How to Get the Most out of Your EDI Implementation

EDI will change the way you process transactions with your partners. Think about the most paper-intensive transactions that you will complete. Those are the areas where EDI will make the most impact. What are your most time-sensitive transactions? With EDI, many processes that used to take hours and even days to complete can now be done in minutes. Make sure that you are implementing EDI transactions for the most time-intensive projects.

An important decision that you're going to need to make is whether or not you'll be using a cloud-based EDI solution or on-premise EDI software. Each option has pros and cons depending on your needs. Cloud EDI doesn't require the expensive hardware investments as hosting your own EDI. This makes it more scalable for a growing business, and lets you save up front. 

It's important to communicate with your trading partners when you're making this change. Do they already use EDI? If so, find out which EDI standards they use. Whether they rely on X12 or a different set of standards, you want to make sure that you will be in sync with long-term partners. Don't add all of your partners at once. First, add one partner as a training project. Adding all of your partners at once can be overwhelming and a drain on resources. By adding one partner first, you can iron out the process and them implement in full.