI software, you need more than just one song. In fact, you need a soundtrack. So for the up-and-down stages of journey towards full EDI integration, here are six corresponding pop song lyrics:
Stage One: “Crazy in Love” – Beyonce
It’s the beat my heart skips when I’m with you / But I still don’t understand / Just how your love can do what no one else can
Oh, the optimism of a newfound love! This is the part where you wholeheartedly believe the EDI software you just bought to process data in EDI format will solve all your problems and change your life for the better.
Stage Two: “Gravity” – Sara Bareilles
You’re neither friend nor foe though I can’t seem to let you go /The one thing that I still know is that you’re keeping me down
Then, the slow realization that you were too optimistic begins to sink in; you can’t keep any of your data in your backend systems, and functionality is incredibly limited. You want to believe that your EDI software solution is going to fulfill you, but you’re forced now to admit that it has some problems and will likely end up letting you down.
Stage Three: “Talk” – Coldplay
Do you feel like a puzzle, you can’t find your missing piece? / Tell me how do you feel? / Well, I feel like they’re talking in a language I don’t speak / And they’re talking it to me
The deep and unbridgeable disconnect begins when you realize that not everyone you’re doing business with wants to speak EDI (or even can!), which requires the creation of more processes for the intake of data than you’d ever imagined. The wind is officially out of your sails, and you’re left with the yearning for an alternative that will allow for the communication you’ve been pining for from the beginning.
Stage Four: “Gold Digger” – Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx
She take my money when I’m in need / Yeah she’s a trifling friend indeed / Oh she’s a gold digger way over town / That digs on me
In order to try to salvage an incomplete and broken EDI situation, you decide to go with a managed service or VAN to stop the bleeding. But the costs rapidly add up, and before you know it, they’re “gold-digging” on you for your money. The worst part is, the expensive maps that take months to set up don’t even belong to you — which means you’ll have to set them up all over again if you switch.
Stage Five: “Wide Awake” – Katy Perry
I’m wide awake / yeah, I was in the dark / I was falling hard / with an open heart / how did I read the stars so wrong / and now it’s clear to me / that everything you see / ain’t always what it seems.
You’ve finally “woken up” to just how hard EDI integration is. You thought that buying EDI translation software would solve all your problems, but that hasn’t turned out to be the case. You’ve tried to salvage the situation, but you’ve found that to be inefficient and expensive. At this point, you realize what you needed all along – you need EDI integration, and you need it in-house.
Stage Six: “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)” – Kelly Clarkson
Thanks to you I got a new thing started / thanks to you I’m not the broken-hearted/ thanks to you I’m finally thinking about me / what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
All the ups and downs led you to this point. You learned what it was you truly needed, and now you’ve finally found the answer you were looking for. You’ve found an integration solution that encompasses EDI and non-EDI, allows you to handle errors and exceptions seamlessly, and makes it possible for business users to use it. The pain and frustration from your earlier mistakes are a thing of the past. It’s time to celebrate!
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