B2BGateway to attend Exact Live 2016 in Utrecht

B2BGateway, the leading, global EDI and automated supply chain solution provider will be attending this years Exact Live tradeshow in Utrecht, The Netherlands from November 8-9.

Exact Live 2016 is a two day event which will take place this year in Utrecht. Day one is focused on bringing the eco-system of Exact, its partners and third party add-on providers together to discuss overall solutions and to provide 'one stop' seamless solutions to the end user. Day two opens up the event to Exact clients and prospects who can hear from many great speakers as well as learn about new updates and 3rd party software providers who can enhance the users existing system, depending on their unique requirements.

B2BGateway provides cloud based, fully integrated EDI solutions for Exact Online users which remove the need to re-key data when exchanging standard business documents such as purchase orders, invoices, shipping notices, inventory updates, etc., with trading partners. Roger Leyden, Director of Global Business Development at B2BGateway will be attending Exact Live 2016 in Utrecht. If you would like to meet with Roger during the event, please email Sales@B2BGateway.Net  

B2BGateway heading to the Windy City for Sage Summit

Leading global EDI provider B2BGateway will be attending this year’s Sage Summit from July 25-28, 2016 at the McCormick Place Convention Centre in Chicago.

Sage Summit is the largest gathering of Sage users, business partners and add-on specialists in the world. Throughout the week attendees will be greeted by celebrated speakers such as Richard Branson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Herjavec, business experts, tech innovations and mentors. The annual Sage Summit is also an ideal place for peer networking, in-depth education, interactive training and achieving Sage certification. And of course not forgetting the after show party where attendees can let their hair down by dancing and singing along to The Killers.

B2BGateway which is a Sage Universal Developer, provides cloud based, fully integrated EDI solutions to Sage 50 (US, EU), Sage 100 (US), Sage 200 (EU) and Sage 500 ERP (US) users. B2BGateway’s fully integrated EDI solutions remove the need for the Sage user to re-key data when exchanging electronic business documents such as orders, invoices, acknowledgements and advance ship notices (ASN) with trading partners.

If you are attending Sage Summit this year in the Windy City and would like to learn more about how B2BGateway’s EDI solutions for Sage can help your organization eliminate manual data entry, reduce labor costs and expedite payments from customers, email Sales@B2BGateway.Net to arrange an appointment. We look forward to seeing you there!

B2BGateway's EDI Connect App Brings Maclaren's Customer Communications Into the 21st Century!

Iconic baby stroller company uses newly developed B2BGateway EDI Connect App to manage all customer accounts with backend NetSuite ERP while on the go!

Maclaren, the company which introduced the world’s first lightweight aluminum baby stroller over fifty years ago, has announced that it has implemented B2BGateway’s EDI Connect App to help staff monitor all EDI customer accounts while on the move.

In order to improve supply chain efficiencies, comply with customer requirements and to scale for rapid growth, Maclaren enlisted the help of B2BGateway to integrate EDI with their NetSuite ERP system. Having a fully integrated, cloud based EDI solution allows Maclaren to automate the sending and receiving of standard business documents such as purchase orders, invoices and advanced shipping notifications (ASN) with global customers such as Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, John Lewis, Saks and Target to name but a few. Having B2BGateway’s EDI solution fully integrated with Maclaren’s NetSuite system removes the need for the Maclaren staff to manually re-key data; this in turn leads to reduced errors, lower labor costs and faster payments from their customers.

B2BGateway have made further improvements to their solutions offered to all clients by recently introducing the B2BGateway EDI Connect App. The App supports both iOS and Android platforms and is available to download for free on the Apple iTunes and Google Play app stores. While the existing B2BGateway platform allows users to manage their full EDI accounts, clients can now use the B2BGateway EDI Connect App on their Android and Apple devices to oversee trading partner relationships, daily EDI transactions and contact support 24/7. 

