First, we might as well start with the basics: What is EDI? EDI stands for Electronic Data Interchange and it is what allows companies to interchange business documents electronically, more efficiently and without manual intervention. EDI has been around for quite some time, think 1960s, but has evolved greatly since then with EDI standards developing in the 1980s. What started as a process of pen, paper, snail mail and recording has become a completely electronic procedure that sees transactions in a more “real time”. Before, retailers had to fill out purchase orders on paper, mail it to a supplier and wait for the supplier to process the order. More waiting as the supplier fills out an invoice and mails that to the retailer. Not only was it a time-consuming process it was one that was apt for errors, big and small.
For some organizations, their introduction to EDI comes from a directive by one of their larger clients or suppliers. In these instances, it isn’t uncommon for the organization to do the bare minimum to meet the requirements for this one business partner. However, there are an abundance of benefits in doing more with your EDI. You can leverage your organization better and be prepared for larger trading partners should the opportunity arise.
Many people often have questions about the limitations of EDI and are unaware of how a managed EDI service provider can turn those into great benefits for their organization. Some feel that the cost of using EDI is too expensive, and look for ways to cut that cost by bringing the service in-house. This might seem like a savings initially but long-term it is not only continuing to pile on the costs, it is extremely time-consuming without a complete EDI department in-house. By outsourcing EDI to a managed service provider, an organization will find themselves saving money in the long run, not to mention saving valuable time that can be spent on core competencies within their own business.
That can bring us to the complaint that EDI is too time-consuming. Because it is. Choosing to do your EDI in-house really requires you to hire an EDI staff. When companies make the mistake of designating the EDI work to some of the IT staff, it leads to more burnout, errors and unhappy employees. A managed EDI service provider will act as your EDI department for less than the yearly salary of an in-house staff. With Promethean Software Services, you get to choose how hands on you want to be in the EDI process because we know every company is different. You may decide to hand off the entire process to Promethean and check in once a week. Or maybe you want more involvement with your EDI. Either way, we work with you to ensure you are receiving all of the information you could want on your EDI.
Another worry we hear frequently has to do with security. Do you have the proper systems, network security and software licenses? You might feel as though your backup is secure but are you positive in the untimely event everything shuts down? We can guarantee your information is protected with Promethean and you will not have to worry about any hiccups along the way, smooth sailing!
Read our Case Study below to see why Promethean’s Managed B2Bi Service solution made the most sense for a small company with an IT staff of less than a half dozen people and is STILL the best solution for the now industry-leading billion dollar enterpise with an IT staff of well over 100 highly skilled individuals!