Automating Business Transactions Using EDI
Collaborating relevant business information via electronic transactions for trading partners in a global supply chain is not a new idea. It has been used for over a decade. Businesses have been using EDI (electronic data interchange) since its inception to collaborate critical information electronically in a fully automated mode without human intervention.
In today's supply chain, vendors, carriers, and distribution partners need to collaborate in a timely and accurate fashion in a fully automated mode. This collaboration is used for orchestrating shipments, receipts, inventories (forecasts), purchases, invoices, transportation and manufacturing information, and many other reasons. Before EDI was used, trading partners had to rely on manual methods of communication such as fax machines, phone calls, emails, postal mail, and even handwritten notes. Manual operations cause miscommunications which result in lost revenue and potential lost clients.
Until now, some trading partners could not afford the cost of setting up and maintaining this method of EDI automation. ASC has solved this problem by putting together a series of cost effective EDI solutions to automate your supply chain with your trading partners.
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Why Use ASC's EDI Module?
Quite simply, we take the pain out of EDI with hundreds of supply chain templates already done for you. By using ASC's EDI suite of solutions, combined with our extensive experience in EDI transactions for global companies, you can easily setup, maintain, and automate all your entire supply chain EDI communications with all of your trading partners. More importantly, our EDI module is fully integrated and fully automated within the ASCTrac ® WMS or manufacturing system and comes in several flexible versions for the best value for you:
- Fully compliant X12 version of automated supply chain EDI transactions that will export/import from your existing traditional EDI communications server (i.e. VANs like Sterling, etc.) Hundreds of existing trading partner templates are available to choose from.
- Same as #1 above, but adds an AS2 communications server (no VAN required, no per-transaction fees, mapping tool is included.)
- A simpler version of #2 above that supports basic ASN (Advance Shipping Notice) transactions (i.e., X12 856.) This version also includes a mapping tool for you to configure all of your trading partner formats without requiring external EDI mapping professionals. This version is excellent for 3PLs who may have hundreds of trading partners for their clients or for ongoing client requests that require instant changes.
These different versions can also be deployed in multiple ways. If you are enterprise based, or single site based, or even cloud based, then these EDI modules can be deployed to meet your needs.
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What is EDI?
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) can be best described as the electronic transfer of structured data, by agreed message standards, from one computer system to another computer system without human intervention. The idea is to share specific information without allowing access to an organization's computer system. (An example might be a trading partner sharing relevant shipment advice with the US defense department.)
Thus, one organization (or trading partner) can collaborate with another trading partner using shared data that is sent automatically and electronically without human intervention. This message standard in North America is called the ANSI X12 and is completely system independent.
ASC's EDI Solutions:
Benefits of Using ASC's EDI:
- Fully automated and integrated within the ASCTrac ® WMS system
- Automated and accurate shipment information
- Start using EDI immediately, hundreds of trading partner templates available
- Meet your trading partners' compliance requirements for EDI
- Eliminate the manual processes of data entry into web forms or other paper processes
- Eliminate double data entry processes by streamlining all supply chain transactions
- ASC has years of experience in EDI to assist you
- Flexible deployment types to best suit your needs
- Fully integrated UCC/GS1-128 compliance labels
- Fully audited transactions
- Cost effective with excellent ROI
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