Exploring the Key Business Benefits of Implementing an EDI System
Efficient and seamless communications and exchange of data are essential to business success in a digital world and can be best achieved with an EDI system. There is no doubt that the launch of the internet and email in the late ‘80s triggered a revolution in communications. Faster than a fax machine, these electronic messages enabled instant written, paperless communication with anyone, anywhere, with a PC and a connection to the World Wide Web.
Additional developments like the drag-and-drop function first introduced by Mackintosh made it possible to add images or attach other file types to an email, taking this novel technology to a new level. The option to create a hierarchical structure of named directories to store the content of emails and other files further transformed the PC into an electronic filing cabinet.
The subsequent emergence of a small messaging service (SMS) encouraged brevity through the use of acronyms like ‘LOL’ and ‘BTW’ or emojis to indicate one’s mood, slashing communication times even further. However, while these options are still much faster than the nation’s postal system, now frequently described as “snail mail”, they have one fundamental drawback. All data must be input manually, but most email and social media users are not trained typists. What if the information to be communicated is crucial business data and time is of the essence? The only sure way to ensure speed and accuracy is to bypass the human element by automating the data input process.
How a Typical EDI System Works
EDI is an acronym for Electronic Data Interchange. In practice, that is a description one could justifiably apply to email. However, the exchange of data occurs not between humans but between systems. For example, with the aid of appropriate integration software, details of merchandise like purchase and selling prices and the numbers of each item sold could be transferred seamlessly from a sales record to the popular Sage 300 accounting program. Once the transfer is complete, the data could, for example, be merged with data stored in the Sage system and used to compile a month-end profit and loss statement.
The secret of this invaluable technology lies in enabling these two systems to intercommunicate via a compatible interface. In the case of an EDI system, the linking mechanism is a piece of bespoke software designed to standardise data formats and communication protocols, thus enabling inherently disparate systems to share information.
FenyaSoft is a leading South African software company specialising in business process integration with other systems, including E-commerce platforms, accounting packages and other enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. The FenyaSoft EDI system typifies our motto of ‘Automate, Integrate, Innovate’ and has proved invaluable across a wide range of industries and in many different applications, including the following:
- Customer relations management applications, like Biztrack
- Accounting software, including Sage 50Cloud, Sage 200, Sage 300, Intuit Quickbooks, JD Edwards and Xero Accounting
- E-commerce platforms, such as Shopify, WooCommerce and Repsly
An EDI system can provide a much-needed competitive edge in today’s fast-moving and constantly evolving business world. Why not get in touch to learn more about how electronic data interchange with FenyaEDI could transform your company’s operation and boost its performance overnight?
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