Regardless of whether a firm is experiencing explosive growth or navigating particularly choppy waters, the C-suite must decide how best to allocate the firm’s financial resources. As such, the C-suite has to weigh every decision by looking at the probability of a successful outcome.
How do you handle this mindset when you’re pitching a B2B integration project to decision makers? Use if-then scenarios to illustrate the real-world application of modern EDI. Read on to learn more.
Scenario 1: If There’s a Market Disruption . . .
We only have to look at the effects of the global pandemic to see what happens when there’s a market disruption: factories had to shut down, many companies were unable to meet orders, and consumer demand for certain items (especially shelf-stable, non-perishable items) skyrocketed. Some companies suffered as a result, but other companies, such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Netflix, prospered because they had a robust digital infrastructure in place long before COVID-19 struck the world and economy.
If there’s another market disruption on the scale of the one wreaked by COVID-19, having B2B integration software in place allows you to:
- Anticipate disruptions in the supply chain
- Mitigate those disruptions by choosing reliable trading partners
- Meet customer demand
Scenario 2: If We Experience Rapid Growth . . .
Experiencing rapid growth isn’t unrealistic. Let’s say your company gets a large order for a product. Successfully handling such an order isn’t just about being able to manufacture a certain number of widgets—it’s about being able to get those widgets out the door on time, accept payment in a cost-effective way, and about generally automating processes so errors are a thing of the past.
So if your firm experiences rapid growth, it needs infrastructure in place to handle processes efficiently. B2B integration enables you to do that by automating processes such as:
- Purchase orders
- Advance ship notices
- Invoicing
Scenario 3: If We Need to Meet Customer Needs . . .
Your customers have their own processes, workflows, and requirements. Perhaps they need Advance Shipping Notifications (ASNs)—a certain amount of time before a shipment is due to arrive, or they will only accept invoices submitted electronically. Or let’s say the customer is a major one, like Walmart—a company with very specific requirements.
Investment in a modern EDI solution allows you to be primed for large customers and to say yes to great opportunities. B2B integration automates processes so you can fulfill your customers’ requirements efficiently.
Scenario 4: If We Need to Reach New Customers . . .
The fourth if-then scenario centers on the need to reach new customers. When you want to move into a new market, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to adapt the way you do things. You must show those customers that it’s worth doing business with you, that it’s easy to work with you because you use a B2B integration system that automates processes to make them more efficient and effective.
To achieve C-suite buy-in, you have to pose scenarios that illustrate the enormous value modern EDI solutions bring to an organization. If-then examples are an excellent way to show decision makers how B2B integration solutions can help your company. Are You Ready to Integrate? 
