If you’re trying to make the case for an investment in modern EDI, you need to know how to convince the C-suite that this is a worthy investment. How do you do that?
The answer lies in answering this question: “What’s in it for the organization as a whole?” Read on to learn how you can show decision makers that B2B integration systems can help solve some of the organization’s pain points.
Making a Successful Business Case: What You Need to Know
One critical part of a successful business case is addressing the organization’s pain points.
Decision makers don’t want to hear about how investing thousands of dollars will only help your department. Your department is part of a larger organization; any investments made have to benefit the company as a whole. So, you have to understand what your organization’s pain points are—what specific problems is your company experiencing that modern EDI would solve?
What Pain Points Can B2B Integration Solve?
The objectives of B2B integration align with organizational objectives. We’ll illustrate that point with four examples:
- Business continuity
- Scalability
- Supply chain agility
- Remaining relevant
Business Continuity
When we think of business continuity, natural or man-made disasters typically come to mind. Yet, disruptions to business continuity don’t have to be as dramatic as a tornado, flood, or fire—even the one-day absence of the person who manually enters orders can create setbacks.
B2B integration automates processes such as order receipt and invoicing—no human intervention is needed. Business can continue as usual because information is being shared digitally, without the need for someone to enter it manually.
Scalability
Back when you were just starting out, it might have made sense for someone to manually enter order information or generate invoices. After all, you didn’t have enough customers to justify investing in a more sophisticated solution.
However, now that you’re growing, your current systems and processes likely won't be able to keep up. You need a solution that can scale, which is where B2B integration comes in. Modern EDI allows you to grow so you can meet customer demand efficiently.
Supply Chain Agility
One of the pain points that has affected many businesses is the global pandemic. COVID-19 shut down factories across the world and disrupted supply chains. Yet, not all companies suffered the same problems; the ones which had a strong digital infrastructure already in place fared much better. Look at Microsoft, Apple, Netflix, and Tesla—these firms put automated processes in place long ago, so they are able to quickly react to shifts in the supply chain. Each of these companies has a net market cap gain of over $1 billion in 2020, in spite of COVID-19's economic effects.
Staying agile in the face of supply chain disruptions is a must today. Investing in a B2B integration system can help a company navigate an uncertain environment.
Remaining Relevant
The fourth pain point that concerns many companies is staying relevant. History is littered with companies that didn’t seize relevant opportunities when they arose—your firm doesn’t want to be one of them. Modern EDI allows you to meet the challenges of tomorrow by ensuring your business runs more efficiently and effectively.
Convincing decision makers to invest in B2B integration systems isn’t an impossible task—you just have to understand what matters to them. Showing how modern EDI is good for the whole organization is the best way to do that. Are You Ready to Integrate?
