Migrate to a future-proof EDI solution

Need to improve your adaptability? Decision making? Vigilance and visibility? Then maybe you need the right EDI solution to unlock your supply chain potential. In this article we cover all the facets, so you can decide whether an EDI migration to a future-proof solution will unlock the key components you need, to ensure prosperity moving forwards.

Did you know that 57% of supply chain businesses suffer from poor visibility across their supply chain and 63% of supply chain companies don't have any technology to monitor their supply chain performance? No wonder it’s time to consider a change!

Expand your horizons with the right EDI solution for your business. Whether you need to implement EDI from scratch or move to a more scalable and flexible solution - we’ve got you covered. So, let’s take a look at how you can get ahead of the curve and unlock this potential.

Get ahead of the curve

Complete your EDI migration to a future-proof solution.

Watch the on-demand webinar

81% of supply chain professionals say analytics will be important to reducing landed costs. Find out in this on-demand webinar how you can do just that with the right EDI solution for your supply chain business.

Listen to a supply chain business that has benefited from a future-proof solution that can flex and scale with its needs.

launch business with EDI migration
paper based to digital with EDI migration

Still processing business data manually?

Did you know you can reduce your costs by 44% through the use of B2B cloud networks.

Discover more in our article: What is EDI?

What's holding you back?

Many businesses see EDI Migration as a risky project to undertake, but why is this? 

38% of data migration projects fail!

Failure happens for a reason. Let's look at the top reasons as to why these data migration projects fail and how it can be prevented.

fear of EDI migration

The top 4 items why EDI migration projects fail

1. Overlooking the human element

Yes, IT Migrations naturally involve technical aspects, however, those technical aspects cannot be completed without the human element. Many individuals from your business will need to be involved to ensure the migration project is a success. Your people are invaluable in this process, they will know areas of the business in much greater detail than anyone else. But does this mean they know how to implement the migration itself? If you don’t have the specific migration knowledge in-house, we suggest you look for an expert partner who can work with you to ensure the success of your migration project.

 

2. Lack of planning

Have you heard the phrase ‘measure twice, cut once’? Great execution is down to the careful consideration that is brought into the planning phase of a project. So, don’t underestimate the amount of time you need to spend in this planning phase. Take the time to figure out what skills and knowledge you have in-house. Once you have this mapped out you can begin to identify the gaps you have. Talk to several different expert providers to get a feel for what this type of project includes as it may become apparent that you have more holes than you weren’t initially aware of. Once you have fully fleshed out the requirements of the project and understand the breadth of your in-house capabilities, you can find the right expert or provider who has the missing skills to ensure the project is a success!

 

3. Not testing thoroughly enough

It is key to incorporate testing across your project stages. This allows you to identify any issues or flaws as soon as possible. As a result, you have more time to fix those issues. Plus you prevent them from becoming much larger issues later on down the project. Again, make sure you consider who is doing your testing and if they have enough knowledge to cover all eventualities.

 

4. Reaching for the stars too soon 

Often businesses see migration as a one-time or rare project investment. This is where things can go wrong. ‘If we are only going to do this once, then we had better go all out and do it properly’, is the common mentality. I can see why businesses would choose this approach and on the face of it, it does make sense. However, if you start to think about it, projects are normally broken down in to phases and there is a reason for this. Change results in issues, so breaking down the change that takes place and concentrating on a few aspects at a time ensures success. It also allows the time for any teething problems to be rectified before moving on to the next phase. 

When reaching for the stars, it is common for these broad hefty visions and projects to lead to much larger problems. Those teething problems can go unidentified whilst the rest of the project moves on at speed, causing the issue to grow out of control. These become rather costly to track back and fix.

The solution

View the EDI migration as an evolution. Rather than trying to deliver a mountainous project, make the move gradually and ensure that the setup works for your business requirements. If using a provider, arrange monthly or quarterly reviews to ensure that as and when business requirements change, the setup can still meet those business needs. If not, you can identify what needs to be changed and how.

Taking this approach allows you to spend less but frequently to maintain, rather than wait a few years before having to fork out for a huge project to catch up with your competition. As a result, you can avoid considerable business upheaval and all the associated risks!

Watch our migration process video to learn more

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Do you feel stuck?

From businesses that approach us, we often see that they feel stuck like there is no way out. It may be that the current system setup is old, ingrained with the rest of the business, or their provider can’t deliver what they need. However, leaving it alone when you already have problems or challenges will not help. If the business wants to continue to be successful and remain competitive in the market, it will need to update the way in which it works. If you leave the current setup as it is, the likely hood is it will hold the business back. So why wouldn’t you move to a setup which works for the business now, but can also scale and flex as the business grows and changes in the future?

Invest some time into finding the right fit for your business so it can thrive.

Why you should consider migrating to EDI-as-a-Service 

  • It benefits the whole business, not just IT.
  • Onboard suppliers with little-to-no no EDI experience.
  • Reduce the challenge of data errors through complete EDI adoption, ensuring automation at every stage.
  • Access to EDI experts if needed.
  • Flexible solution set up to meet business requirements.
  • Save money through outsourcing. The experts can simplify EDI for you.

Find the right Vendor

Download this Vendor Comparison sheet to help you decide who is the right EDI provider for your business.

compare EDI migration providers
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Why Data interchange?

  • Become an extension of your team.
  • Work with you in partnership.
  • Offer solutions that flex and scale with your business needs, such as hybrid models.
  • Goal to simplify EDI adoption across the supply chain, increasing your overall efficiency.

Talk to an Expert







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