“B2BGateways’s cloud based, fully integrated EDI solution for NetSuite has greatly improved our overall supply chain efficiencies and customer communications,” states James Ramsey ICT Manager at Maclaren,” Now with this new wonderful B2BGateway EDI Connect App, I can catch up on where new trading partner setups stand on my walk into the office, or get a complete overview of all the day’s EDI transactions while watching my son’s soccer game.”

Louisa Gooding, Director of Sales & Strategic Relationships at B2BGateway adds “Our technologies are innovative because they meet the specific needs of business people around the world. Regardless of where they are, our clients will now have full access to all their EDI transactions thru the B2BGateway EDI Connect App. Our goal is to help clients increase productivity, generate greater market share and improve relationships with their customers. By downloading the B2BGateway EDI Connect App the user will now have instantaneous, up to date information regardless of geographical location or time zone.”  

B2BGateway and NetSuite: Conquering the Wholesale Distribution Marketplace

By Kevin Hoyle, CEO, B2BGateway.

B2BGateway and NetSuite first partnered way back in 2001, back when NetSuite was known as NetLedger and the term ‘cloud computing’ was not yet invented. Back then we just referred to the cloud as plain and simple, doing business over the internet! In the intervening 15+ years, the world of EDI and ERP has changed a great deal; many integrations now use web-services and CFO’s are actively seeking cloud based ERP systems such as NetSuite. These solutions provide instant anywhere ERP access, along with fully integrated EDI solutions, through cloud technology and they are both affordable and available to the masses.

Since B2BGateway became NetSuite’s EDI partner in 2001, the Wholesale Distribution market has evolved significantly. The traditional supply chain route of; manufacturer to wholesaler to box store retailer has been altered. Now, we have online shopping carts, multi-layered e-commerce stores and drop shipping where the retailer may never handle the goods. EDI technology has played a major part in automating and simplifying all e-commerce solutions. Take for example the EDI 846 transaction set or inventory inquiry document. The EDI 846 is used by Wholesale Distributors to communicate inventory levels to their trading partners. It has become particularly important for online retailers such as Amazon to have this information at hand, especially when drop shipping. Online retailers cannot reliably offer goods to consumers without having up to date inventory information from their distributors. Cloud based, fully integrated EDI solutions can solve this problem by instantly sending electronic inventory updates from NetSuite to the trading partners.

Furthermore, many Wholesale Distributors are now outsourcing their warehouse and transportation needs to Third Party Logistics Providers (3PLs). By using the EDI 900 transaction set series, Wholesale Distributors can automate and communicate electronically with their 3PLs. Going beyond conventional EDI, NetSuite users can have their EDI 945 transaction sets (warehouse ship advice), received from the 3PL fulfill their transactions in NetSuite.

In Wholesale Distribution, margins are tight and getting tighter every day. Customers have choices of where they can purchase their products and the competition is always out there. Through better management of the warehouse, dead stock can be eliminated, items can be purchased that have better turn rates, and long lead time items can be better forecast. Wholesale Distributors can use EDI to optimize order entry, but they can also use EDI for Advanced Ship Notifications (ASNs), invoicing, creation of shipping labels and in some cases for ‘Just In Time’ (JIT) inventory processing and ‘Vendor Managed Inventory’ (VMI).

As we start 2016, more and more distributors are beginning to sell directly to consumers through e-commerce solutions such as NetSuite’s SuiteCommerce platform, Magento, Shopify, etc., and see it as an important driver for growth. Wholesale Distributors, whether they are very mature commodity businesses or young technology distributors, are facing the same challenges with respect to e-commerce. Essentially, an e-commerce company relies on a virtual storefront to sell goods and the distributor to fulfill the orders. In the past, Wholesale Distributors shipped to a B2B world of brick and mortar organizations. Generally, goods would be packaged in lots of dozens or grosses. Now with e-commerce the Wholesale Distribution business is beginning to cover both B2B and B2C (business to consumer) marketplaces, where the customer is buying in quantities of one or two. As such, product packaging has had to change and the methods of handling items are different for these reduced quantities.  

