PRODUCTS | SERVICES
|
EDI Integration Electronic Data Interchange, or EDI, is efficient, accurate and cost effective. It is rapidly becoming a condition of doing business in dozens of industries, including the furniture industry, with more and more stores and manufacturers realizing the value that implementing EDI can bring to their business. EDI: What Is It? Any standard business document that one company exchanges with another company, such as a purchase order, acknowledgement, advance ship notice, or invoice, can be exchanged via EDI, as long as both companies have made the proper preparations. EDI can’t be activated with a flip of the switch or at a moments notice. There are many steps in the set up process that must be completed before you ‘go live’ and exchange EDI data with a manufacturer. Can’t I Just Use Email? EDI transactions are transmitted in a structured format that is based on a set of accepted standards that uses a language that is understood by all computer systems. When your order reaches your manufacturer, it is imported directly into their system, eliminating any human intervention in the processing of your order. Fewer mistakes in the ordering process save you money, shorten order turn around time and increases customer satisfaction. PROFITsystems and EDIPROFITsystems first introduced EDI in our PROFITsystems’ software version 9.3. Our initial pilot phase of EDI was very limited in scope, but it provided us with the basic infrastructure and partner relationships to help us succeed as we moved forward. With each new version of PROFITsystems’ software, we have enhanced and improved our EDI process. As the industry adopts new standards for transaction sets, the number of EDI-ready manufacturers increases and the technology itself improves, our EDI capabilities will continue to grow and improve.
Getting Started: What to ExpectOne of the most important aspects of EDI is selecting how your transactions are going to get from one place to another. While it is possible to work with some manufacturers directly, in most cases, you will need to work with a VAN, a Value Added Network. A VAN is a third party service provider, separate from PROFITsystems, who helps facilitate the EDI process. The VAN actually has two purposes. First, the VAN acts as a translator. It is important that your store and the manufacturer speak the same language. The VAN creates the mapping, or translation, to ensure that your data is formatted correctly to your manufacturer’s specifications. Since each manufacturer has their own specifications and criteria for EDI transactions, each map is unique to the manufacturer and cannot be copied and used for another company. Each manufacturer that you will be working with will require separate mapping. The VAN also acts as a “traffic cop” to ensure that your transactions are transmitted from your store to the correct manufacturer. Part of the set up process includes installing the VAN’s specific communication software at your store. The communication software allows you to send documents to the VAN for transmission to the manufacturer. PROFITsystems has partnered with two VANs, Exim Commerce at MicroD Incorporated and FurnishNet, to provide this service to our clients. When you are ready to start doing EDI, the first step in the process is to contact Exim Commerce and FurnishNet. Representatives from these companies will be able to provide you with more details on their processes and any associated costs for their services. Once you have contacted each VAN, it will be up to you to decide which VAN will best meet the needs of your business. Once you have signed a contract with your VAN and they have installed and tested any necessary communication software, you will be ready to do your EDI setup within your PROFITsystems’ software. The setup process will take a few hours and will include setting up your “EDI In-box Folder” and “EDI Out-box Folder;” making sure that your manufacturer’s SKUs are correctly populated; and creating a dummy purchase order for testing. Once your dummy purchase order has been transmitted to your manufacturer successfully, you will be ready to go live! For a self-guided tour of the EDI process thru FurnishNet and to view a list of the vendors that they currently work with, please visit the Furnishnet website @ www.furnishnet.com. Additional contact info for Furnishnet is as follows:
You can also view a demo and access of list of vendors that work with Exim Commerce. The link to their website is: http://www.microdinc.com/products_exim_commerce.php. Additional contact info for Exim Commerce at MicroD Incorporated is as follows:
Printable EDI Overview
If you have any questions about EDI or would just like to get more information,
contact our EDI Coordinator at
|
ABOUT US | LIBRARY | NEWS AND EVENTS | EMPLOYMENT | SITE MAP | CONTACT US |