What to look for in an EDI/B2B solution in 7 words
Make your B2B more agile and resilient
B2B integration solutions are evolving beyond traditional EDI to embrace modern API connectivity and the emerging technologies you need to stay competitive. These seven words describe the ideal solution for modernizing the way you exchange data with your customers and supply chain partners.
01 Platform
Running either on-premises or in the cloud, B2B integration platforms create a single source of truth and control for all data connections between your organization and your customers, suppliers, and other business partners. A modern B2B integration platform is open, flexible, and built for the future, enabling you to leverage emerging technologies like iPaaS, machine learning, and advanced analytics.
02 Agility
To expand your business ecosystem, you need the agility to respond to change, efficiently and effectively. Look for a B2B integration solution that consolidates a wider variety of EDI protocols, modern APIs, industry security and interoperability standards, compliance processes, and more. The best software positions you to accomodate diverse chain partners, whether they need EDI, VAN, or API connectivity, or access through a web application.
03 Compliance
Whatever your industry, you need to stay compliant with evolving regulations and mandates that can be costly to mishandle or ignore. The right B2B solution gives you a global, standards-based way to keep pace with supply chain regulations governing healthcare, e-invoicing, manufacturing, retail, and more.
04 Resilience
Business, macroeconomic, and political changes make supply chain disruption a top risk to business growth. Open, agile B2B solutions help mitigate this risk by giving you greater visibility and control of supply chain proceses, allowing you to onboard partners faster and change flows on the fly. In addition, today's powerful monitoring and analytics tools now leverage AI to forecast disruptions.
05 Innovation
To modernize your B2B infrastructure, you need a solution that supports both traditional EDI and modern, API-driven communication. APIs open your supply chain to innovate use cases, including seamless B2B partner ecosystem and ERP integration, innovative tools for partner onboarding, and connectivity with front-end applications providing customers with a new and better user experience.
06 Cloud
Moving B2B processes to the cloud has many potential benefits, including reduced costs, improved service delivery, scalability to meet changing business needs, stronger security, and tight API integration with SAP S/4HANA and other cloud ERPs. Look for a solutions vendor with the experience to guide your business through a smooth and successful cloud migration.
07 Expertise
With EDI and B2B expertise in short supply, businesses are looking to managed service providers to help cope with talent shortages, free up IT personnel to focus on more critical initiatives, and lower operational costs. The best provider will put a dedicated, expert management team to work for your business, give you a choice of cloud architectures (single tenant, multi-tenant, hybrid), and support leading cloud services providers like AWS and Microsoft Azure.
Ready to modernize your EDI/B2B integration solution for agility, resilience, and compliance?