Why implementing ERP and EDI together drives even greater top-line growth

Submitted by Appolis, featuring our guest blog from HighJump TrueCommerce EDI Solutions

 

Many mid-market organizations implement ERP software in an effort to improve organizational effectiveness by gaining greater visibility and control across business processes. Making sure that the right people have the right data to make smarter decisions drives higher margins and improved cash flow -- directly benefiting the bottom line.

 

But according to a recent global study by IDC, many SMBs have tended to focus on reducing operational costs, and thus believe, often incorrectly, that they’re already achieving maximum business benefits across their document-driven processes. In fact, stream-lining document-intensive processes can have an even stronger impact on building top-line revenue potential.  Over 83% of firms surveyed indicated that optimizing customer-facing, document-driven processes by integrating them across the supply chain would increase their revenues by 10.1% on average.

 

A prime example of a customer-facing, document-intensive supply chain process that directly impacts revenues is electronic document interchange (EDI).  Many mid-tier businesses implement EDI to meet the requirements of their trading partners, such as large retailers or manufacturers.  In that scenario, EDI is basically a cost of doing business, so making it more efficient simply reduces that cost. But EDI has the potential to add significant business value when EDI is integrated with your ERP system.  When these two key systems are in sync, companies get even greater supply chain visibility and a host of related benefits. For example, integrating EDI with ERP can help you process orders faster, reduce lead time, accelerate the orders-to-cash cycle, and facilitate on-boarding new EDI- enabled customers.

 

These capabilities can, in turn, drive more efficient and effective customer service, leading to improved customer satisfaction and ultimately higher revenues. EDI acts as a gateway through which you exchange business-critical information with your biggest customers. When EDI operates efficiently alongside ERP, you can answer customer questions and resolve order processing or billing discrepancies quickly and accurately. You also eliminate paper-based activities for customers as well as in-house. When you can share more information more responsively with trading partners, you help reduce their procurement costs and streamline the buying process – which differentiates your business from competitors.

 

Integrating EDI and ERP can also greatly reduce manual effort, boost productivity across the fulfillment process, and improve enhance data quality, . These improvements laying a foundation for improved superior business agility and a smooth ramp-up to higher sales volumes.

 

If you’re in the process of selecting an ERP solution and/or a reseller to help meet your ERP needs, now is the perfect time to choose an EDI system as well.  Your reseller partner can identify, recommend, source and manage the best EDI integration for your needs in conjunction with the purchase and implementation of the ERP system.

Rolling out ERP and EDI through the same reseller can not only save you money and facilitate a smoother deployment, but can also help ensure you get the best possible advice and guidance.  A reseller that knows your organization’s business needs is in an excellent position to support business growth and profitability by informing you about further options to leverage current technology investments. For example, a reseller can recommend add-ons for your integrated EDI/ERP environment that streamline shipping and other tasks, to save time and improve productivity and supply chain visibility even more.

 

If Microsoft Dynamics GP is your ERP system of choice, ask your reseller about the benefits of integration with the TrueCommerce EDI Solution from HighJump Software.   TrueCommerce offers a robust and affordable integration with the Microsoft Dynamics line of applications, especially Dynamics GP. For companies interested in learning more about the TrueCommerce EDI Solutions, feel free to contact Mike Berry, at [email protected]or 724.940.5520, ext. 338.

 

For companies interested in learning more about mobile bar-coded software automation solutions for product traceability, feel free to contact Steve Dwyer, at [email protected] or 612-343-0404 ext. 109.