Data is flowing in and out of organizations at an unprecedented rate, and it's only getting more difficult to manage. With so much data moving around, it's easy for businesses to get lost in a tangled sea of information that can quickly overwhelm employees. This is where EDI software comes in.
Electronic Data Interchange software makes exchanging data with trading partners frictionless without manual intervention. This effortless exchange, in turn, allows employees to spend more time on high-value tasks rather than getting bogged down in the messy spaghetti of data flows.
The true test of any EDI software is how it handles “mapping and translation.” This is the process of capturing data in one format and transforming it into another so it can be received and understood by your system or your trading partner’s system.
It’s likely that your growing number of connected customers, partners, and suppliers will require EDI data in different formats, codes, and file types. So if you want to integrate seamlessly with existing trading partners and onboard new ones effortlessly, you need an EDI solution that handles mapping and translation correctly.
EDI Mapping and Translation
As your business onboards new trading partners, EDI programs can get complicated. It’s not just the volume of data–any effective EDI system can handle that. It’s the fact that new partners create an endless demand for different EDI integrations.
With the right EDI translation software, growth can be a cause for celebration once more. Any-to-any integrations enable you to rapidly onboard new partners and maintain compliance with your trading partners’ stringent, opaque, and often inconsistent EDI guidelines.
How Does the Best EDI Software Handle Mapping and Translation?
EDI mapping is the process of collecting data in one EDI format and translating it into another so it can be absorbed seamlessly into the recipient’s system. Effective EDI mapping and translation work in both directions–from your back-end systems to your trading partners and vice versa. This bidirectional, automated data movement keeps all parties in sync at all times.
Somewhat annoyingly, different ERP systems use different data formats. Some use CSV, TXT, and XML. Others demand you use proprietary file types. Translating all these manually is feasible but would be a time-consuming, error-prone nightmare. EDI mapping tools handle this task behind the scenes, so you don’t have to worry about it. It can even translate raw EDI data into human-readable format.
What Are the Benefits of EDI Mapping and Translation
- Work with any distributor or retailer: Different distributors and retailers have their own EDI policies outlining the exact data required for each transaction. Mapping and translation ensure you comply and benefit from additional opportunities and revenue streams. It strengthens trading partner relationships and reduces the risk of chargebacks and other penalties.
- Automation: EDI mapping automates data transfer to internal systems, saving time and reducing errors. Direct file format translation ensures accurate data imports, eliminating manual data entry and fault resolution for increased efficiency.
- End-to-End Monitoring. Organizations can establish alerts to manage by exception. EDI provides a comprehensive view of document exchange, allowing management to gain a bird's eye perspective of data flows.
Why Choose EDI HQ?
EDI HeadQuarters (HQ) is the EDI translator and mapping solution from 1 EDI Source. It’s designed to give you complete control and visibility over your EDI operations, so you can satisfy the most demanding trading partner and customer requirements and operate with maximum efficiency. You can check out our mapping and translation software here.
Below are some of the features EDI HQ provides that other alternatives don’t.
- An intuitive user interface: Custom dashboards and alerts make EDI HQ easy to use for IT professionals and non-technical business users alike. Employees can complete tasks faster and with fewer errors, increasing efficiency, adoption, and engagement.
- Lightning-Fast Search: So much time is wasted searching for EDI data buried under unstructured information. EDI HQ is different. With EDI HQ, trading partner histories, documents, and transactions are easy to find. Employees can save time and avoid frustration, allowing them to focus on more critical tasks.
- Fast Processing Speeds: A super-fast processing speed increases productivity, throughput, and responsiveness to trading partner requirements.
- Seamless EDI Integration Software: Regardless of the back-office system used by your trading partners, whether SAP, Sage, Oracle or a more custom solution, EDI HQ's mapping and translation functionality facilitates seamless communication and exchange.
- Best-in-Class Reporting: By maintaining complete transparency in your EDI operations, you can stay ahead of change and cultivate robust relationships with your trading partners.
- Scalability: As your operations expand, EDI HQ grows with you. There’s no need to worry about costly and time-consuming system replacements.
- Choose Your Infrastructure: Every business is different, so we allow our customers to choose between HQ On-Premise and HQ Hosted. On-prem gives you complete control over your EDI operations. All your data stays on your servers–we help with implementation and integration. With the Hosted option, we store, manage, maintain, and protect your EDI platforms, so you can get on growing your business.
Let Us Solve Your EDI Needs
Managing the complexity of data integration with trading partners has become daunting in a world where data flows fast and in every direction. Fortunately, 1 EDI Source, with its cutting-edge mapping and translation functionality, makes data integration a breeze.
With EDI HQ, you can onboard new partners rapidly, whatever EDI guidelines they impose. You can strengthen existing relationships through greater compliance and responsiveness to shifting demands. So if you want an EDI solution that’s flexible enough to handle any EDI challenge and grow with your business, talk to an EDI expert.
