When it comes to investing in new technology, you want to be absolutely certain that this very large expenditure will be well worth it. There is no exception to this rule, including when you are preparing to implement an EDI system.
What can you do to ensure that your investment is going to pay off? Undertake a strategic review. This task gives you deeper insight into how an EDI system will help your business. Read on to learn about the three essential components of a strategic review and how they will guarantee that your EDI implementation will deliver ROI.
What Are the Goals of Your EDI Implementation?
It might sound hard to believe, but many companies choose software that does not actually support their business objectives. Why would firms waste so much time, effort, and money deploying software that does not meet their needs nor help them run more efficiently and productively?
Defining your aims enables you to understand exactly how an EDI system will help your business and how you will get the greatest value out of it.
It is called “Bright Shiny Object Syndrome.” Some companies embrace technology just because it is the latest and greatest thing. The leaders of these organizations only think about how they are at the cutting edge, rather than how the solution will enable the company to flourish.
At the outset, develop clear goals for the EDI implementation. Ask yourself what your expectations are from this implementation. Do you want to see your employees spend less time on data entry? Are you looking for a reduction in redundant steps in your business cycle, an improvement in customer service, or a strengthening of your relationship with supply chain partners? Defining your aims enables you to understand exactly how an EDI system will help your business and how you will get the greatest value out of it.
What Will Your Implementation Process Look Like?
After you determine the goals for your EDI system implementation, there are three questions the decision makers at your organization must ask:
- What business processes will be affected by implementing an EDI system?
- What information is exchanged during these processes?
- Which supply chain partners send and receive this information?
These questions are just as crucial as defining the project’s goals. They shape the implementation’s roadmap by identifying which processes are ripe for transformation. Moreover, the answers to these questions set the priorities for the types of information that need to be converted to a standard EDI format as well as dictate which format(s) your firm should use to transfer data through its EDI system.
Do You Need Help with Implementing an EDI System?
During the strategic review, evaluate what resources you possess that would make the EDI deployment possible. Are there enough technical experts at your firm to ensure that the deployment process is efficient, effective, and delivers value to the organization? Can these experts provide the vital training that ensures that all users feel comfortable utilizing the system?
If the answers to the questions above are “no,” that is not necessarily a bad thing. It just means that you need trusted guidance from outside the company to help you through the deployment process; it is not a red flag that you are not ready for an EDI system.
EDI solutions providers possess the skills and knowledge that will make EDI systems implementations successful.
EDI solutions providers possess the skills and knowledge that will make EDI systems implementations successful. They provide expert advice from the beginning of the deployment process (such as how to conduct a comprehensive strategic review) to the end, even after the system is up and running. EDI solutions providers are dedicated to delivering value to their clients every step of the way.
If you are interested in how an EDI system can make your firm more efficient, productive, and profitable, an EDI solutions provider can help you harness its transformative powers at your company. To learn more, contact us to request a detailed strategic review.
