SAP EDI
SAP EDI is a subject that many of the largest companies
in the world struggle with. To do EDI with SAP can
be a relatively inexpensive and straightforward task,
especially when utilizing a SAP
EDI adaptor from EMANIO.
Whereas accomplishing SAP EDI integrations can be both
expensive and time consuming, the expense can sometimes
be inflated because of the SAP EDI consultant’s
need to invoice billable hours.
The most common form of SAP EDI integration is
performed using the SAP IDoc format, which is essentially
a hierarchical flat file format which SAP developed to
perform several types of integrations, including EDI
integration. There are several advantages of doing SAP
EDI integration:
- Enhanced data integrity and accuracy: there is
no need to re-key data to and from paper, which prevents
data entry errors.
- Lowered costs: by integrating EDI with SAP, there
is a lowered need for data entry and auditing personnel.
SAP EDI integration ensures that the data is deposited
directly into the SAP system, avoiding the costs associated
with manual processes.
- Improved business processes: with SAP EDI integration,
the speed of turnaround for orders, invoices and other
documents becomes virtually instantaneous, making the
company significantly more competitive.
To do SAP EDI integration, there are five essential
steps that must be completed in the project:
- SAP EDI evaluation and project planning – determining
the business requirements and processes and mapping
these to EDI, gap analysis and consequences, test
project, scope and sign-off.
- Designing the SAP EDI project – determining
the EDI standards, versions
and other similar issues; determining the type of interface,
identifying future needs, disaster recovery, auditing
and archiving.
- Configuring the SAP EDI implementation – ensuring
that the business requirements are determined, considered
and satisfied, technical configuration, functional
configuration, testing, quality assurance and sign-off.
- Developing SAP EDI for non-traditional functions – determining
business requirements, functional specs and technical
specs; the subsequent development and configuration,
quality assurance and testing with business partners
and sign-off.
- SAP EDI operational environment – ensuring
that the SAP EDI is supported and functions with required
capacity, monitoring and issue resolution.
EMANIO has significant experience working with SAP EDI
domestically and internationally. With pre-configured
SAP EDI adaptors, implementing EDI becomes virtually
plug-and-play, something that’s unusual in a SAP
environment. In instances of restricted budgets and increased
pressure to execute, EMANIO’s SAP EDI solution
is available for both on-site and remote implementation.
There is no longer need for SAP customers to fear implementing
EDI from a perspective of expense or difficulty. SAP EDI
is now an affordable and easily implemented solution.
SAP EDI integration is critical to ensure that your
supply chain remains efficient and that your processes
take maximum advantage of EDI. Implementing SAP
EDI integration requires a great deal of preparation
and expertise. For most large organizations, SAP
EDI is not usually problematic, due to the availability
of in-house resources and consultants who have experience
with SAP EDI. Small and mid-sized businesses, with
less knowledge of SAP EDI, can experience a great deal
of frustration with SAP EDI due to the complex nature
of SAP EDI integration. Because SAP EDI integration
can be very complex, it is critical for any small business
that is considering SAP EDI to spend some time planning
all phases of the SAP EDI integration project before
actually implementing it.
A key part of the planning process for SAP EDI integration will involve the aligning
of manual EDI processes with the SAP EDI processes that will eventually replace
them. How many trading partners will go through the SAP EDI integration
process? How many documents will be integrated via SAP EDI? These and other questions
should be thoroughly investigated and answered before any SAP EDI Integration
project can begin. As the small business begins to look for vendors of
SAP EDI and providers who can support SAP EDI integration they must ensure that
any vendor they are considering will be able to address the types of SAP EDI
processes that have been identified during the planning stage.
Implementations of SAP EDI integration must also be
carefully planned and resourced. Any vendor that
claims to provide SAP EDI Integration should be asking
you plenty of questions about how you plan to use SAP
EDI in order to provide the best possible SAP EDI implementation
and the best results. SAP EDI can provide a significant
number of benefits with returns on investment that can
be often measured in weeks or just a few months. SAP
EDI integration, however, can also lead to a number of
problems and pitfalls if the planning has not been done
carefully. SAP EDI integrations can drag on for
months, and sometimes more than a year, if poor or inadequate
planning was done at the beginning of the process.
At EMANIO, our years of experience with not only SAP
EDI, but also with integration of other EDI systems,
gives us the type of knowledge that is invaluable to
a small business planning SAP EDI. |