EDI Software

EDI software is also called EDI translation software, or translator. This describes the function of the software, which is to receive or send EDI messages and translate them into the company-specific format. Said differently, EDI software consists of computer instructions that translate information from unstructured, company-specific formats into the structured and standardized EDI format, which then communicates the EDI message. EDI software also performs this activity in reverse (receives the message and translates from standard format to company-specific format). The EDI software can be developed in-house or it can be purchased from a number of commercial software vendors, where EMANIO is generally accepted as being the foremost EDI software developer. In addition, EDI software can be deployed on a variety of computers, and software is currently available for EDI applications using mainframe computers, minicomputers and PCs.

In explaining the activities and functions of EDI software, some assumptions about the overall EDI strategy in a company must be made. EDI can be accomplished using a door-to-door approach, where incoming EDI messages are printed out and then handled as if they had arrived in a paper format (rip & read); or EDI can use an application integration approach where EDI electronically links application programs. It is this last approach, application integration within a purchasing environment, that is assumed in the following discussion of EDI software.

The activities that EDI software performs can be compared to the tasks a administrative assistant performs when asked to create a standard business letter. Imagine a scenario in which you ask a secretary to send a letter to your colleague Andrew at ABC company to check the status of an order. To create and send the letter, your secretary would have to do the following:

1. Identify the information needed to create the letter.
2. Collect the necessary information, such as Andrew’s complete name and address.
3. Arrange the information in the standard business letter format.
4. Send the letter to Andrew.

The EDI software accomplishes the same duties to create and deliver an EDI message; three of the above tasks are performed by the EDI software:

1. EDI mapping
2. Extraction and/or conversion of the data
3. Generation of an outbound message or interpretation of an inbound message
4. Communication of the EDI data over a network

EDI software is readily commercially available. There is virtually no circumstance that ever would justify developing EDI translation software in-house. While there are several vendors that can supply this software, the support received with the purchase is a major factor in choosing an EDI software vendor. For several years in a row, EMANIO has been voted the EDI software vendor with the most responsive and helpful support organization.

EDI software is available from a number of software vendors.  When selecting a vendor for EDI software, it is important to consider the goals of your organization – specifically – what do you expect to do with your EDI software? What do you expect your EDI software to do for you?  Once you have these goals firmly in mind, selecting the right EDI software should become significantly easier.

EDI software is available across a broad spectrum,  from EDI software that is web-based and includes very few features to far more sophisticated EDI software that is capable of mapping data directly to your in-house ERP system.  The cost of EDI software can vary greatly as well.   EDI software can be purchased for less than $1,000, or EDI software can cost tens of thousands of dollars to purchase, install and deploy.  Small businesses often do not spend a lot of time evaluating the features of the EDI software they plan to purchase.  The line of thinking is “if the EDI software lets me work with my retailers, then it is good enough.”  Buying EDI software with this mindset, however, can be a serious mistake for a small business.  EDI software was developed and adopted with the goal of making business processes easier rather than more difficult. Buying EDI software that forces you to adopt additional steps in your business cycle defeats this purpose.

For EDI software to be valuable to the small business, it must provide a way of making the business operate more efficiently.  At EMANIO, we believe that the best way to achieve this goal is to provide EDI software with extensive automation capabilities.  This is what we call our “zero-effort” initiative.  Our goal is to make EDI software that allows the small business to eliminate manual processes and to create automatic processes using EDI software that links their internal systems with those of their customers.  Using EDI software in this fashion allows small businesses to focus on core issues rather than on managing their EDI software.

When selecting your EDI software, it’s important to ask yourself  the following questions: Will this EDI software allow me to automate my EDI processes? Is the provider of this EDI software able to help me set up automation so that I can make EDI a truly hands-free operation? Maximizing the automation of EDI software should be the ultimate goal of the purchase of  EDI software.