During the pandemic, EDI professionals and the technology they support kept the wheels on the economy and supply chains moving—and still do. In fact, even in the face of newer technologies such as APIs, 78% of all electronic B2B sales are done via EDI. This equates to more than $7 trillion in annual sales.
As industries move forward from the pandemic and the disruption left in its wake, EDI remains firmly integrated into the revenue cycles and operations of a vast swath of companies that drive the global economy.
From our client work, we see three reasons that account for the enduring adoption of EDI: resiliency, security, and high compatibility with other data exchange platforms.
Little wonder then, that in part because of accelerated digital transformation initiatives, demand for EDI professionals is high in four categories:
This article details the skills and typical duties for all levels of EDI consultants and explains why managers with responsibility for EDI and B2B integration are using them to fill skills gaps.
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 for complete details on the experience, education, KPIs, and skills expected at each consultant level.
Keys to Success: While solid communication and collaboration skills are a plus, mappers focus more on the work they’re assigned within a team structure. As such, they are not typically expected to be as outgoing.
Beyond technical chops, what sets successful mappers apart is tight time management. Customer teams and hiring managers favor mappers who manage their time well and have shown they can stay on top of the critical details and tasks involved in building trading partner maps and other EDI documents.
Keys to Success: EDI developers who add significant value to internal teams bring great communication skills, a passion for problem-solving, and technical mastery.
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’re also confident enough to step up and step in when needed.
Keys to Success: Expectations and fees 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 such as a migration from a legacy EDI translation solution or 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. Yet, because of task dependencies, the architect may occasionally ask in-house staff to adjust their work priorities to accomplish a critical project milestone.
Situations like these demand finely calibrated diplomatic skills to avoid friction at a critical juncture.
Bottom line, EDI solution architects who consistently deliver their solutions with maximum efficiency and minimum friction are rock stars in the eyes of customers— and everyone else in their orbit.
Short-term staffing? Managed EDI services? Outsourcing? If you’re facing EDI staffing shortfalls and you’re not sure which option makes the most sense for you, talk to a Remedi EDI talent expert.
Can an EDI Consulting Partner Expand Your Talent Options?