Tag Archive - Outsourced EDI

Supply Chain Integration Introduction Part 5 – The Future

 

For businesses looking to implement their first supply chain integration systems, or those looking to improve that which they already have, the future of the methodology will remain of interest. The continued explosion of hosted systems (also known as Software as a Service – SaaS), has already begun to radically alter the supply chain integration landscape.

As discussed elsewhere throughout this short series of articles, supply chain integration is currently a job requiring extensive (expensive) expertise due to the complexities inherent in joining multiple computer systems. As with most technological advances, implementation of integrations should get inherently easier as on-site complexity is reduced. Suppliers will be faced with the choice of rolling out the exact same ERP system in each of their own businesses, or to outsource the EDI functions required to communicate between disparate systems to a third-party.The Future written on the white board

As cloud-based software and services continue to mature, the use of on-site systems becomes more expensive and effectively redundant. By outsourcing functions to the cloud such as invoicing and billing, businesses immediately benefit from a reduction in complexity and duplicated effort. An ideal Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) platform will take input from any ERP or accounting system, as Celtrino’s Smart Admin product does, and seamlessly convert and transfer the data to a receiving system. The onus for translation and EDI connectivity becomes the responsibility of the hosted service provider.

In such a scenario, the cloud service provider configures and maintains the EDI connectors for the systems of all of their service users, for the same subscription fee. The clients are then able to make savings on the costs of hiring EDI consultants every time a reconfiguration of the data interchange layout is required.

Business Process Outsourcing as part of a Supply Chain Integration is a hot topic and looks set to remain so for some time. As demand for BPO increases, service providers will be forced to further tune and improve their offerings. All this is great news for the customer and their customers in turn.

If you would like to know more about how Celtrino’s Smart Admin platform can be used to assist your business in Supply Chain Integration, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 
Supply Chain Integration Part 1

Supply Chain Integration Part 2

Supply Chain Integration Part 3

Supply Chain Integration Part 4

 


Posted on October 26, 2011 in B2B Platform in the Cloud, Business Process Outsourcing, Integrated Supply Chain Management Platform, Supply Chain Integration, Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Performance by
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Supply Chain Integration Part 4 – Best Practice

 

Best Practice written on a white boardThe recognition that supply chain integration with your suppliers and partners is of paramount importance is the first step in a sometimes challenging and complex process. Each member of a supply chain has their own way of doing things, using a variety of different systems which at first glance are probably not fully interoperable.

Despite being a “standard” Electronic Data Interchange, or EDI as it is known for short, there are many minute variations and tweaks required in order for one computer system to “talk” to another. As a result, reconfiguration will have to take place at each supplier to allow for smooth communications. EDI setup and maintenance is an expert job and being time intensive, is also costly. As a result the use of an outsourced service which does the required EDI translations automatically is preferable.

The use of an externally hosted Electronic Invoice Presentment and Payment (EIPP) system allows every member of the supply chain to integrate their payment systems for maximum compatibility, whilst retaining complete autonomy over their own data and in house processes. During the supply chain integration process, companies can choose to enable as much or as little interchange as they desire. Obviously the more interchange permitted, the greater the on-going cost savings through a reduction in labour costs that would be accrued through manual processing of the same actions.

Clearly the complexities of such an integration is outside the experience (or interest) of most businesses and so they will need to secure the services of a specialist consultancy. Here are three suggestions to help when choosing:

  1. A proven track record in successful completion of supply chain integration. Any company you consider should have verifiable testimonials from previous customers and reference sites which can be visited for first-hand verification.
  2. Experience in trading community onboarding. Integration projects deal not only with system interoperability, but also the political issues raised by bringing together businesses with differing values and ethics.
  3. The ability to make integration as simple as possible with the minimum of disruption for any member of the supply chain.

In the light of these suggestions, expertise in supply chain integration is just one facet of the decision process. The technology and methodology used is just as important with on and off site implementations of supply chain integration. Clearly Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) options which see the EDI services hosted externally are preferable in terms of scalability, speed of deployment and minimisation of disruption – all data interchange is performed externally with minimal local reconfiguration required.

 

Supply Chain Integration Part 1

Supply Chain Integration Part 2

Supply Chain Integration Part 3

Supply Chain Integration Part 5


Posted on October 21, 2011 in BPO, Business Process Outsourcing, EDI, Electronic Invoice Presentment & Payment, Outsourced EDI, Supply Chain Integration, Supply Chain Performance by
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Moving financial transactions to the cloud can win you big contracts

 

Read how we helped Kooky Dough realise the supply chain efficiencies that helped them move to the next level as a business.

