Digital Transformation in the Supply Chain with EDI
A beauty company needed to improve their efficiency when supplying their large retail customers into stores and online businesses.
EDI in the retail sector gives wholesalers and retailers complete control over their supply chain.
What Was The Challenge?
To integrate the ordering and supply chain processes for key accounts, expanding into large retail chain stores and online retailers in the US and Europe.
What Did We Do?
Built EDI messages using ANSI X12 standards to ensure information was delivered accurately and in real time into major US retail chains, both physical stores and online stores.
Built EDIFACT message protocols for department stores across Europe. Both ‘deliver to stores’ and ‘deliver to hub models were implemented.
Connected to supplier collaboration portals such as SAP Ariba, Amazon Vendor Central, SPS Commerce, TrueCommerce and client specific portals, to enable full transparency of supply chain activities. Working with GXS (OpenText) and DI Central.
What Was The Outcome?
- More accurate business data transfer resulted in a shorter order to cash cycle.
- Improved business relationships based on reliable data.
- Giving real time updates on fulfilment resulted in less order cancellations, and less stock outs.
- Reliable and real time data enables organisations to reduce their inventory levels and retain confidence.
- Enabled the wholesaler to adjust to a demand driven process, rather than a supply driven process with confidence.
- Dramatically reduced the time and costs for rapid expansion across large retail chains.
- Full transparency highlighted where inefficiencies in the process were directly impacting the sales figures. This feedback enabled improvement works to be identified, justified and implemented.
- Full collaboration meant that vital retails insights were available to the wholesaler, directly impacting on market related decisions.