TrueCommerce vs. SPS Commerce

No. When it comes to EDI, one of the most common misconceptions we hear is that businesses don’t think they have a choice in selecting their EDI provider. Many companies feel boxed in, believing they must use the same provider as their trading partners or one from a “preferred list” because it is “easier.” Some providers might imply that deviating from a preferred vendor list could lead to compliance issues or delays to create the perception that switching providers is risky, complicated, or downright impossible. The reality is, you can work with any EDI provider, regardless of who your trading partners use.

Because EDI is a complex technical tool we understand that many organisations struggle to know what to look for when profiling a potential EDI partner. To help out, we’ve put together an essential list of criteria that businesses need to consider before choosing an EDI provider.

Although moving to a new EDI provider might sound daunting, if your current EDI provider is underperforming, then failing to explore alternative providers could be just as damaging. An EDI system that is well designed, secure and reliable, built on sound infrastructure, with a knowledgeable, proactive support team, can deliver substantial cost savings, business benefits and opportunities for organisations at every stage of development and maturity.

The challenge for many businesses is identifying the EDI provider with the blend of technical, commercial and project management expertise that can deliver the EDI platform that can bring those opportunities to fruition.

Take a look at this checklist below. If your current EDI provider is not delivering on any one of these performance areas, then it is time to look for a new EDI provider.

Checklist: Reasons to Change Your EDI Provider
Missed growth targets due to the inability to scale properly.
Loss of customers because of an inability to handle their required capabilities.
Inability to meet ERP or trading partner project deadlines, resulting in delayed payments.
Slow and complex supply chain systems causing monetary losses and wasted efforts on fixes.
Using multiple EDI providers leading to increased costs.
Increased costs from trading partners, such as chargebacks.
Inability to accommodate current or future trading partners, leading to loss of potential revenue.
Manual and resource-intensive processes making the supply chain inefficient and error-prone.
Lack of visibility across the supply chain.
Dependence on multiple disparate systems, increasing overall costs.
Dependency on employee legacy knowledge risking data integrity and potential data loss.
Competitive disadvantage due to current EDI solutions, negatively impacting brand reputation.
Inability to move quickly, affecting mergers and acquisitions or scalability efforts.
By addressing these points, businesses can evaluate whether their current EDI provider meets their needs or if a change is necessary to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and support growth.

The TrueCommerce B2B eCommerce platform has comprehensive integration capabilities to enable rAPIsd integration with your other business systems, including your ERP, PIM, accounts, warehouse management and order processing systems.

Not only does deep integration into your internal systems improve efficiencies, but TrueCommerce also enables your customers to self-service many aspects of their relationship with you, including account finances, returns, backorders, obtaining copy invoices and live statements of account, further increasing efficiencies and reducing your costs, whilst improving customer satisfaction.

As businesses expand and data exchange needs grow, EDI Managed Services provide the scalability and insights necessary for a secure and successful EDI system. Here are 10 notable benefits:

• EDI managed service reduces costs. When you outsource EDI management, the need for interviewing, onboarding, and paying salaries for additional internal staff is eliminated. Companies using cloud technology can also avoid investing in physical hardware.
• Improved internal bandwidth. Managing EDI systems is no longer the responsibility of internal teams. This means talent can focus on business critical tasks and innovation, rather than on the day –to- day running and upkeep of EDI.
• Expert collaboration. With an EDI managed service businesses gain access to a team of EDI experts. This team stay updated on the latest best practices and possess extensive historical knowledge.
• Less System Downtime. Managed service providers offer 24/7 monitoring to ensure EDI systems run smoothly. This means problems and issues are identified, diagnosed, and resolved quickly which reduces downtime.
• Quicker error resolution. Continuous monitoring by experts ensures errors and SLA issues are promptly addressed, avoiding missed SLA fees.
• Faster Onboarding. Providers use pre-built templates to expedite the onboarding of new partners, enhancing efficiency.
• Improved Order Accuracy. Enhanced monitoring, proper installation, and accurate mapping lead to timely and accurate order fulfillment with fewer errors.
• Increased Customer Satisfaction. Minimal downtime results in improved customer satisfaction. Using a EDI managed service provider can lead to an increase in positive company reviews and business opportunities.
• Enhanced Security. Managed service providers implement advanced security measures to protect sensitive data, ensuring compliance with industry standards.
• Scalability. EDI Managed Services easily scale to accommodate business growth and evolving data exchange needs, allowing companies to adapt quickly without major infrastructure changes.