It’s an old topic - EDI being dead. And the reality is that at the current rate of use and adoption, EDI and its similar counterparts are not likely to disappear… possibly ever. But the importance of EDI as a singular and only answer to digital supply chain management is diminishing in importance. Read more...

Retail drives a big portion of the EDI traffic along the supply chain. Whether it’s online retail or brick and mortar retail, the issues are the same. But let’s face it… sometimes it’s just easier to find the product you’re looking for by using a search engine online rather than wandering aimlessly through the aisles of a big box store. Increasingly, retailers are supplementing the in-store experience with apps on shoppers’ mobile devices. Read more...

Last week I spoke with GXS VP Steve Scala about some of the company’s reasons for discontinuing the practice of daisychaining. Putting aside the rest of the arguments about why the company is taking this route, I agree with Steve that delivering visibility to the supply chain is one of the most important things an EDI transport provider can deliver. And he’s right that moving transactions across multiple connections without tracking individual items is a recipe for disaster. Read more...