A look behind the scenes of the EDI project delivery department

Enthusiasm for new challenges in the project delivery department

This is how I would succinctly describe my team in the project delivery department: we are a diverse group with high social skills that enthusiastically tackles new challenges in the area of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) on a daily basis. Our tasks are as varied as our team is diverse. They include new EDI projects as well as onboarding new partners and performing syntax checks. Join me to take a look behind the scenes and explore how we give people leeway while defining targets.

What I believe in as a supervisor

Personally, it is very important to me for my employees to have as much autonomy as possible. I trust that they will manage their time to fulfill their tasks and experience has shown that this works very well in practice. However, this does not work if there are no defined objectives. These need to be realistic and achievable. In addition, I am always there to help if my colleagues need assistance.

These are typical tasks in our department

In a nutshell: if you have a knack for technology and if you like to communicate with people, this is the right place for you to work. Our department takes care of a wide range of tasks. One recurring task is the onboarding of new EDI partners. For this purpose, we digitalize business processes between companies that work in many different industries. An example is communication between retailers and manufacturers or between restaurants, hotel chains, catering businesses and their suppliers. EDI is also very present in the logistics and automotive industry. An important element here is to have a good grasp of the clients’ requirements, some of them being technical. Thanks to our experience and expertise, we can make sure that things go very smoothly even before the project goes underway. We do not limit ourselves to assisting our clients during the “integration phase” but also subsequently perform data format and syntax checks to ensure maximum data quality during ongoing operations.

Why collaboration with other departments is so important

Our colleagues in the sales department are true pros when it comes to excellent customer service and explaining the complex field of Electronic Data Interchange in a comprehensive manner. During the technical implementation, we come into play and we deliver on the promises made by the sales team. We always coordinate every step with the client. At this early stage, feasibility studies and detailed analyses are key. One example is that we look at the technical descriptions of IT interfaces on both sides and analyze the technical requirements as well as the existing infrastructure. Once the project is completed, the support team takes over. Thanks to our international presence, we are also in constant contact with our colleagues at our subsidiaries in neighboring countries.

And there is more…

Smooth communication is paramount for us. We have periodic internal meetings to keep each other up to date about project progress and pending issues. In addition, we work closely with our clients. This happens in a variety of settings: for projects with SMEs, we oftentimes talk to external IT service providers that rely on our assistance to perform changes to ERP systems such as BMD, Microsoft Dynamics or SAGE. When the clients are large international corporations, we might also work with SAP consultants. On the client side, the following departments are relevant to us: purchasing, accounting, and supply chain management. An interrupted flow of information between all involved parties and superior communication skills are key.

Whenever our clients’ specifications change, we are there to help

After a project has been delivered by us and accepted by the client, EDI systems subsequently provide highly reliable performance. However, it might be necessary to adapt or upgrade existing projects. For instance, when a retailer informs their clients that they will be changing their technical specifications, we also come into play. Our number one priority is to keep things running as smoothly as possible at all times. If you have any questions, you can be sure that we will find the right person to assist you.

We appreciate your feedback!

Constructive criticism is key for getting better at what we do. The same is true for me as the head of the consulting and project delivery department at EDITEL Austria and for my employees. Feedback from our clients is priceless because both praise and suggestions for improvement make us grow. Our large field of activities certainly provides a wide range of opportunities to do so.

My colleagues and I will be happy to answer any questions you might have. Please use the contact box on the right to send your inquiry.

About the author

Karl Cegner
Head of Consulting & Project Delivery at EDITEL Austria