Electronic Document Interchange (EDI) is very popular and often required if you are purchasing parts of finished units from large manufacturers and nationwide distributors.
On the other hand there are EDI integration products,
typically available for major Corporate ERP applications. These EDI add-ons are very powerful, cover most if not all EDI formats (from various text formats to even newer EDI methods via XML files) and file interchange methods (ftp, http post, email). Sometimes if you are smaller customer, where you have to implement EDI, these powerful products might seem too expensive and you may feel that you have to pay for the features, where you only deploy 5% of the functionality you have to pay for. In this publication we are describing more sort of “light weight” EDI solution, built upon Alba Spectrum File Transfer Server:
1. EDI suppliers. If you have only one or two, it is not really difficult to map your Purchase Order document header to EDI header, PO lines to EDI lines and then close PO with EDI document trailer. File Transfer consultant typically helps you with mapping for limited number of EDI suppliers. In some cases, individual EDI supplier has its own standards, so you may expect to setup each vendor individually in File Transfer Server EDI integration settings. If you are franchisee, chances are high that you are only purchasing via EDI from your single supplier or franchiser
2. EDI media. Popular EDI channels are realized via ftp file interchange, http post and even email. File Transfer Server has ftp mechanism automated, where in setting you have to specify when required Inbound, Processed, outbound, Problems (or exceptions) folders. And ftp server requires URL, USERID and password
3. EDI in Sales. This is reverse situation, where you are supplying parts or products to large wholesale, manufacturing or distribution company, where you are required to accept their Sales Order in EDI format
4. Custom EDI formats. Sometimes you may run into the situation, where your EDI partner is implementing something new and revolutionary (often related to the idea to deploy XML universal text files to resolve computer platform independence, as XML is the same on Windows, Unix/Linux or Mac). This may sound like a big deal for you (or possibly a big unexpected problem), however it is probably not a such a big deal. Custom EDI format could be realized in Microsoft Dynamics GP or older versions of Great Plains Dynamics on Microsoft SQL Server via precisely formatted SQL Select statement to extract your Purchase Order info and code it in required custom EDI format. If you are looking to import custom EDI records into you Dynamics GP, and you are really looking for simple solution, we recommend Integration Manager with Advanced ODBC data query, where you deploy SQL Views with precise SQL Select statement
5. File Transfer Manager Beyond EDI. It has the power to integrate generic POS or Retail application with automatic data feed to Dynamics GP, scheduled over night or in more quasi real time (maybe every hour or two)
6. To request further help, please call us 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, in Michigan 1-269-605-0330 or email us help@albaspectrum.com If you are large wholesaler or distributor, you may expect that some level of WMS or SCM customized business logic should be programmed to automate your unique business processes. We are available to serve you USA, Canada nationwide, and internationally. Local service in Chicago, Southern California, Western Michigan, Houston, TX
