A car with no steering wheel or controls? Google’s latest invention is getting a lot of hype, a fully self-driving car! In a recent article on CNN, it touts this new invention as being a cross between a VW Bug and a golf cart. Is the world really ready to embrace a technology that gives up all control and relies on a computer to get you home safely? Integration is taking over our lives from business systems, personal gadgets, and now cars.
We talk about integration a lot but is it time to shift from just “integration” to “automation and integration”? Not only are we constantly searching for ways to integrate our systems but we’re looking to remove human control from the process.
When it comes to EDI, things like trading partner set up, testing, and implementation are still relatively manual processes. We rely on EDI Coordinators to fulfill these requirements and in some cases the back log can be weeks or months. So what’s the bottleneck?
- EDI standards vary and require manual intervention
- Partner setup and testing is slow
- EDI resources are limited
- Implementation methods are manual
- Smaller partners are still not doing EDI
On average, it takes 1-3 weeks to implement each partner transaction (GartnerGroup, Inc.). What are the keys to speeding up this process? In a previous blog, we discussed “The Social Side of Data Integration”. Is there a way to automate integration through the use of social tools so that you could just “load a file” and all of the testing and setup would be automated? Or a site that would provide reliable real-time information and requirements so you weren’t in the frustrating cycle of waiting for your trading partner to call you back? As we look for new ways to automate our lives, while some of our processes are not as advanced as the self-driving Google car, we have come a long way.
I don’t think I am ready for the Google car to drive me home from my next night out with the girls; however, the concept of fully automating integration of our daily tasks seems ever evolving. In the world of EDI and data integration, automation seems to be catching up. Software and system integration tools provide us with the resources to automate the supply chain and provide our customers with real-time visibility and reporting. If you’re still looking for the “automation” piece for your integration system, consider talking to Remedi about how we are assisting our clients with not just data integration options but automation of data integration. Let us help you find your version of the "Google car" for system automation.
