5 November 2008
Image source: http://www.portsdown-tunnels.org.uk
I was amused to see an article being shown around the Yahoo group EDI-L, which basically was encouraging us all to throw away EDI and go back to paper invoices.
To make the most of EDI we need to move forwards, and not backwards, and get all our partners on-board, all 100%. This is especially so for companies that sell small quantities of a large variety of unique items, also known as the “long tail.” The internet and XML have encouraged data to flow in these communities. But still, EDI is not dead.
Steve Keifer, VP of Industry and Product Marketing for GXS, is quoted in this article as saying “In fact, EDI has grown more in the past 10 years than the first 20 years of its existence. Even though the internet has been around and XML has come along, EDI found ways to evolve.”
Are you having problems getting smaller ‘long tail’ partners on-board? Are you still having problems doing EDI with the larger companies in your supply chain? Do you want to learn more on how you can “lower costs, improve ROI and minimize supply chain disruptions?” Then Inovis is presenting a webcast entitled “Using Trading Partner Visibility to Manage Supply Chain Risk” on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 1:00 pm (EDT).
Register for this webcast>>
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Inovis Solutions | Tagged: EDI, Supply Chain Risk, Trading Partner Visibility, webcast, XML | 
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Posted by trobertsoninovis
17 July 2008
SystemiNetwork was reporting this week that UK supply chain managers spend 20 per cent of their time on compliance
Image Source: http://www.butler.edu
The report states that “Supply chain managers in the UK spend up to 52 days a year dealing with regulatory compliance, according to System i ERP powerhouse Infor.” It goes on to say that “Infor’s research found that other major concerns include the need for better supply chain visibility (96 per cent), shrinking margins (90 per cent), introduction of new products (89 per cent) and escalating consumer expectations (89 per cent).”
In another article, SupplyChainStandards.com reports “problems in the Rapid globalisation is stretching the supply chain.”
Apparently “More than half the participants of a recent study show that they do not have the internal capabilities to adequately manage their external partners.”
But there is help out there. Ask your EDI provider if they can offer services to help improve Trading Partner Compliance.
Also ask if they are able to manage your partner base.
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Inovis Solutions | Tagged: supply chain managers, supply chain management, Infor, globalisation, EDI provider, Trading Partner Compliance, partner base, Supply Chain Visibility | 
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Posted by trobertsoninovis
10 July 2008
Image Credit: http://www.fotosearch.com
So the G8 summit has been discussing food, fuel and finances, but what does that mean to the rest of us?
While we are all doing what we can to make ends meet, companies could be doing their bit to reduce costs in the Supply Chain, passing those savings onto us, the consumer.
Companies could start by increasing the percentage of perfect orders and expediting the order-to-payment lifecycle. Less errors, less costs in correcting them, delivering the wrong goods or having to redeliver the right goods. Saving money, time and fuel costs. Improving the order-to-payment lifecycle will reduce costs and improve cash flow.
Chargeback Avoidance helps retail vendors and suppliers reduce the amount of deductions from their retail customers due to preventable, data-related compliance errors
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Inovis Solutions | Tagged: Actionable Intelligence, Chargeback Avoidance, G8 summit, order-to-payment lifecycle, perfect order | 
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Posted by trobertsoninovis
18 June 2008
So what is all the fuss about? Surely as a Retail outlet your relationship with your suppliers can help you get the stock you want onto the shop floor, but is it enough?
Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by trobertsoninovis
11 June 2008
VAN – Value Added Network
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value-added_network
Many companies have been running EDI systems for years and years. They set up their network connections at the beginning of the implementation and have continued to use this connection using an old modem sat gathering dust in a corner of the computer room
How long will it take for this dust to get into the electronics and the next thing is you can’t receive those ever important orders.
But why are you still using a modem in this day and age, when FTP and AS2 are faster and today’s VANs focus on providing a secure and dependable service?
Also think to yourself, is your current VAN providing you with the most cost-efficient option? You change your mobile provider to get the better deal, so why not your VAN? When changing VAN you should be able to migrate your existing Trading Partner base without any disruption to them or your business and reduce your annual costs in the process.
1 Comment | Inovis Solutions | Tagged: AS2, FTP, Inovis UK, Value Added Network, VAN | Permalink
Posted by trobertsoninovis
trobertsoninovis
Stuart Prouse
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