Newsletter - 'EDI Matters'

B2BGateway quarterly newsletter 'EDI Matters' out now http://bit.ly/2fIgFnw

'Tis The Season To Sell Online!

Did you know that B2BGateway integrates with Magento, Shopify, 3dcart, Bigcommerce, WooCommerce and a host of other eCommerce Online Shopping Platforms?

Do you sell your goods and services on your own in-house shopping cart powered by Magento, Shopify, 3dcart, Bigcommerce, WooCommerce, Volusion or others? Through EDI/API technology and full integration with your Accounting Software / ERP solution (e.g. QuickBooks, Xero, SAP, Sage, NetSuite, Acumatica…….), B2BGateway can help you maximize your eCommerce activities in the following ways:

1.       Pull orders from your eCommerce shopping cart and place them directly into your Accounting Software / ERP solution as Sales Orders. There is no need to re-key data.

2.       Send Inventory Updates to your eCommerce sites so that you never sell out of stock items.

3.       B2BGateway can automatically send new orders from your shopping cart to your 3PL, Warehouse or Drop Ship Vendor.

4.       B2BGateway can help update your site with shipping and tracking information.

Having a fully integrated B2BGateway solution between your online shopping cart and back end ERP/Accounting Software solution means that there is no need to re-key the data – this drastically cuts down on errors, reduces manual labor costs and speeds up your entire process!

B2BGateway’s eCommerce EDI solutions will also help your organization to send orders directly from your eCommerce site to your 3PL (third party logistics provider), warehouse or drop-ship vendor for fulfillment.

To learn more on how B2BGateway’s fully integrated EDI solutions for eCommerce platforms can improve your organization’s supply chain please email our sales team at Sales@B2BGateway.Net

B2BGateway offers organizations complete integration for all their supply chain communication needs.

B2BGateway’s cloud based EDI and automated supply chain solutions offer organizations complete integration with all their trading partners and business tools, regardless of market vertical served. Using B2BGateway’s cloud based EDI and data exchange technologies provides growing organizations with a complete ‘one stop shop’ approach to fulfilling all their communication needs.

B2BGateway offers complete supply chain automation solutions by providing full integration from the customers’ ERP solutions to Online Shopping Carts (Magento, Bigcommerce, 3dcart…), 3PL’s (Third Party Logistics), Online Marketplace (Amazon, Rakuten, Zappos...), Box Store Retailers (Walmart, CVS, Target…), Inventory Software Solutions (ACCTivate, Numbercruncher, Fishbowl), Manufacturers (Apple, Ford, Caterpillar…), Government and Financial Institutions.

To learn more about how B2BGateway’s complete communications solution removes the need for today’s modern organizations to have many, many separate solutions and touch points, please visit www.B2BGateway.Net or email Sales@B2BGateway.Net

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

B2BGateway offers organizations complete integration for all their communication needs.

B2BGateway’s cloud based EDI and automated supply chain solutions offer organizations complete integration with all their trading partners and business tools, regardless of market vertical served. Using B2BGateway’s cloud based EDI and data exchange technologies provides growing organizations with a complete ‘one stop shop’ approach to fulfilling all their communication needs.

B2BGateway offers complete supply chain automation solutions by providing full integration from the customers’ ERP solutions to Online Shopping Carts (Magento, Bigcommerce, 3dcart…), 3PL’s (Third Party Logistics), Online Marketplace (Amazon, Rakuten, Zappos...), Box Store Retailers (Walmart, CVS, Target…), Inventory Software Solutions (ACCTivate, Numbercruncher, Fishbowl), Manufacturers (Apple, Ford, Caterpillar…), Government and Financial Institutions.

To learn more about how B2BGateway’s complete communications solution removes the need for today’s modern organizations to have many, many separate solutions and touch points, please visit www.B2BGateway.Net or email Sales@B2BGateway.Net    

Using EDI to Connect with eCommerce Platforms such as Magento and Bigcommerce

 

AU Webinar: Using EDI to connect with your ecommerce Platforms such as Magento or Bigcommerce. Tuesday September 08 at 12pm Sydney time. Details and registration here http://bit.ly/1N47ht0

Automating Orders and Inventory between your eCommerce site and ERP

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 fulfilment, where it is manually entered again into the warehouse’s WMS.

