Supplier Enablement

EDI or XML? Take the test

If you have experience with supplier enablement then you will know it is a bumpy road.

Why is that? Money, People, Technology, Relationships are all in the mix and there is 'change' and it is not that we don't accept change it is just that change forces decisions.

One of those decisions would be about technology.

Consider that your customer wants to commence electronic trading with you and all paper documents that are currently sent to and fro are to replaced by electronic documents. That spells change and has big implications on how you support this change and in particular impacts technology (IT systems) that you use.

One of the things that we know about supplier enablement is that you should consider every way to minimise change for your suppliers at the outset and provide options to grow as they absorb the change and become confident and proficient with electronic trading. The reason is the more change and disruption that is imposed on your suppliers at the outset will result in delays and a lack of progress that is highly frustrating.

Minimise change

If your objective is to minimise change would you look to XML or EDI?

I say XML as this can be implemented without the neccesity for end to end testing of IT systems.

Click here to read an article published in Line 56 about EDI Transaction Testing and ask yourself - am I ready for this?

If the answer is NO then consider the alternative - XML.

Your customer wants to send you an electronic (XML) order and request you return an electronic (XML) invoice. You have no experience of XML. Your IT systems work just fine and you have no desire to make any changes at this time.

If you could meet this request without making any new investment in hardware or software or any changes whatsoever to your IT systems would you consider that?

If the answer is YES click here

posted by FrankB @ Tuesday, July 18, 2006