Collaboration via EDI at a Crossroad

Are you still spending huge amount of hours on supply chain collaboration with trading partners via EDI? And are you tired of long lead times from start of a partner connectivity project until the project is finalized and your trading partner is digitally connected?

Supply chain collaboration via EDI has reached a crossroad, where you need to decide whether you should continue to invest money into your current solution, or if you should choose another route. Of course, you could wait and see. Maybe there will pop up a disruptive technology that will solve the Gordian knot. Maybe Blockchain will do the job?

Alternatively, you look for vertical cloud solutions (with specific industry focus) where the bulk of your trading partners are connected already. In addition, you should look for a solution that will guarantee you access to the unique message mappings set up in the cloud. The alternative, is to end up with a solution where a majority of your investments are locked up in the third party cloud solution (see SAP vs. Diageo case).

Several cloud-based vertical solutions exist, where economies of scale rules in operations and projects are fast and cost efficient, since the bulk of the trading partners are already connected in the trading cloud. PipeChain for the Automotive Industry is one of them, and PipeChain’s customers always have the choice of leaving the services, move the message mappings back on-premise and just keep the communication in the cloud. These cloud-based vertical solutions are in a very good position to take advantage of any disruptive technology that solves the Gordian knot of system-to-system integration Business-to-Business, synchronizing all ERP systems data management and processes throughout supply chains (now, didn’t that sound as a very long term vision…).