For at least a decade now, many integration industry analysts and integration solution vendors have been predicting the demise of EDI. Yet thanks to EDI’s reliability, security, and flexibility, global EDI adoption is expected to grow by 13% annually1 through 2030.
This growth, coupled with the EDI staffing shortages we discussed in this post, is creating strong demand for EDI consultants at all levels. For those who are interested in pursuing a career in consulting or advancing to the next level, this post explains the responsibilities and keys to the success of each role.EDI Consulting Titles and Responsibilities
Be aware that titles and duties for each position may vary somewhat depending on the individual company. You can download the Remedi EDI Job Descriptions resource to learn the experience and education, KPIs, and skills demonstration expected at each consultant level.
EDI Partner Analyst Responsibilities
Keys to Success: To be effective, EDI analysts and EDI coordinators need a passion for interacting with diverse personalities and professionals. An ability to effectively communicate with internal business teams and external trading partners is essential in this role, and why analysts with strong communication skills tend to have long careers. Attention to detail and being organized complete the package.
- Planning - Assists with the definition of Trading Partner onboarding priorities, plans, and strategies.
- Origination and Support - Initiates contact with trading partners to establish B2B document exchanges, troubleshoot issues, and help resolve time-sensitive B2B data exchange problems and issues.
- Communications - Builds and manages the relationships, details, and expectations related to EDI partner onboarding and updates with key internal stakeholders, internal and external technical partners, and external trading partners.
- Negotiates Standards - Negotiates with internal and external stakeholders and partners to create a business solution to obstacles preventing B2B exchanges.
- Implementation - Helps manage and drive successful partner implementation against agreed-upon and sometimes critical deadlines.
EDI Mapper Responsibilities
Keys to Success: While solid communication and collaboration skills are a plus, mappers are more focused on the work they’re assigned within a team structure. As such, they don’t typically have to be as outgoing. Beyond technical chops, what sets successful mappers apart is tight time management. It’s all too easy to lose track of time in the minutia of business rules and other nuances of working with a trading partner’s map or other EDI documents. Mappers who manage it well tend to stay as busy as they desire to be.
- Documentation - Creation of (MRS) specifications, mapping documentation using formal or ad-hoc tools.
- Mapping - Creation and modification of EDI maps in a variety of formats and standards including XML, ODBC/JDBC, FF, iDocs, X12, and EDIFACT.
- Trading Partner Testing – Create trading partner profiles and communications testing.
- Trading Partner Implementation – Create trading partner profile in production, move resources to production environment.
- Communications - Understand technical concepts involving partner communication packages.
- Documentation – Create, update, and maintain documentation.
EDI Developer Responsibilities
Keys to Success: EDI developers who opt to make their mark in EDI consulting bring great communication skills, a passion for problem-solving, and demonstrated technical chops. But the EDI developers who get invited to discovery calls without being asked for a resume have something extra—the ability to see the big picture. They also possess the confidence to step up when needed in the critical meetings that come with big opportunities.
For an overview of the career path for an EDI developer, see “How Do I Become an EDI Developer?”
- Mapping - Creation and modification of EDI maps and advanced mapping functions (ex. user-exits) in a variety of formats and standards including XML, ODBC/JDBC, FF, iDocs, X12, and EDIFACT.
- EDI Development - Creation and modification of business processes and workflows with and without the use of a graphical process modeler.
- Communications - Understand technical concepts involving partner communication packages.
- Documentation – Create, update, and maintain documentation.
- Business Process Scripting and Modification
- EAI-based development.
- Web services deployment.
- Complex ERP integration
EDI Solution Architect Responsibilities
Keys to Success: Expectations and rewards at this level are high and for good reason. EDI solution architects must quickly grasp the entire landscape of the integration environment, particularly in scenarios where an ERP upgrade is involved. Their solutions often require significant investments of time and capital. Their intellectual work product directly impacts a company’s revenue cycles and trading partner relationships—in other words, the health of the business.
EDI solution architects must also be crack people and project managers. Often, they’ll have a team of mappers and developers working alongside them for whom they provide guidance and set benchmarks and milestones.
At the same time, much of the quality assurance and testing may be carried out by internal customer personnel. These professionals work for the customer and don’t report to the solution architect. Yet, because of task dependencies, they may occasionally need to be asked to adjust their work priorities to accommodate a critical project milestone. Situations like these demand finely calibrated diplomatic skills to avoid ruffling the wrong feathers at a critical juncture.
Bottom line, EDI solution architects who can consistently deliver their solution with maximum efficiency and minimum friction are rock stars in the eyes of customers— and everyone else in their orbit.
- System Implementation, Migration, Upgrades – Installation and/or upgrade work involving EDI systems.
- Troubleshooting & Support - Identify failing processes, assess general EDI system(s) health, and provide recommendations for increased efficiency
- Project Management - Managing scope and system-wide deliverables for clients.
- System Analysis - Hardware and software requirements planning and sizing.
- Solution Design
- Impact Analysis
- Performance Tuning
- Best Practices - Review and implementation of best practices.
- Communications - Understand technical concepts involving partner communication packages.
Questions?
If you’re ready to learn more about EDI consulting careers or opportunities with Remedi customers, drop us a line at staffing@remedi.com.
1 2023 Global EDI Software Market Report
