EDI is an ever changing means of B2B communication.

Posted on: February 18, 2010 | By: SuperUser Account | QAD Business Process

EDI is an ever changing means of B2B communication. Staying on top of it can often be a challenging task in itself let alone implementing it from scratch. Customers and Suppliers are constantly changing their specifications as their business practices or needs change. With a history of maintaining EDI solutions in the Automotive Industry I can contest to the demand of the time sensitivity to these changes as well.

QAD’s EDI Ecommerce Module has proven to be an exceptional tool to aid in the effective and efficient transmission of EDI documents when implemented properly. In addition to the tools you use a solid error resolution process and document tracking methodology should be leveraged. Transmitting EDI is easy…resolving EDI transaction issues in a timely manner is whole other story. In industries where the timeliness and accuracy of the documents being sent hold such implications as expensive fines, low ratings, or even the possible loss of business partner or customer; a best practice or methodology towards resolutions is important.

There is a large number of “points of error” in an EDI system. You have the VAN, document routing and possible front end translation from a standard format to a neutral format and the application itself which requires a mapping tool or load routine of some sort to get the data into your system. In most cases these pieces all reside on separate servers linked through a web of directory structures using ftp or mounts of some type.

This can all get a bit cumbersome which is why I feel it is important to have a very well laid out flow of your system and it’s breaking points because guess what…..it will break! Knowing where, when, why, and how it broke will only help you in resolving it quicker. There has never been a solid solution around document tracking from the VAN to the application and back. QAD’s Document Tracking within the Ecommerce module does a good job of tracking acknowledgments and might be a good idea to supplement your EDI process. What makes it difficult is that there are a number of different software solutions you could use for each independent piece therefore making it hard to implement the same solution for all businesses?

What I have seen work though is taking the time to layout our entire system in detail. Build a collection of accurate documentation of your system. Define your processes and identify your points of error and possible cause and effects as well as solutions to these. Put together a flow diagram of the whole system as well as subcomponents in more detail. In addition put in the time to build error handling into your automation through each step of the way. Whether it is just email notifications or some custom reporting providing you the exceptions of what failed each day. Not only will this aid you in monitoring your EDI on a daily basis it will aid those in the future you may introduces to you system. Information is key! Knowing where to look is half the battle in resolving most system issue. Why should EDI be any different?

So I think it is safe to say EDI can be a tedious and time consuming task for any company but simplifying your layout, developing a process, and building a means to quicker error resolution will make your EDI department more efficient and effective not to mention improve your ratings.

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