Further, e-commerce has substantially changed retail. In a Wall Street Journal article, Sarah Nasshauer describes that retail now has between 13 and 20 different seasons. We all know about Christmas, Halloween, Spring DIY season, but there are seasons like Storage and Organization in January, Allergy Season in late spring and Fall Gatherings (rakes and sweaters) in early October.  Wholesale Distribution needs to fulfill orders for these new seasonal demands, so they need technology to better manage their inventory and to be able to quickly handle orders and order changes. Wholesale Distributors need to be more nimble than ever in order to meet the changing needs of their customers.

NetSuite is a great product to use for managing a Wholesale Distribution organization. NetSuite has fantastic inbuilt functionality, but it also supports a complete eco-system of third party add-ons, such as B2BGateway’s fully integrated EDI (which can be found on the NetSuite SuiteApp platform). By continuously adding or improving third party applications and verifying their quality through verification processes such as ‘Built For NetSuite’, NetSuite can be assured their customers are getting the very best integrated cloud technology and market leading solutions.   

Read the full CIO Review magazine article here

EDI Value Add – It’s Not Just All About Orders & Invoices!

Although the main backbone of EDI is exchanging electronic orders and invoices between trading partners, there is so much more value add that a well-functioning EDI solution can give the user. Here is just a small selection of some of the solutions that EDI can deliver and the extra value they give the user:

When and where will my goods be delivered (EDI 856)? The Advance Ship Notice EDI 856 enables the sender to describe the contents and configuration of a shipment in various levels of detail. The goal of the ASN is to provide information to the destination's receiving operations well in advance of delivery. The ASN delivers value add to the user in 3 distinct areas: cost, accuracy, and flexibility.

How much stock can I sell (EDI 846)? The Inventory Update EDI 846 informs trading partners on goods on hand and in stock. This document tends to be traded frequently and brings value add in that the seller can remove out of stock items from their listings.

Where are my goods now (EDI 214)? The Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message EDI 214 can be used by shippers to let trading partners know of the progress of goods in transit.

How do I know I got paid (EDI 820)? The Payment Order/Remittance Advice EDI 820 is sent by an organization to a supplier when payment is made, especially in the case of an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). The value add here is that it provides suppliers with the ability to reconcile which invoices have been paid in full for any given payment.

How much did we sell today in….(EDI 852)? The Product Activity Data EDI 852 can be used by retailers to let distributors and suppliers what goods were sold at a given time period and in what location. The value add is that suppliers can plan and ship accordingly to meet their customers’ needs.

I want my shelves constantly stocked, but I don’t want the hassle of remembering to order: EDI can help retailers but a working Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) solution in place where the onus is on the supplier to have the retailers’ shelves constantly stocked at an agreed level.

For further information on value add EDI solutions please contact B2BGateway today at +1 (401) 491-9595 (US), +353 61 708533 (EU) or email Sales@B2BGateway.Net  You can also visit us online at www.B2BGateway.Net

Streamlining the Supply Chain and Increasing Sales!

Everyone talks about streamlining the supply chain process, tightening lead times and process flow automation…but most people have no idea what any of that means. To most, it sounds like a load of the latest buzz words with a really high price tag attached. Do you really need to be part of “The Cloud” to make your business better? Do you need a staff of programmers to make your business thrive? Do you need a PhD in Computer Science to understand this stuff? Well, for the last three questions the answers are Maybe, No and No. My focus here will be to demystify some of the newer technologies and to show how you can really (and inexpensively) use them to your advantage. 
To start with, we probably all know that the Supply Chain is the interdependent process of receiving and sending documents and the associated goods. For example, if you are a supplier, you receive a Purchase Order, you turn it into a sales order in your system, which becomes a pick ticket, and the goods are picked and packed for shipping. Often times, an Advanced Shipping Notification (ASN) is generated and sent to the Buyer to let them know what to expect. Once the goods are shipped, an Invoice is generated and sent to the buying organization. Several days/weeks/months later the invoice is paid and you are in the money.

