In this article, we outline 4 key features to prioritise when selecting a new EDI solution for your business.
In recent years, there has been a notable shift towards seller EDI solutions. As businesses increasingly embrace digital transformation initiatives, the demand for robust seller EDI solutions continues to grow. This comes as no surprise since EDI solutions have emerged as indispensable tools for streamlining communication, enhancing efficiency, and driving collaboration between buyers and sellers. This shift also indicates a broader trend moving towards digitization and automation in supply chain management, driven by the need for real-time visibility, agility, and cost savings.
Poll results
In our most recent LinkedIn poll, we asked our followers what features they prioritise when looking for a new EDI solution.
What one feature do you look for in a seller EDI solution?
- Managed customer on-boarding
- Automated sales order
- Gegevensverrijking
- One-time connectivity
Managed customer on-boarding
Simplifying the integration process with managed customer onboarding emerged as the top priority among 50% of respondents. Manual effort uses up a lot of precious time that could be spent on working through smooth transactions and answering to customer needs. Managed customer onboarding reduces the time it takes to implement a new system into an existing one. It paves the way for proper transactions so that customers will be satisfied.
For sellers, efficient customer onboarding is critical for establishing seamless connections with trading partners and accelerating time-to-value. Managed customer onboarding solutions streamline the integration process by providing pre-built connectors, templates, and workflows that simplify the configuration and setup of EDI connections.
Automated sales order
25% of respondents highlighted automated sales orders as a significant factor when choosing a new EDI solution. Errors and slow turnover are a few of many struggles faced by sellers when they are processing sales orders. This is why automated sales order processing offers more than just a system – it accelerates order fulfilment, keeps errors to a minimum, and improves efficiency.
Seller EDI solutions with automated sales order capabilities enable sellers to automatically process incoming purchase orders, generate sales order documents, and update inventory levels in real-time. This helps to build confidence with both internal and external stakeholders.
Gegevensverrijking
While less prominent, data enrichment received 13% of the votes in our poll. Data enrichment capabilities are essential for sellers seeking to enhance the quality and completeness of their product information. Seller EDI solutions with data enrichment functionalities enable sellers to enrich product data with additional attributes, such as descriptions, images, and specifications, to provide buyers with comprehensive and accurate product information. The more information provided, the better the shopping experience.
Enriching data also contributes to searchability online, helping businesses reach a wider audience. With more prospects, it could lead to a higher chance of positive sales conversion rates, which ultimately drives business growth and competitiveness.
One-time connectivity
13% of respondents voted for one-time connectivity when considering a new EDI solution for their business. It makes sense for businesses to want simplicity so that maintenance efforts can be kept to a minimum while avoiding the need to work through a complex integration process. Keeping it simple empowers sellers to focus on core business activities and improve their operational efficiency.
One-time connectivity offers a simplified approach to establishing EDI connections with trading partners, skipping past the hassle of managing multiple connections and protocols. With a single connection point, sellers can easily exchange EDI documents with multiple trading partners.
More information
B2BE’s experience in the supply chain sector allows our customers to build, expand and adapt successfully, enabling greater effectiveness. To engage with B2BE and offer feedback on what matters most to you and your business, make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and across social media. You can also vote in our latest LinkedIn poll. If you’d like to discuss your future supply chain strategy, get in touch with us.