Businesses that opt to handle EDI in-house typically have the intention of long-term cost savings. However, after investing all of the time and money required to build your in-house EDI system, that’s when the reality sets in that managing an EDI system is a lot more complicated than it seems.
Before you can start exchanging EDI messages with your trading partners, you have to go through a series of tedious actions to prepare for communication with each individual trading partner. This includes onboarding your trading partners, meeting their specific EDI requirements, and translating EDI data for each type of message you want to exchange.
To handle all of these tasks, you need an IT team with expertise in EDI. In many cases, the long-term savings of an in-house EDI system are lost in the resources required for training and ongoing maintenance necessary for EDI management in-house.
However, companies are saving time and money by hiring BOLD VAN to move their EDI data and handle EDI translation, while still using their in-house system to manage their EDI documents.
EDI DATA TRANSLATION
Data translation is one of the most annoying tasks to take on if you aren’t an EDI expert – and it’s also one of the most common tasks you have to deal with when you manage EDI in-house.
EDI data translation is the process that allows you to pull data from your in-house software and send it to your trading partner in a format where the data is compatible with their in-house software. Without EDI data translation, it would be impossible to exchange data with a variety of organizations that use different types of software.
The process of data translation requires you to extract data from whatever application you’re using, convert that data into an outbound EDI message, format the message to the appropriate EDI standard, and then send the EDI transaction to your trading partner. You must complete this process for every type of EDI transaction for every trading partner.
Due to its complexity and the lack of expertise among IT professionals, in-house EDI management has a tendency to drive up labor costs. You either have to invest in training for your current IT team or you have to hire additional employees specifically for EDI when the work required might not justify the cost of a full-time employee.
Outsourcing to a team of EDI consultants is often far more cost-effective. However, BOLD VAN can also drastically lower the cost of moving your EDI data as well.
AN EDI VALUE-ADDED NETWORK (VAN)
Whether you manage EDI in-house or your outsource everything, you still need a VAN to move your EDI data since most companies require the use of a VAN for EDI compliance. One of the advantages of working with BOLD VAN is that you can use our VAN with your in-house EDI system with no extra installations required.
However, unlike other VANs, you don’t have to pay for every kilocharacter you send or receive. BOLD VAN is the first and only EDI service provider to offer Trading Partner Pricing – send EDI data every month and pay a fixed rate based on the number of your active trading partners.
Enjoy BOLD Savings
- Trading Partner Pricing – Save up to 80% on EDI costs (compared to other VANs) and use EDI data for one low monthly rate.
- Free Implementation – All you need is an internet connection to get started. We’ll handle everything else for you.
- Free Onboarding and EDI Compliance – We onboard new and existing trading partners, as well as handle any EDI compliance requirements on your behalf.
To sum it all up, you will continue to manage your EDI documents in-house through the system you are familiar with, but you won’t have to handle all of the additional painstaking tasks that go along with EDI anymore. Your IT team will be forever grateful! (Plus, you’ll save a ton of money!)
Contact us right away to get started or to allow us to answer any questions you might have!
28899 Center Ridge Road Unit 301,
844-265-3777