Tightening of the supply chain can start with Electronic Data Interchange or EDI. EDI is the process of handling the documents in the supply chain electronically rather than on paper.  Ok, that may sound mystical and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be.  Doing EDI is simply a matter of receiving a document electronically and converting it into the right format so that it can imported into your order processing system. Years ago, this was done by hiring a whole IT staff and investing in lots of computers and programs to convert the data. Nowadays, companies are available to pick up that data, convert it and send it to you (over the Internet) in a format that can be imported into your system.     

This is a good time to explain “The Cloud”. Back when I was in college we had to draw computer program flow charts. The flow charts had weird symbols that you used to define parts of the process such as disk storage, decisions, cards, etc. (See Figure 2). As the years progressed and the internet became a huge part of our everyday lives, kids in college taking programming courses still had to draw flow charts but they needed a symbol to define the internet. As such they went with a Cloud image like the one shown in Figure 3.  So with all the mystery of “The Cloud”, it is simply a different way of saying the internet. Companies that offer services over the internet, have been called Internet based companies, Application Service Providers, Software as a Service companies and now they are simply referred to as Cloud based computing. Cloud computing is anything that takes place on the internet, from using QuickBooks Online, to doing EDI with B2BGateway.Net, or even buying consumer goods on Amazon.

So, now you understand EDI and “The Cloud”, but you are still asking yourself, “How do I increase my Sales”? The real increase in sales comes from using Cloud based EDI, but ratcheting it up a notch to be known as Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI).  With VMI, you….as the vendor, manage the inventory, (so that’s how they came up with the name).  What this means is that instead of you receiving orders from a company that is buying from you, you receive inventory information.  A company that is buying from your organization could easily buy from your competition, particularly if you sell commodity type goods, unless you manage the inventory.

When you approach an organization that is buying from you, and say, “Hey, we will completely manage your inventory and we will ensure that your bins/shelves/racks are never empty”, that is VMI. The buying organization saves money on purchasing and is always ensured that the goods are in stock. You will be ensured that you will always make the sale, because in essence, you are placing the orders to yourself. Pretty cool… yes, but how does it work?

 

VMI is just like EDI, but instead of receiving Purchase Orders for goods, your Cloud Based EDI service provider will receive inventory information. This inventory information can be in the form of on-hand information, or it could also be point of sale (POS) information.  On-hand is the optimal information to receive, but on-hand can be computed by subtracting POS items sold from the starting inventory.  Thresholds can be setup in the Cloud Based EDI service provider’s system to define Max Level, Min Level, Safety Stock, lead time, optimal ship quantity, etc. The on-hand quantity is compared to the levels that are set and if the quantities are below the threshold, an order is automatically generated. See Figure 4 for a clever and timely use of a flow chart decision symbol. From the end-users standpoint, you are receiving an EDI Purchase order, in both scenarios. Although it is not shown in Figure 4, you would still be invoicing in the normal EDI way.

So let us recap; you have tightened your supply chain by using EDI, (in the “Cloud”) and you have secured your sales channel by offering to manage the inventory of the buyer. You have increased you sales and you have effectively ruled out the possibility of the buyer buying from the competition, because the whole system will break down if they do.   

Now, human nature will probably take place; the buyer will say to you, “I’m giving you all my sales and I’m saving some money on purchasing. Yeah, my shelves are always filled, but they were when we were purchasing, what else is in this for me….?”  The proper response to this question, (It will always come up), is “We will give you better terms”. Many organizations that do VMI offer long terms. Yes it can be a bit painful, but since you are maintaining the inventory, you essentially own the stock until it sells. You can either set it up with extended terms that are longer than you buyers cycle times, or you can invoice for the goods as they are sold.

Your sales force is going to love you. All they have to do is say, “We will manage your inventory to make sure you always have goods in stock and you don’t have to buy the goods from us until after you sell them”. Who doesn’t love consigned inventory?   So you see; streamlining the supply chain, utilizing cloud computing, without breaking the bank, and increasing sales… is possible.

