Switching EDI provider is one of the most daunting tasks for almost every organization Major concern being  disruption of the electronic order to operational cycles that might affect tie ups with large clients and the revenues involved. Moreover, companies don’t think of shifting their EDI provider until it is providing them the basic functionalities and their routine work is going on in a smooth manner. Although, constraints like cost burdens or other unavoidable issues force companies to look  for a better-fitting EDI provider.

How To Identify Now Is The Time To Move On To A New Provider?

With the changing business requirements, your existing systems may go obsolete. However, majority of system are upgradeable, but what if they are not? Here’s your checklist on how to determine if you need a new on:

When your existing EDI solution indicates the following -

#Only basic EDI formats & communication protocols are supported

#Not able to exchange documents wherever newer formats, like XML, are required

#Requires dedicated staff, finances and a lot of time for maintenance

#Do not comply with industry standards and mandates

#Has a concern about security breach

#Lacks the Scalability factor along with organizational growth

#Time-intensive and doesn’t work on real-time basis

Grab Hold Of The Best EDI Provider This Time!!

While shopping for a SaaS based EDI solution, make sure it meets the following criteria:

# Multi-platform Support - It should support all kind of transactions, data formats and workflow. IT vendors must be able to perform business-specific tasks like purchase orders, advanced shipping notices, invoices and branded packing slips, easily.

# An All-Round Solution - Must provide a comprehensive outsourced solution catering secure data conversion into and out of the EDI system; provides a smarter way to transport data between suppliers and partners; and allow easy import and export through seamless integration of ERP and/or accounting software.

# Cater Reusability - Ability to reuse or duplicate existing maps for clients with matching requirements in order to provide high-end reliability at a comparatively lower cost.

# Transparency - EDI users want data that provides greater visibility of their shipment in transit. An ideal EDI provider must cater this need, along with the ability to create sub-accounts and distribution of its use to third-party partners.

# Easy Migration - This is the greatest concern of the users when they plan to switch their EDI provider. A good EDI provider must allow easier data migration without any data loss or security breach.

Choosing the right EDI Provider can be a challenging task, as there are several options available. But, it’s important to remember that making the right provider choice can show the difference between business process improvements and a frustrating experience. Analyzing the EDI solution under these five aspects might give you the best system according to your business requirement.