Web EDI
Web EDI, also known as Web-based EDI can be generally defined as the
use of Internet communication technology used in the exchange of EDI
data between parties. Web EDI is typically associated wit two
forms of EDI; the use of a web-based systems to manage and exchange
EDI and the use of the Web to send EDI data that was generated in-house.
Alternatives to Web EDI
While Web EDI is becoming very popular, the most popular means of
exchanging EDI data is not Web EDI but rather the Value Added Network
or VAN. This is primarily due to the extra services that VANs
typically bundle with basic capabilities that are not always available
through Web EDI. Unlike Web EDI, when EDI communication takes
place with a VAN, a bisync modem is often used to establish communication
through the VAN. Another non Web EDI option for corresponding electronically
between organizations is through direct modem to modem linkage. A final
non Web EDI approach is to transmit through the use of a Bulletin Board
System (BBS) which is based on user connection/login to a remote system.
Which Web EDI is Right for You?
When considering a switch to Web EDI the first distinction to make
is whether you will be using the Web as your primary means of managing
your EDI vs. using the Web as the communication channel for your EDI. In
the first case you will essentially be using a "hosted" application
that is not owned by you. This form of Web EDI (also referred
to as Web Forms) provides an easy to use and easy to deploy system
for getting started with EDI. The biggest problems with these
types of Web EDI services however is their long-term costs as well
as their lack of sophisticated features. This makes this form
of Web EDI viable only for the smallest of businesses which have very
basic EDI needs. The second form of Web EDI involves using special
software to enable the exchange of EDI data with your partners using
the Web. This form of Web EDI is one of the most rapidly growing segments
of the EDI sector, spurred in large part by the adoption of this form
of Web EDI by large retailers like Wal-Mart.
Implementing Web EDI
Making this change to web EDI requires companies to absorb some of
the work that their previous third party service (VAN) was doing- such
as depending on inter-company communication to ensure a purchase order
is transmitted successfully. There are several Web EDI tools available
to make this transition easier and the savings even more substantial.
Web EDI & AS2
The Internet has made communication through Web EDI possible for years,
but the trend did not catch on quickly. The change to web EDI used
to require installing additional software, a major deterrent for many
organizations, especially small businesses. However in the early 2000s,
the widespread acceptance and use of AS2 and AS2 products greatly increased
Web EDI usage.
AS2 refers to the Electronic Data Interchange Internet Application
Applicability Statement 2 protocol, which ensures
the authenticity and reliability of an EDI transaction (document) through
digital signatures, encryption codes, receipts and data compression.
AS2 is the standard for Web EDI communication over the Internet using
HTTP. In Web EDI, using AS2 doesn’t require installing extra
software at the other end of communication portals (the supplier site)
because the supplier communicates using an Internet browser or through
AS2-compliant software. |
