Integration

Integration (44)

EDI And Global Commerce Make A Perfect Pair

online-saleIt might seem odd that EDI, data exchange technology that’s been in existence for more than two decades, is the saving grace for global commerce. But, according to James H. Davis, director of sales for Amosoft, an EDI services and solutions entity, a vast majority of all commerce utilizes EDI. “EDI is older technology that continues to be significant in today’s global supply chain,” says Davis.

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Connecting the World

internet-googleWe know about visibility within the supply chain. The lack of visibility can lead to errors, missed deadlines, and other misshapes that lead to financial loss. But how far that visibility should go is still a topic for discussion. Should the supply chain be continuous from the worksheet that your buyers use to calculate quantities and discounts all the way through to your company's Facebook page? And what information should be available at each point? Read more...

Strategic Integration Needs a Plan

hyper connectedWe talk a lot about integration. That is, integration of your supply chain components with your enterprise operations and ERP. I don't believe that anyone thinks this is something that can simply happen because it's the best thing to do. The complexity of each of the processes and components that have already been put in place, and the amount of effort each required just to get them to the point of functionality can bring tears to the eyes of those who struggled through them - or at least cause a twitch of pain. The point is that the first steps were not simple ones. Read more...

What Does Integration Mean to Your Process

data integrationAs the supply chain becomes more intricate, more demanding, and faster moving, margin for error decreases. The complexity of omnichannel retailing in itself means predicting the next order is impossible. It may come from a web catalog, from a retailer, or from a service like Amazon that integrates multiple processes. With the speed and complexity of product demand it's critical to record and automate each transaction when it happens. Because there's no time to go back and record it later. Read more...

The Importance of Integration

IntegrationIntegration is always a hot topic for the supply chain. It's a powerful tool to improve profitability by reducing costs. Like a lot of ideas, though, its effectiveness depends quite a bit on context. What works best for a small manufacturer may be considerably different than what does the trick for a large retailer. The pressure for profits may be the similar but there’s a huge difference in scale.

 

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Big Data from Small Transactions

big data brainCash register transactions are flowing at an ever increasing rate. Actually ‘cash register’ isn’t at all an appropriate term anymore since such a large volume of purchasing take place as credit or debit transactions. But the point is still the same. The challenge of managing those transactions is part of the reason there is so much attention on Big Data. And the obstacles of handling big data are becoming as well known as are the companies that are providing solutions. Read more...

Connecting Everything

adafruit 67A few months back, we slogged through predictions for trends that would affect businesses in 2013. Many or most of them have already impacted us, particularly those related to mobile technology and the cloud. But the most powerful of all didn't appear on many lists and seems to be getting traction in the business and technology press a bit ahead of the hype curve. 

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Embrace Your Problems

thumb cubesmallThose of you in the EDI (or Data Transformation, Partner Integration, or whatever you want to call it) arena know what I mean when I say you’re in the middle of things. You have ‘customers’ both upstream and downstream, and those people are very demanding. When something goes wrong, you hear about it. Nothing good can result from that, right? Wrong! Read more...

E-Commerce Data Feeds: Data for Marketing

cloud connectionThe nearby article on data feeds for e-tailers emphasizes the value of accurate data for good customer relations. That's far from the only potential e-tailing data has, though.

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E-Commerce as Data Supplier

CollaborationThe nearby article on data feeds for e-tailers has lessons for suppliers, also. Most crucially, manufacturers need to recognize that data feeds represent an opportunity for co-operation andnegotiation.

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