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If your organization wants to do business with big-box retailers or online marketplaces, you may need to perform electronic data interchange (EDI).

Organizations use EDI to send information digitally from one business system to another using a standardized format. Purchase orders, invoices, and advanced ship notices—things previously done with paper—can be transmitted via EDI. EDI compliance is the accurate configuration of order data exchanged between systems. 

Each retailer specifies its own procedures for conducting business and becoming EDI compliant. For example, Walmart requires its suppliers to use a specific EDI configuration, and new Walmart suppliers must pass several tests to prove they have the software to ensure a seamless EDI exchange. Smaller businesses that want to do business with Walmart can use the retailer’s web-based system to exchange transactions and become EDI compliant. That system, however, works only with Walmart. Broad-scale EDI requires in-house or hosted EDI software for doing business with larger customers and maintaining Walmart EDI compliance. 

Heavy Industry Factory Female Industrial Engineer

EDI software also integrates with other business systems, including eCommerce platforms, enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, warehouse management systems (WMS), and accounting software. Connecting EDI with these systems automates business processes, improves accuracy, and increases communication speed. 

If you’re struggling to keep products in stock and pick, pack, and ship them correctly, EDI can help. It will also satisfy big-box retailers and online marketplaces so they keep ordering from you.

Luckily, implementing EDI software doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. 

We’ve worked with hundreds of businesses like yours to help them select technology that facilitates EDI compliance.

Our customers frequently report EDI challenges like:

  • The requirement to perform EDI for relationships with big-box retailers
  • Becoming and remaining EDI compliant
  • Trading partners’ EDI requirements changing any time
  • A volume of over 100 unique EDI documents
  • A strain on IT resources
  • Individual POs with multiple line items
  • Shipping to numerous stores
  • Data entry mistakes
  • Slow processing of data and documents
  • Too many requirements with trading partners

EDI automation for purchase orders, shipping and packing

 

Small Changes, Big Impact: Understanding Digital Transformation

There are many definitions of digital transformation, but here’s our favorite: Adopting new—or modifying existing—technology to make your business run better.

This transformation fundamentally changes how businesses operate and deliver value.

Many believe digital transformation is simply using the cloud and analytics. However, those are only two elements of a digital transformation. A comprehensive transformation occurs only when an organization also improves its integration, automation, and system flexibility.

With a successful digital transformation, tackling new challenges, shifting operations, and updating business models are effortless.

 

digital transformation ebook
Digital Transformation eBook

Get our free Understanding Digital Transformation eBook to learn how technology enables new ways to do business, build resiliency, and operate more efficiently.

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webinar - why EDI makes sense for almost every business
On-Demand Webinar: Why EDI Makes Sense for Almost Every Business

What if EDI isn’t as complicated as you think? By implementing EDI, you could experience all the benefits of integrated EDI—including faster order fulfillment, faster payment, and fewer returns—using less staff time. 

Grab a beverage and tune in to this on-demand webinar. Learn about SPS Commerce Cloud EDI and discover how EDI and inbound order automation get money flowing back to your business faster than traditional methods.

Access the webinar

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Blog: 4 Benefits of Electronic Data Interchange Automation

Manually processing hundreds of orders, ensuring you have enough stock, and guaranteeing orders are picked, packed, and shipped correctly is overwhelming. Manual processes can also result in lost time and money. But electronic data interchange (EDI) can help.

Read this blog to learn four benefits of EDI automation.

Read the blog

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Podcast: Fast, Easy, and Foolproof: SPS Takes the Pain Out of EDI

Chrissy Mathison focuses on suppliers, goods manufacturers, and technology that helps companies automate business processes at SPS Commerce, where she’s the vice president of supplier sales and business development.

Chrissy joined The Connected Enterprise podcast host Carl Lewis to chat about EDI, including what it is, its benefits, and what to know about engaging an EDI partner.

Tune in

Success Stories

See How Businesses Like Yours Handle EDI Challenges

Press play on short, inspirational videos and read success stories to see how some of our customers have conquered EDI challenges.

Customer success story - EDI automation at VIETRI
VIETRI

Since 1983, Vietri has been on a mission “to inspire the celebration of life with family and friends through the beauty of handcrafted Italian designs for the table, home, and garden.”

Vietri’s loyal customers value the ability to customize what and how they buy from Vietri, which significantly influences the company’s operational and technology decisions. Read about the enterprise resource planning (ERP), EDI, and warehouse management solutions Vietri implemented.

Read the story

Customer success story - EDI integration at Juice Beauty
Juice Beauty

Juice Beauty is one of the few authentically organic beauty product companies in the world. Its legacy software couldn’t support inventory management or batch control, and carefully watching ingredient expiration dates made product development challenging.

Watch this two-minute video to learn about the technology Juice Beauty chose for its inventory management capabilities, EDI integration, and complete transparency into its growing international distribution.

Watch the Video

Customer success story - Eastporters Audio Video EDI
Eastporters Audio Video

Eastporters Audio Video is the leading provider of home theater projectors and general home theater needs.

Check out this success story to see how Eastporters improved three critical business areas to become more resilient and experience four times its sales forecast during the global pandemic.

Read the story

Staub
Staub Electronics

Staub Electronics Ltd., one of Canada’s premier consumer electronics distributors, was frustrated by its legacy business software’s limitations. EDI is mandatory for doing business with the large chains Staub services, but its EDI capabilities were underdeveloped.

Read about the EDI technology Staub chose to streamline and automate sales order acknowledgment, ASN generation, and label printing. Combining eCommerce and EDI vastly improves efficiency for customers and Staub, whose order processing time is down 30%.

Read the story

Additional Resources

Access More Resources and Get in Touch

Watch this demo about integration and how it can help your EDI processes. If you have questions or want to chat about these EDI resources, please drop us a line.

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Integration Platform Demo

Your business relies on many applications to stay organized, collaborate, and run operations. If those standalone applications can’t talk to each other, you’re wasting time and money.

Learn about an integration platform as a service (iPaaS) solution that can connect just about anything.

See it in action and discover how to do more with what you already have.

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