Fashionable EDI – It’s not simply X12, EDIFACT or Tradacoms!
In today’s modern world of integrated data communication, the term EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) no longer represents just X12, EDIFACT or Tradacoms file exchanges, but rather has become a much more generic term for the exchange of all business data supported by ‘Any to Any’ integration. In fact, in today’s terms modern EDI represents a completely integrated communication hub for all parties in the supply chain.
While the traditional EDI data formats of X12 et al are still supported, and indeed still widely used in retail, wholesale distribution, manufacturing and logistics industries, modern EDI will also support the majority of additional file formats such as XML, CSV and flat files. Modern EDI solutions will also be built on SaaS/cloud based platforms allowing much more flexibility, scalability and value for money to the end user.
The modern EDI solution provider will support API integration in tandem with traditional EDI ports. Therefore, the modern EDI provider becomes a complete, integrated communication hub to support all the needs of the end user, be it the ordering of goods from a factory, selling those goods to traditional box-stores and the online marketplaces, selling their own goods and services on their own shopping cart and integrating with a 3PL for the storage and shipping of the aforementioned goods.
Therefore, modern EDI, no longer just represents one to one dedicated connectivity between two trading organizations, but rather, modern EDI connects the entire supply chain, providing dedicated connectivity and visibility to all relevant parties and in essence has become the complete supply chain’s pverall communication hub!
