This is the sixth article in our series profiling the benefits, use cases, and sometimes challenges of the platforms we support. This installment goes deep under the hood of Cleo Integration Cloud to explain why thousands of companies use it, even with its steep learning curve.
Upcoming articles will cover SEEBURGER, 1 EDI Source, and OpenText, as well as custom-developed solutions.
At the end of this article, you can find links to the previous blogs in the series.
Cleo Integration Cloud (CIC) launched in 2018. It reflects the company's goal to be a cloud-first integration platform. To judge from the more than 4,200 global customers that have implemented CIC, the strategy has been a success.
Like the other platforms we support, getting to self-service proficiency on CIC can mean mastering a steep learning curve. The powerful integration components that make it worth the investment are there to be discovered and leveraged. But unlocking the platform’s value can take time.
Before we explore CIC and what makes it a challenge for teams to master, let's look at the industries where CIC is making an impact.
Which Industries Use Cleo Integration Cloud?
CIC offers an integration solution that is AI-enhanced and goes beyond legacy EDI capabilities. At the same time, it recognizes that EDI transactions connect all the pieces in modern supply chains. CIC is made for businesses with complex, high-volume B2B transaction environments and hundreds of partners to manage.
These environments are common to manufacturing, logistics, retail, and wholesale distribution.
Any delays, failed transactions, or blind spots can disrupt production, delivery, or revenue flow.
Legacy EDI/B2B solutions weren’t built for modern growth strategies.
To maintain their competitive edge, these organizations require real-time visibility and integration flexibility.
Consider what happened when Sauder Woodworking migrated their legacy EDI environment to CIC. The platform’s capabilities let Sauder seize on eCommerce opportunities and omnichannel partnerships they couldn’t have fulfilled before.
What Cleo Integration Cloud Features Do Users Value Most?
Organizations rely heavily on the platform’s visibility, control, and compliance tools to run their businesses. CIC power users give the platform high marks for helping them unify and more easily manage EDI, API, and enterprise application integration.
For example, CIC Cockpit gives users end-to-end visibility across business processes and integrations via real-time dashboards. Another tool within CIC, RADAR, is built on top of Cockpit and helps users stay ahead of SLA violations.
Once configured, RADAR lets teams receive alerts and notifications before SLA violations occur. This capability has the potential to maintain SLA compliance and improve vendor EDI scores.
Where Do Cleo’s Legacy Solutions Fit into Today’s Integration Strategies?
Like Cleo, we recognize that not every organization has reached the integration maturity tipping point. But for any organization focused on growth, the day will come when they have to modernize.
In the meantime, Cleo’s legacy solutions continue to play an important role in on-prem and hybrid environments:
Cleo Clarify
Transforms EDI and non-EDI data into any format for on-prem and cloud applications.
Cleo Harmony
Designed to seamlessly move data to applications and systems with high speed and ad-hoc transfer.
Cleo VLTrader
Secure managed file transfer solution designed for mid-enterprise organizations to safely exchange data with trading partners.
Cleo LexiCom
Desktop MFT client that supports multiple protocols (AS2, SFTP, FTPS). Enables automated, encrypted, and compliant data movement for EDI, XML, and binary files.
Legacy solutions notwithstanding, CIC is the tip of Cleo’s strategic spear. But where does that leave those without the bandwidth to scale the learning curve required to master the platform?
Why Does Cleo Integration Cloud Take So Much Time to Master?
CIC requires two things: one, that teams fully understand the platform’s feature set, which is dense by design. Without that density, the platform would be far less flexible and scalable.
Two, users must figure out how to apply CIC’s features effectively across different environments and use cases.
Mastering its challenges doesn't happen overnight. Organizations that lack the bandwidth to learn and leverage CIC’s powerful capabilities may want to consider a managed services option.
Cleo receives positive reviews for the knowledge and helpfulness of their offshore tech support team. At the same time, going this route could entail accepting some of the typical offshore compromises when it comes to critical support or the need to collaborate in real time with managed services.
How Can Remedi Help Organizations Accelerate Time to Value with Cleo?
A lack of resources or time to master CIC’s dense features shouldn’t stop organizations from considering it. Nor does it mean they should switch to another platform if they’re struggling with it.
What they can do is supplement internal efforts with experienced support to shorten the path to ROI from CIC. With the right outside help, the organization can focus on optimizing, training, and long-term management.
This approach can help teams balance daily operations with improving their integration skills. Remedi can work with you to:
- Evaluate your current legacy or CIC environment and assess operational health
- Identify opportunities to improve visibility, troubleshooting, and configuration practices
- Deliver qualified U.S.-based consulting resources to augment staff, support migrations, or provide managed services
If you want to explore ways to enhance your Cleo environment or learn about migrating to CIC, reach out here to connect.
Other Articles in the Series:
Are all B2B Integration Platforms Alike? Yes and No.
The Platforms We Support: Microsoft BizTalk Server and Azure Logic Apps
The Platforms We Support: Boomi
The Platforms We Support: True Commerce and SPS Commerce
The Platforms We Support: IBM B2B / Hybrid Integration & Data Exchange Solutions
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Cleo Integration Cloud used for?
Cleo Integration Cloud is used for B2B/EDI integration, API integration, and application connectivity across complex partner ecosystems.
2. Which industries benefit most from CIC?
Industries with complex supply chains, such as logistics, manufacturing, retail, food and beverage, and healthcare, benefit most.
3. Is CIC difficult to learn?
Difficulty is a relative term, but CIC has a steep learning curve. This is due to its dense feature set and configuration flexibility.
4. Does Cleo still support legacy products?
Yes, solutions like Clarify, Harmony, VLTrader, and LexiCom are still used in existing and hybrid environments.
5. How can organizations get more value from CIC?
Organizations can accelerate value and efficiency gains by leveraging CIC’s visibility, automation, and AI-enhanced notification and SLA compliance features. Teams that are struggling with the platform may want to opt for managed services or augment internal skills gaps with experienced outside resources.
