Punit Sharma
A3logics
Published in
3 min readSep 21, 2015

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The jet-set-go market scenarios are pushing the market players to be more and more efficient! The scales have been shifting; parameters are getting higher and every time businesses feel that they are at pace with changing market demands, the demands skyrocket again giving them a run for money!

This dynamism can be demonstrated in the Shipping and Logistics industries as well. The customers feel that even the products can be transacted within microseconds just like the data over the virtual world. The shipping and logistics industry has been feeling the heat as with more transactions taking place online, this offline service has to match the pace in any case. Thus shippers have a great option of going further with automated technologies such as EDI integration. But, not many are willing to adopt the technology!

Here are the common misconceptions against EDI integration that keep businesses from getting benefitted by them:

#1

Misconception: EDI Is Cost-Intensive

The majority of companies believe that implementing EDI technology is cost-intensive and does not deliver as expected ROI.

Fact: Delivers Outstanding Results

It’s not a costly affair; it’s something that gives results beyond expectations. A majority of retailers including some big names do not do business with the shipping and logistics companies that don’t have EDI in practice. Thus, you may lose out on big business deals if you don’t have it and if you have it, you can win over your competitors who don’t have such technology implemented.

#2

Misconception: Complex Process

The reason why many shippers have not yet adopted it is due to the claimed complexity associated with EDI.

Fact: Streamlines Your Business

Your business practices can easily get streamlined that leads to improved communications overall. Since every business operation partner- carrier, third-party provider, etc. are connected through EDI Transactions; if you don’t have it, then you are missing out on standardized business communications.

#3

Misconception: Disrupts Regular Practices

The most common myth relating to its integration is that the implementation process disturbs the regular workflow as the system interferes with ongoing processes.

Fact: Reduces Errors & Increases Work-efficiency

Payoffs of an EDI system can be immediately realized as it decreases your resource requirements by replacing manual processing with the automated one. With this, the transactions get faster and more accurate as the errors are reduced to none. Also, you can expand your operations as the order processing that manually takes around a week could be now done in a single day with the help of an EDI system.

#4

Misconception: Technology Will Get Obsolete

With more internet standards being introduced, it is believed that soon the technology will be taken over by the internet.

Fact: Usage is Expanding

For everyone’s knowledge, usage is only expanding and not shrinking from any aspect. Many surveys have shown that there is a rapid increase in EDI usage year by year. It’s been more than a decade and EDI is deep-rooted in the business operations of shipping and other companies. Though some new technology formats could get introduced to complement EDI, not to replace it any sooner!

Concluding, EDI integration holds these myths that need to be busted to help shippers understand the advantages of implementing the system. Though you may find the costs unfriendly initially, the benefits that follow are worth the investment.

Thus, Find your EDI Service Provider and make sure your business transactions are effectively performed.

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Punit Sharma
A3logics

He has 10+ years of professional experience in HealthCare Domain with expertise in benefit plans, enrollments and industry-specific EDI operations.