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EDI Online to Connect the Different Elements of the Supply Chain

EDI Online to Connect the Different Elements of the Supply Chain

More and more manufacturers are using what is known as B2Bi (business to business integration) services. Doing so means that they can get all the benefits of EDI online, but at a far more affordable price. The reason is that they no longer need in-house EDI solutions, but outsourcing them to the cloud instead.

By using EDI online outsourced models, a business only needs to have access to a browser to be able to work. Third party providers, expeditors, sourcing companies, factories and more only have to go online to receive their orders, print their barcodes, and report on their fulfillment. All types of transactions, including invoices, ASNs, and purchase orders, are supported as well. Additionally, the system no longer sends the old-fashioned cryptic EDI codes, using straightforward language instead, all the while maintaining security options.

EDI Online Removes Days of Work

Thanks to B2Bi EDI solutions, it is now possible for manufacturers to have a far more efficient supply chain. For the first time, they have full transparency on visibility, no matter where certain activities are completed. This means that it is easier than ever to exchange information with warehouses, remote factories, and other external third parties. In so doing, time delays and human error are also reduced significantly.

When someone uses an online EDI solution, the various remote locations are able to obtain 100% accurate shipping and packing instructions. The supplier can set the packing rules and the sender only has to print off the barcode labels and provide the retailer with a shipping notice. By making sure that all of this can be done at the spot where it is manufactured, rater than in one of many global offices, all operations have become a lot more efficient. Indeed, businesses have reported that their supply chain is now days or even weeks shorter.

Furthermore, when people are able to connect with their various trading partners, they gain greater visibility all over the supply chain as well. For example, ASNs can be created at the production source. This means that retailers will know far sooner when different goods can be expected at the distribution center.

Today, businesses of all sizes and shapes are widening their sales and operations all over the world, targeting Asia in particular. This is true for all businesses, from huge multinationals to small one-man operations. As the world becomes more global, new challenges appear as well, including on how to work together with customers and partners, while keeping costs as low as possible and efficiency as high as possible. The automated supply chain relies on EDI to do this, but it is only as of late that the data within these systems is truly accessible.

As a result, modern-day suppliers have broken away from old-fashioned methods, looking instead towards fully automated systems. Their old supply chain methods are changing, enabling them to extend their services to their various partners across the globe. How this will continue is anybody’s guess.

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