Integrate EDI for Inventory Visibility

Since COVID shattered the supply chain, managing inventory efficiently has grown more important than ever before. But a siloed approach and a stand-alone EDI platform make it difficult for companies to have complete transparency across all their operations. The solution? Integrate EDI for inventory visibility.

An efficient supply chain is a constant juggling act: orders, inventory, packing, shipping, fulfillment, and more. When your team is forced to rely on manual processes or when the ERP isn’t wired in, mistakes occur and productive business relationships are damaged. We are living in an era when consumers and, by extension, retail trading partners, have little patience for errors or delays. 

Integrate EDI with an ERP

As powerful as an EDI platform like Lingo may be, its contribution to overall efficiency grows when it is fully integrated with an ERP like NetSuite instead of being a stand-alone application. A thoughtful integration becomes even more valuable as a business grows and needs to scale its operations to manage demand. 

EDI that is integrated with an ERP lets you streamline data flow, automate tasks, and increase both speed and efficiency throughout your supply chain. While EDI provides many benefits on its own—simplified communication, faster transactions, less time to payment—its value is amplified through integration. The EDI 846, for example, becomes an even more productive tool when EDI software is integrated. With ours, the EDI 846 populates by pulling data directly from Item Carton Maintenance and moving it into an integrated ERP.

Inventory Visibility 

What’s the most important element of a stable, efficient supply chain? Information. 

Without visibility into inventory, combined with order data, it’s difficult to act and build the kinds of business relationships that grow a business. When EDI is integrated with a powerful ERP—see this complete list of our integration partners, including NetSuite, SAP, and OMS—companies gather valuable information and maintain a constant flow of information across all their systems and with their trading partners. 

As a result, orders can be accepted without hesitation, or updates provided in a timely manner. Inventory visibility, in short, means promises can be kept and orders accepted with confidence.

EDI integrated with an ERP does require a thoughtful approach with a provider who understands the unique workflow of your operation. It takes some investment and planning, but it will pay dividends in short order.  

Inventory Control Means Shorter Pay Cycles and Greater Accuracy

An ERP/EDI integration not only provides visibility, but more control over both inventory and pay cycles. 

Why? 

• Automation of order processing tasks means everything happens faster. 
• Accuracy eliminates mistakes that can lead to costly delays, chargebacks, or damaged business relationships. 
• Payments can be fast-tracked because orders are fulfilled more promptly. 
• Errors related to drop shipping decrease dramatically. 
• Drop shipping orders are managed alongside large volume purchases from major trading partners, so accuracy is increased. 

Integrated EDI and ROI

While a stand-alone application may be less expensive at the outset, an integrated solution saves money with every order that is processed. 

The biggest reason is time. After all, time is money, and integrated EDI cuts the hours spent processing orders significantly. 

That’s cost-saving on a micro level. But look at the bigger picture. When EDI is integrated with an ERP, your supply chain efficiency will increase. That can translate into a significant new relationship with a retail trading partner who has been frustrated by working with suppliers unable to provide the kind of information they demand. 

Supply Chain Disruption isn’t Going Away

Even as the pandemic fades—fingers crossed—supply chain disruptions aren’t going to vanish overnight. The problems will affect business transactions every day for the immediate future, and possibly longer. 

But in this moment, there is also opportunity. Suppliers that establish reputations for transparency, accuracy, and accountability will be highly valued. An integrated EDI/ERP solution can separate a company from others that are struggling to keep up. 

There’s no better time to integrate your EDI platform with the ERP that powers your business. The right EDI software provider will have the experience and development team that is capable of transforming your inventory management, order processing operations, and overall supply chain. 

There’s no better time to take this step, and integrate your EDI application with an ERP.