In this era of ever-changing consumer demands, your retail or manufacturing business needs to leverage every competitive advantage it has at its disposal. With the effects of globalization, businesses are grappling to manage increasingly complex supply chain models To get ahead and stay ahead in today’s evolving global market, many organizations are adopting Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) solutions to maximize operational efficiency and maintain market competitiveness. EDI technology improves operational strategy, enhances supply chain visibility, and improves operational performance.

Partnering with a reputable EDI integration service provider shifts the burden of EDI processing, maintenance, and updates from internal IT teams to the EDI provider, freeing internal teams to focus on other revenue-building activities. When utilizing an outsourced service, the capital investment is significantly reduced to a consistent monthly or annual subscription, making budgeting simpler and more accurate. This is especially critical for small and medium-sized businesses. 

Given the investment of EDI integration into SAP, it is crucial for the business to select the right EDI integration service provider with sufficient capabilities. Below is a checklist for EDI Integration with SAP to help manage the process and make better, more informed decisions.

Ensuring Service Provider Expertise in EDI for SAP

Opting for an experienced EDI integration provider with SAP systems is critical. SAP has numerous ERP products such as SAP ECC, SAP Business ByDesign, SAP Business All-in-One and SAP Business One; thus, extensive knowledge is required to be able to provide effective integration services that are scalable and compatible. Partnering with an EDI integration provider with expertise in different SAP systems will not only help you avoid surprises during and after data integration, but will also provide installation for different SAP ERP systems as needed in the future. 

Selecting an EDI Integration Platform With an SAP Certificate

The SAP Partner Certification proves that the EDI integration provider passed rigorous tests to meet the top standards from SAP. This shows that the provider’s solutions are proven to be effective, quick to deploy, easy to maintain and able to fulfill the necessary on-going requirements. 

Keep in mind that providers that outsource their EDI process to a third-party service are required to include a statement that reads, “The software solution you are purchasing is an SAP Certified Solution”. To browse SAP-certified EDI integration providers, please check the list provided here.

Opting For The Right Integration Approach

There are two common deployment models for EDI integration for SAP environment: 

• Cloud-based software: Hosted on the vendor’s servers and accessed through a web browser. In general, the price methodology is a monthly or annual subscription with additional recurring fees for value-added services, such as support, training, and updates.
• On-premise software: Installed locally on a company’s own computers and servers. The deployment requires a one-time perpetual license fee, with recurring fees for support, training, and updates.

Choosing a deployment model is a crucial aspect of EDI integration with SAP. While on-premise systems require a higher upfront capital investment, organizations retain all of their data and are fully in control of its management. On the other hand, cloud-based solutions offer a low cost of entry to outsource a third-party provider to maintain and manage the EDI system. 

The EDI integration provider should provide detailed information during the initial consultation on which would be the more appropriate deployment option for your specific SAP ERP system.

SAP Database Options

There are many database choices for an SAP system, the key options being DB2, MS SQL, Oracle, and HANA. In recent years, HANA has increased in popularity due to its many competitive advantages. Whatever option you ultimately choose, it’s important that you only consider EDI integration service providers with experience with the database that your SAP ERP system is running on. 

Because SAP has invested time and resources improving the HANA implementation process for its products, potential EDI integration service providers should be capable of integrating with HANA in anticipation of future needs.

The Power of Live Operational Management and 24/7 Customer Support

As modern businesses are interconnected on a global scale, trading partners have come to expect that a live operational system to troubleshoot any transmission problems in real-time with 24/7 support, especially when issues arise outside of normal work hours. Because businesses often rely on a third-party for their EDI needs, it is critical to ensure that prospective EDI integration providers are capable of delivering live operational management and 24/7 customer support.

Simplify EDI Integration Into ERP Systems

There are two different methods for ERP integration, which are internal native adapters and file-based integration. While native SAP adapters allow for seamless functionality, file-based integration performs EDI integration externally to the SAP system through an API. 

Since embedded integration offers an SAP native experience for the EDI exchange process, it is often considered a better approach. On the other hand, the two methods are vastly different from each other and highly situational. Thus, it is important for businesses to carefully review the technical architecture proposed by their EDI integration provider.

To find out more about EDI solutions for the SAP ERP system, please contact us at vietnam@dicentral.com. Our consulting team will equip you with all the information you might need to make the right decision for your organization.

DiCentral APAC
Website: www.dicentral.com.vn
Email: vietnam@dicentral.com