For further information on B2BGateway’s cloud based EDI and VMI solutions please call +1 401 491 9595 / +353 61 708533 or email Sales@B2BGateway.Net

Do you speak my Lingo? A users guide to EDI Jargon!

In a previous post we spoke about common EDI acronyms and what they stood for, now let’s take this one step further and highlight some commonly used EDI jargon terms and what they mean to you the end user.

EDI Standards - EDI standards are formats for EDI documents (transactions sets) that specify what information goes where within an EDI document. Usually your specific industry or trading partners will determine which EDI standard your organization must use. Examples of EDI standards include ANSI X12, EDIFACT, Tradacoms, Odette, oioUBL.

EDI transaction sets – EDI transaction sets are business documents such as purchase orders, invoices, inventory updates, shipping notices, etc.). The EDI transaction set is identified according to which EDI standard it belongs to. For example in the ANSI X12 standard, EDI transactions sets are given a unique 3 digit identifier whereas in the EDIFACT standard, the identifier is made up of groupings of letterings. In ANSI X12 a shipping notice is referred to as an 856 however in EDIFACT it is called a DESADV.

EDI Software – EDI software facilitates sending and receiving EDI transaction sets according to each trading partner’s unique business rules and requirements. The EDI transaction sets are translated and mapped into a form that a user can use, they can be either transported into a web based EDI type portal or they can be integrated directly into the users back end application such as an ERP, Accounting Package, OMS, WMS and so on. Also within the EDI software there should be a translator. The functionality of the translator is that it that converts EDI data into another format.

EDI Mapping – Converting the electronic transaction sets being sent by one system into the format required by the other system. It is the internal programing that changes the files and allows them to process through systems automatically.

GS1/UCC-128 Barcode Labels - A standard way of labelling packages that includes a scan able bar code label that contains the shipping information for the order and is placed on the outer box. Now known as GS1-128 labels, these were formerly known as UCC-128 labels.

Communication Protocol – Is the ability to connect two different computer systems and transfer the data between them. VAN, AS2 and FTP are some of the most popular methods used in EDI.

Value Added Network – Commonly referred to as a VAN is a network that hosts the exchange of EDI data. A VAN transports the data from one system to another.

EDI Standards Version – A segment that identifies a specific release of the ANSI X12 or EDIFACT standards that may be used by the trading partners. Commonly used versions include ANS! X12 version 4010, version 4030, version 5010 or EDIFACT version D96A.

Functional acknowledgement – An EDI transaction set that is sent by the receiver to the sender to let them know that the previous EDI transaction set was received. It may be referred to as an FA or 997 in ANSI X12 terms.

Trading Partner – A business with whom your organization trades or exchanges goods and/or services. For example if an organization was a wholesale distributor its trading partners may be Walmart, CVS, Amazon and a 3PL (third party logistics provider).

EDI Compliant - A client is capable of transmitting data electronic via an EDI provider and meets the standards and requirements for doing so.

For further information and on the various EDI jargon used please feel free to reach out to the B2BGateway sales team at +1 (401) 491 9595 / +353 61 708533 or email Sales@B2BGateway.Net

Tesco to introduce 'No ASN No Delivery' policy.

Tesco recently invited B2BGateway to a private presentation in their distribution centre at Didcot on the rollout of ASN’s (Advance Ship Notices) for all suppliers. Although Tesco introduced ASN’s as far back as 2007/2008, these were never fully addressed or regimented. That is all about to change as Tesco will be insisting that all suppliers will have to provide an ASN before delivery is accepted. Dave Ellis, Tesco End to End Supply Chain Manager, explained “If a suppliers delivery truck shows up at one of Tesco’s distribution centres without an ASN, it will be sent away again and no delivery will be accepted until such time as the driver returns with an ASN”.  Quite simply put: No ASN = No Delivery!

