It’s hard enough keeping track of EDI messages, standards, deadlines and systems requirements for different countries’ tax authority. And requirements change quickly, so if you’re a growing company, the cost of supporting those requirements gets expensive. The challenge with e-invoicing is that traditional technology approaches have not worked to streamline what is an inter-company process, according to industry observers.

With the holiday season comfortably behind them, many retailers are now looking ahead to building out their infrastructure as they prepare for next year. As e-commerce becomes a more prevalent way to purchase goods, e-tailers are increasingly depending on their distributors for help with Dropship, or having the items sent directly from a distribution center. “They are getting that in their heads that they should start utilizing the vendors’ ability to distribute and get the branding experience in place,’’ says Scott Bolduc, Senior Supply Chain Strategist at SPS Commerce.

Google the term “third-party logistics providers” and you’ll get way more than you bargained for – to the tune of thousands upon thousands of links. Estimates on the number of 3PLs – whose services include warehousing, fulfillment and supply chain management to suppliers and manufacturers -- ranges somewhere between 15,000 and 16,000 in North America. So trying to differentiate yourself in such a highly fragmented market is no easy task, to put it mildly.