Moving Financial transactions to the cloud can win you big contracts

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Posted on October 18, 2011 in B2B Platform in the Cloud, Celtrino Platform, e-Invoicing, eBilling, EDI, Outsourced EDI, Supply Chain Document Automation by
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Cloud computing & how to improve supply chain visibility case study

 

Read our case study on how we helped ADM Londis move to a SaaS business model & improve their supply chain visibility.

Improving visibility of costs in retail using the power of cloud computing

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Posted on October 4, 2011 in Cloud Computing, EDI, Outsourced EDI, SaaS by
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ERP: Extract the maximum value out of your business systems

 

For many businesses undertaking a major business process outsourcing project, several questions arise as to how the changes will affect interactions with other suppliers and customers. Taking a holistic view, Celtrino can assist in implementing changes which will not only benefit your business, but also provide your partners with potential savings as a result.

digital worldOn a more basic level, Celtrino’s Smart Admin service provides a method by which a company can integrate its internal accounting and ERP system to produce a fully automated, transparent EIPP (Electronic Invoice Presentment and Payment) system. Essentially all of the paperwork traditionally associated with the accounts department is rendered and presented electronically to the relevant customer or supplier. Businesses outsourcing their processes in this manner reap immediate cost savings through increased automation, a reduction in duplicated effort and a low total cost of ownership.

Celtrino’s Smart Admin e-Solutions also include the ability to create B2B supply chain management portals, allowing multiple suppliers to integrate ERP and accounting systems via the cloud. Smart Admin features support for a wide variety of popular back office applications, including Sage, SAP, Oracle and Microsoft, converting any file format into a version readable by the receiver. Using EDI, the supply chain documents are sent from supplier to buyer and vice versa, with a speed and ease unavailable through traditional supply chain management channels.

Businesses forming such a strategic partnership immediately share the benefits of being able to present and pay invoices electronically and submit the relevant remittance advice directly into each others accounts systems via the Smart Admin platform.

As well as the technical know-how, Celtrino can also offer extensive experience in trading community onboarding by helping suppliers and partners recognise the many financial and procedural benefits available through the use of a B2B supply chain management portal. After all, when it comes to reduced costs through business process outsourcing, what is good for your business is also good for your suppliers.

 

 


Posted on September 23, 2011 in EDI, ERP, Smart Admin, Supply Chain Document Automation by
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Outsourced EDI: Pat the Baker case study

 

“Outsourced EDI: Pat the Baker case study” - a Wednesday morning case study for you. A great insight into the business transformation undertaken in Pat the Baker, Ireland’s finest Bakery, in conjunction with Celtrino, a pioneer in the provision of outsourced managed EDI services.

Case Study: Outsourced EDI

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Posted on September 21, 2011 in EDI, Outsourced EDI, SaaS, Supply Chain Document Automation by
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Why outsource EDI?

 

Electronic Data Interchange, or EDI, is one of the oldest methods of system-to-system communication still in use today. EDI relies on creation of standardised text files which are set between businesses in a specific format so that it can be automatically imported into the computer system of the receiver. One of the most well-known users of EDI is the BACS bank transfer system used for sending payments automatically.

Despite being a standard industry format, the encoded text files require specialist knowledge and expertise to create the export template to extract data in the correct format for submission. Worse still, when a partner changes the EDI data mappings for import into their system, each of their customers must reconfigure their exports to match the new import routines.

All of this manual reconfiguration comes at a cost. Businesses must either retain the services of their own EDI expert, or hire an equally expensive consultant to make the changes. Replacing internal systems also attract additional costs. A software upgrade, or a shift to a new platform requires reconfiguration of the EDI translator to ensure that EDI communications between customers and suppliers continue unhindered. Worse still, every system change takes time, which in turn costs the business money.

Clearly any solution which removes the burden of EDI management should result in time and cost savings.

Software as a Service (SaaS) EDI translators provide the obvious solution to many of these conundrums. With outsourced EDI solutions, configuration changes and data export tweaks becomes the responsibility of the service provider. Immediately the requirement for an EDI specialist is removed as is the hardware required to support an EDI translator system. IT staff are then freed to focus on the other aspects of their roles to the benefit of the business.

A SaaS EDI system, such as Celtrino’s Smart Admin provide data interfaces and translators for many industry-leading accounts systems as well as the expertise required for a successful implementation. Their abilities and services are guaranteed to reduce EDI TCO by at least 25%, giving businesses an immediate reduction in costs and allowing them to focus on their customers.


Posted on September 8, 2011 in EDI, ERP, Smart Admin by
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