 

The ASN rollout will begin immediately and will be introduced over a phased basis. Tesco will contact all suppliers informing them of their ASN requirement and giving the supplier 12 weeks to comply with same. Suppliers in the fresh meat and poultry sectors will also have to add a country of origin section to their ASN. Having a regimented ASN policy will obviously give Tesco supply chain advantages, but it will also help suppliers as it will help them to get paid quicker with fewer disputes on quantities, weights etc.

 
If you require help with implementing Tesco’s new No ASN No Delivery policy please contact B2BGateway today on +353 61 708533 or email Sales@B2BGateway.Net

 

Why use EDI to integrate your eCommerce shopping platform with your ERP/Accounting Software System?

As online shopping continues to gather rapid pace (Forrester predicts that over $278 Billion will be spent this year online by US consumers on products and services), many organizations are purchasing eCommerce platforms such as 3dcart, Volusion, Magento, etc., to help them operate their eCommerce online stores. An eCommerce platform is a complete online store application that includes search, navigation, user accounts, shopping cart and ordering capabilities.

 
Without the right tools using an eCommerce platform can be quite a cumbersome and manual process as the following steps will outline:

1. Setup product items to sell online including pricing, imagery, inventory.
2. Customer places order online through the shopping cart.
3. Order details are keyed in manually into the organizations backend accounting software solution or ERP.
4. The order is sent (email, fax, etc.) to the warehouse for fulfillment, where it is manually entered again into the warehouse’s WMS.
5. The warehouse fulfills the order and sends the organization notice (email, fax, etc.) that the goods have been shipped with tracking details.
6. Order information from warehouse re-keyed into organizations backend system.
7. Product shipped to customer.

As can be seen from the steps above, the entire process is quite laborious and can be error prone. Now let’s see how the same transaction would work if the organization implemented EDI:

1. Setup product items to sell online including pricing, imagery inventory.
2. Customer places order online through the shopping cart.
3. EDI 850 Purchase Order is sent directly into organizations backend accounting software or ERP (no need to re-key data). The EDI 850 triggers an EDI 940 (warehouse ship order) to be sent directly into the warehouses WMS (again full automation and no re-keying of data required).
4. The warehouse fulfills the order and sends an EDI 945 (warehouse shipping advice) to the organization letting them know the goods have been shipped. The organization uses the EDI 945 to close out the sale in their back end system.
5Product shipped to customer.

As well as orders and shipping notices, organizations can use the EDI 846 Inventory Inquiry/Advice document to let their trading partners know of stock levels at all times to avoid selling out of stock goods and the EDI 856 Advance Ship Notice to let trading partners know when to expect to receive goods.

For further information on integrating your eCommerce platform with your ERP/Accounting Software system please call B2BGateway today at (401) 491 9595 or email Sales@B2BGateway.Net

What is an ASN?

An ASN (Advance Ship Notice) is an electronic document that provides a detailed notification of a pending delivery. It is a commonly used EDI transaction set known as the EDI 856 under the ANSI X12 standards or the DESADV (Despatch Advice) under EDIFACT standards. The purpose of an ASN is to notify the customer when shipping occurs and provide physical characteristics about the shipment so the customer can be prepared to accept delivery to their warehouse or store.  

The ASN which ties back to the original Purchase Order (PO) sent can be used to list the contents of a shipment of goods as well as additional information such as when an order will be shipped, which items are being shipped, how many of each item is being shipped and physical characteristics about the shipment such as the shipment’s weight, the number of boxes and a description of how the shipment units are packaged. An ASN also tells the customer which mode of transportation is being used for shipping and provides carrier information.

Retailers have found that having an ASN requirement as part of their overall EDI compliance structure leads to greater accuracy, greater flexibility and an overall reduction in costs.

If you would like to know more about the ASN and how B2BGateway can help you implement this EDI transaction set please call (401) 491 9595 or email Sales@B2BGateway.Net

What is AS2?

