The Solution
After it took eight months to update the data map for an existing EDI trading partner, the need to find a new EDI provider was clear.
With its former EDI provider, Origin Point Brands had very limited visibility into their EDI data. Essentially all they could do with EDI was receive purchase orders from trading partners and send invoices back. Trying to find or adjust EDI data was nearly impossible. Anytime data was missing or incorrect, they had to contact the EDI vendor and then wait for them to reply and eventually fix the problem.
“The delays made it very difficult to address issues in a timely way and keep our trading partners happy,”
Ms. Dersch-Bell emphasizes.
After it took eight months to implement a new EDI data map for an existing EDI trading partner, Ms. Dersch-Bell and her colleagues decided that despite the challenges with migrating two key systems simultaneously, they should immediately begin moving to a new EDI system.
When she learned that TrueCommerce was the only endorsed EDI developer for Sage, Ms. Dersch-Bell had the confidence she needed to move forward. “Other EDI providers we talked to used so much jargon that the conversation was often over my head,” adds Ms. Dersch-Bell. Besides competitive technology and pricing, “TrueCommerce spoke my language, not just the IT language.”
Detailed Results & Business Impact
Seeing Clearly Now
The new TrueCommerce EDI solution dramatically improves visibility into EDI transactions, saving time and effort and accelerating sales order processes.
As Origin Point Brands began moving existing trading partners to TrueCommerce EDI, the benefits to their business processes were immediate. “We could see so much detail that our former system didn’t provide,” Ms. Dersch-Bell remembers. “Our trading partners had been supplying this data all along and we didn’t even know it.”
To cite an example, one trading partner had periodically sent EDI documents informing Origin Point Brands of adjustments made to invoiced amounts. With the old system they didn’t know about the issue until the invoice was paid 90 days later.
“It’s hard to research a problem when 90-plus days have passed,” states Ms. Dersch-Bell. “Now we get that notification within a day of a customer receiving their order and can find and fix the problem 90 days quicker than before. That has made our Accounts Receivable department very happy.”
More than a Vendor
TrueCommerce offers a consistently high level of support that fosters a strong partnership and empowers the client to succeed.
Strong support was a big factor in bringing the new EDI environment up to speed. Support interactions were geared not just toward solving problems, but also on building the client’s knowledge and competence.
“When I took on the job of EDI Coordinator I didn’t know much about EDI,” Ms. Dersch-Bell acknowledges. “But with guidance from TrueCommerce, I’m informed and can address issues myself. Anytime I have a question our support team is right there.”
“When we started our EDI migration I was worried because I didn’t know what I was getting into,” Ms. Dersch-Bell relates. “Now, just a few months later, EDI is ‘my baby’ and I feel confident and empowered thanks to our partnership with TrueCommerce.”
Saving Time and Money in Multiple Ways
Thanks to major improvements in visibility, user experience and ERP integration, order processing is now much more efficient.
Despite the challenges of concurrently deploying the new Sage X3 application, it took less than four months to move all Origin Point Brands’ EDI trading partners to TrueCommerce EDI. “It may not have been the ideal scenario but in the end the dual migration has worked out very well,” Ms. Dersch-Bell affirms.
Even though the newly integrated EDI and ERP systems have been in production only a short time, order processing is already much more efficient and responsive. Anytime there is a problem, such as a rejected invoice, it can be resolved in minutes. Previously this required opening a support case and waiting 24 to 48 hours to achieve resolution.
As the primary person who works with EDI, “I’m now ableto take on my previous responsibilities and wear multiple hats in the company again,” Ms. Dersch-Bell says. “I don’t have to spend my whole workday monitoring EDI—which makes my boss’s life easier, too.”
Besides accomplishing EDI-related tasks in far less time, Origin Point Brands is also saving money and reducing complexity by leveraging a single vendor for both EDI and value added network (VAN) services. Previously the VAN and EDI providers were separate, which resulted in higher costs.
At Origin Point Brands, EDI is no longer just a cost of doing business but a way to improve productivity, deliver differentiating levels of service and support business growth.