EDI at Classen Group

EDI Communication for Classen Group

Document digitalization and process automation go hand in hand with the ever-faster digital revolution we have witnessed in the past decade. CLASSEN Group has consistently implemented EDI communication as the document exchange of choice with its business partners. This service is provided by EDITEL PL, a member of EDITEL Group.

Project scope

For a company with numerous clients located all over Europe, maintaining smooth logistics and supply chain processes is a true challenge. Nowadays, it is next to impossible to ensure a maximum level of delivery quality, on-time delivery and avoiding out-of-stock situations without using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). It was the vast experience within the DIY industry and its ability to deliver international projects that prompted Classen to make EDITEL PL, its EDI provider of choice. Since an existing EDI system had to be replaced, the smooth transition of all EDI operations was a priority. At the same time, the business had to continue growing and new clients didn’t want to be left waiting to get connected to the EDI system. In a nutshell: there was plenty of work to do.

Project milestones

In view of the company’s considerable scale, it is worth mentioning that the implementation went even much faster than initially expected. All deliverables were completed two months ahead of schedule, which was certainly a result of the excellent collaboration between both parties and CLASSEN Group’s existing setup for sophisticated EDI processes including the GS1 standards the company has been using for years. In terms of figures, the achievements of this 12-month project period were quite impressive: more than 40 business partners across 14 countries (Germany, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, France, Hungary, Estonia, Lithuania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Luxembourg) were either migrated from the previous EDI solution or onboarded successfully. It is not surprising that such a large customer base goes hand in hand with a large variety of different communication needs (SFTP, X.400, AS2, etc.) as well as data formats, which increases complexity. It was for this challenge that CLASSEN Group was able to rely on EDITEL PL’s tried and tested technology and also on the international reach of its parent company EDITEL.

Better be safe than sorry

There was more to this project than the successful implementation of a new EDI solution. These mission-critical services require expert care as well as maintenance. In addition to monitoring all operations, EDITEL operates its helpdesk on a 24/7 basis, which is a must in such an international environment. Also, to be on the safe side, the CLASSEN Group relies on EDITEL’s long-term archive for electronic invoices. The CLASSEN Group is now all set for tackling the next digitalization milestones. Roughly 40 partners are scheduled to be connected to the system shortly. While this is a substantial challenge, with the help of the right partner – EDITEL – the task is certainly manageable.