Question: Hi Louisa, I have just landed a contract to supply Walmart (woohoo!) but they want me to do EDI by using something called AS2. Do you know what AS2 is?

 
Answer: Hi Jim, thanks for the question. Yes, AS2 (Applicability Statement 2) is a specification intended to ensure the proper level of security and reliability for data transmitted over the Internet. Security is achieved by using digital certificates and encryption. In short AS2 is a secure way to exchange data over the internet, in this case the exchange of PO’s, Invoices and ASNs (Advance Ship Notices) between your organization and Walmart.

Document exchange requires more than just moving data over a wire. Because business documents are the basis not only of business planning and operations, but also the legal obligations between companies, the documents must be transferred securely, processed quickly and delivered reliably. AS2 is one of a small number of emerging standards that addresses these requirements and is becoming a very popular communication protocol used in EDI today. Walmart has been one of the great advocates of the adoption of AS2 in the EDI marketplace and many more have followed since.

If you would like to learn more about AS2 or indeed any other EDI communication protocol such as VAN, FTP, FTPs, HTTP, etc please email Sales@B2BGateway.Net or call (401) 491 9595 for further details.

Louisa Gooding is Director of Sales & Marketing at B2BGateway.Net

 

Dollars, Nickels and Dimes! What do you really save with EDI?

In 2010, GS1 UK commissioned Professor Richard Wilding of the Cranfield School of Business Management to carry out a report on EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) with regard to the UK retail sector. Professor Wilding and his team performed exhaustive research and highlighted in great detail all the advantages that are normally associated with EDI: It's faster, data is more accurate, improved process efficiencies, cost savings and it eliminates paper. He also went one step further; he put the savings associated with switching from manual, paper-based processing to EDI processing into a monetary format (and even broke it down into separate sectors - Order, Invoice, ASN). For the purpose of ease and accuracy I have converted the reports Stg£ values into US$. These are the savings Professor Wilding and his team at Cranfield School of Business Management calculated:

·         Orders:                                            $23.00

·         Invoices:                                          $14.00

·         Despatch Advice (ASN)                 $19.00

Total                                                  $56.00

As can be seen from the above, by switching from a manual paper based transaction to EDI you can save your organization $56.00 per transaction in dollars, nickel and dimes. To put this in real terms, if your organization was processing 50 orders per month, and with each order a matching invoice and ASN was required, your organization would be making savings of $2,800 per month by switching from paper to EDI. Obviously the savings are much greater the more transactions your organization makes.

If you would like to read Professor Wildings full report please click here.  Alternatively, please visit one of our global offices on www.B2BGateway.Net or email Sales@B2BGateway.Net to see how B2BGateway can make your transition from paper to EDI seamless today.

Roger Leyden is Director of European Sales & Marketing with B2BGateway

B2BGateway Newsletter 12 out now

B2BGateway Newsletter 12 is out now http://bit.ly/R0Uczg

Advantages of adding ASN/GS1-128 labels to your EDI supply chain process.

 

üThe ASN (Advance Ship Notice) and GS1-128 label (formerly known as UCC-128 label) will provide a link to the original PO sent by the trading partner(s).

üImplementing ASN and GS1-128 labels between trading partners and suppliers is not just seen as best business practice, but it will also speed up all party shipping and receiving procedures.

üThe automation of the supply chain with the introduction of ASN/GS1-128 labels will help decrease manual labor costs and reduce errors.

üAll ASN/GS1-128 label standards are global – this alleviates confusion from global suppliers.

üThe ASN/GS1-128 label standards apply throughout the entire supply chain, from raw materials supplier to manufacturer to distributor/wholesaler to end user/retailer.

üThe ASN/GS1-128labels can be used for both inter and intra-company transactions.

Big Lots ASN Upgrade

We have just started work on an ASN upgrade for Big Lots. The upgrade is due to come into force in January 2011. We will of course keep all our clients trading with Big Lots up to date. If you would like any further information please contact your B2BGateway.Net www.b2bgateway.net Support Engineer.