First steps EDI: Smooth and swift EDI implementation
With these six steps you successfully implement EDI (Electronic Data Interchange):
Of course, we are also happy to advise you personally.
Please contact us at info@editel.at or by phone +43/1/505 86 02 –850.
1. Analyze your business processes
During the initial consultation, be sure to address the following questions:
- Which corporate processes would you like to support with the use of EDI? (e.g. order processes, delivery processes, invoicing processes, etc.)
- Approximately how many business documents are you planning to exchange with your business partners?
- Do you have existing ERP systems with available data interfaces?
We recommend that all business partners who plan to exchange business documents among each other sign a so-called “EDI framework agreement” that specifies technical and organizational conditions.
2. Find the right EDI solution for your needs
Several options of using EDI are available, depending on the size of your company, technical infrastructure and amount of documents to be exchanged.
Small- and medium-sized companies with low document volumes typically use an online EDI portal to swiftly introduce EDI while keeping expenses low. EDI solutions that allow for data integration into the existing in-house ERP system are a great choice for large companies or those with a high document volume. For additional information, please visit the EDI Communication and EDI Integration sections on this web site.
The EDITEL team will be happy to help you find the best EDI solution for your company during a no-commitment consultation.
3. Sign up as a user of the eXite® Business Integration Network
More than 20,000 companies around the world use the EDI platform eXite®, which means that virtually all businesses that use Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) are connected to the platform.
4. Synchronize your article data with your business partners
We recommend synchronizing your article data (article numbers/GTINs, partner identification numbers/GLNs) with your business partner in the early stages of your EDI project. It is paramount that both partners use the same data set (article numbers, article descriptions, etc.)
5. Review your messages and start the test phase
Before you start exchanging electronic data with your business partners, we recommend you send your first messages via e-mail to GS1 Austria to have your EDI messages checked for syntactic accuracy. As soon as these messages have been cleared, arrange a test phase with your business partner, during which you will test the communication processes and message processing.
6. Start exchanging data
Once the test phase has been successfully completed, you will be all set for starting live electronic communication processes with your business partners.
