Sylvania Lighting UK
Business objective
The objectives identified by SLI Sylvania was two-fold. Firstly, a need to minimise the administration involved in trading through distribution channels. Secondly, a means whereby they would receive accurate information to improve order processing and Invoice match rates.
Business benefits
SLI Sylvania now have the ability to send and receive data directly into their backend business system which is accurate and enables the SLI Sylvania Customer Service team to proactively discuss any exceptions with their distributors to ensure that goods are delivered on time and in full!
B2BE solutions
SLI Sylvania have the ability to send and receive data directly into its backend business system
SLI (Sylvania Lighting International) Sylvania is part of the USA based SLI – LLC, one of the largest integrated lighting companies in the world.
SLI Sylvania is the principal company behind many of the world’s best known professional and consumer lighting brands, such as Sylvania, Concord: marlin, Lumiance, Claude and Linolite: Sylvania.
SLI Sylvania’s focus is solely dedicated to the lighting industry. SLI Sylvania design, manufacture and market a diverse range of lamps and lighting fixtures for architectural, industry, commercial, residential and outdoor applications.
The challenge
SLI Sylvania’s route to market is via a diverse network of trade partners and distributors. Accessing various channels, SLI supply electrical and industrial wholesalers, major retailers and specifiers and installers.
The challenge identified by SLI Sylvania was two-fold. Firstly, a need to minimise the administration involved in trading through distribution channels. Secondly, SLI Sylvania were looking for a means whereby they would receive accurate information to improve order processing and Invoice match rates with their partners and distributors.
The solution
When B2BE spoke to SLI Sylvania, they were able to rise to the challenge by enabling electronic data interchange (EDI / B2B) between SLI Sylvania’s partners and distributors utilising the B2BE Transaction Delivery Network (TDN) and Sylvania’s backend system Mapics. This satisfied the initial challenge of reducing effort. However, the second challenge to ensure accurate electronic data was a little more difficult.
Within the electrical wholesale market the range of products SLI Sylvania supply and in some instances manufacture to order, creates issues with product identification and pricing. This then necessitates manual intervention and hence negates the many benefits of electronic trading.
SLI Sylvania highlighted a potential solution whereby Purchase Orders could be product and price matched outside their ERP environment, based on a set of rules and data contained in the SLI Sylvania product masterfile. B2BE were able to build a web based Purchase Order Approval interface where the wholesaler’s Purchase Orders were automatically validated against the Sylvania product and price files maintained within the B2BE environment. Where there were exceptions the SLI Sylvania Customer Service team were automatically notified and could then follow up with the wholesaler and rectify any issues.
The result
SLI Sylvania now have the ability to send and receive data directly into their backend business system which is accurate and enables the SLI Sylvania Customer Service team to proactively discuss any exceptions with their distributors to ensure that goods are delivered on time and in full! This also means that when SLI Sylvania Invoices the wholesaler, the Invoices are processed accurately the first time.