5.       The warehouse fulfils 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.

5.       Product 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

B2BGateway EDI Solutions for the Omni-Channel

Webinar July 09 at 1pm EST: Integrate your eCommerce Platform with your Accounting Software or ERP

Do you use an eCommerce Platform such as Magento, 3dcart, Shopify, Volusion, etc. to run your Online Shopping Cart?

Would you like to learn how to integrate your eCommerce platform to your Accounting Software / ERP system? (QuickBooks, NetSuite, SAP, Microsost Dynamics, etc.)

Regiester today to learn how to:

• Use B2BGateway's fully-integrated EDI solutions to pull orders from your online shopping cart and populate them as sales orders in your accounting package or ERP system without rekeying any data!
• Keep your online site up to date with inventory updates.
• Connect and communicate seamlessly with 3PLs and outsourced warehouses or shipping companies.

We'll have a 'questions and answers' segment at the end for any specific question that might not have been covered in the Webinar. Please click the link below to register we hope to see you on July 9th!

Register here http://bit.ly/1yU0idk

B2BGateway and Acumatica partner to deliver best of breed cloud based EDI and supply chain solutions to Acumatica users.

B2BGateway, a leading global EDI and automated supply chain solution provider, and Acumatica, the cloud ERP, have partnered to deliver Acumatica users the best in breed in cloud based EDI technology.
 
Acumatica is a leading provider of cloud ERP applications that empower SMBs to stay competitive. Born in the cloud, Acumatica’s browser-based Cloud ERP software offers many choices in deployment, licensing, integration, and customization.
 
Today EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) has become a standard business requirement in wholesale distribution, manufacturing, retail, automotive and ecommerce industries. By having B2BGateway’s fully integrated EDI solution, Acumatica users can now connect seamlessly with online retailers such as Amazon, eCommerce platforms such as Magento, box store retailers such as Walmart and third party logistics providers (3PL). In essence B2BGateway provides a ‘one stop’ solution that can cater for any organizations omni channel logistical and supply chain needs.

For further information on how B2BGateway can further help you automate your organizations supply chain processes with Acumatica call +1 401 491 9595 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

Integrate your Omni-Channel Logistics with cloud based EDI solutions from B2BGateway.

 

To fulfill goods and services for the ever increasing world of Omni-Channel Retail, suppliers have to create excellence in their Omni-Channel Logistics operations. Omni-Channel Retailing is best described by Wikipedia as the evolution of multi-channel retailing, but is concentrated more on a seamless approach to the consumer experience through all available shopping channels, i.e. mobile internet devices, computers, bricks-and-mortar, television, radio, direct mail, catalog and so on. Retailers are meeting the new customer demands by deploying specialized supply chain strategies and software solutions.

The major challenge for suppliers, in order to meet the retailers’ new omni-channel needs, is to get their goods and services to the correct channel as quickly and as accurately as possible and, needless to say,  in the most cost effective manner.

In order to help suppliers achieve excellence in Omni-Channel Logistics, B2BGateway has developed full end to end seamless connectivity between the supplier and all parties in the supply chain from box store retailers (Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, etc.) to online retailers (Amazon, Buy.com, etc.), to manufacturers, third party logistics providers (3PL) and even the suppliers own online shopping carts (which may be powered by online platform providers such as 3dcart, Volusion, Magento, etc.).

 

Through specially developed, cloud based EDI software, B2BGateway’s Omni-Channel Logistics solution fully integrates the suppliers ERP software with all parties in the supply chain, thus allowing fully automated and seamless connectivity for the exchange of all business documentation needed such as Purchase Orders (EDI 850), Invoices (EDI 810), Inventory Updates (EDI 846), Warehouse Shipping Orders (EDI 940), Advanced Shipping Notices (EDI 856) and so forth.

  

As there is full automation and no need to re-key data, the supplier benefits greatly from increased speed, increased accuracy, greater visibility and reduced labor overheads.

 

If you would like to learn more about B2BGateway’s fully integrated Omni-Channel Logistics solution please call +1 401-491-9595 or email Sales@B2BGateway.Net