Cutting costs, enhancing trading partner relationships, streamlining operations…all of these improvements are the goals of virtually every business. That’s why so many industries have adopted the use of EDI as a standard business practice.
Whether selling or producing, in hard goods, soft goods, food products or services, in healthcare or education, there are organizations utilizing EDI to great advantage in nearly every industry.
Variations on a Theme – How EDI Differs Across Industries
Exchanging business documents via EDI is a fairly simple concept. Outbound data is formatted according to a set of standards and transmitted electronically. Inbound data may be converted back to a format internal systems can understand and integrated directly into ERP, accounting or other back-end business applications.
However, different industries have different requirements for EDI, and a may have different practices in how EDI is implemented. These may include:
- Business practices – different industries often take different approaches to doing business, with different issues that must be addressed. All must be accommodated with EDI.
- Data – every industry uses different forms and other documents that have to be adapted to EDI documents.
- Standards – different parts of the world may use ANSI X12 standards vs. EDIFACT, and different industries may have a specific sub-set of the standards, such as HIPAA 5010 for healthcare.
- Communications – different industries have adopted different protocols for communicating via EDI, whether it’s HTTP, FTP, AS2, or another approach.
- Formats – EDI can include many formats for documents, which can vary from industry to industry, including traditional EDI, XML, CSV, fixed length, and others.
- EDI practices – how organizations work together using EDI can differ in each industry, such as the practice of charging penalties for non-compliance of requirements in retail.
Taking on the challenge of deploying EDI in your own organization can be a significant task. You must not only understand and apply EDI standards, technology and practices, but particular variations on all of these must be addressed for your particular industry.
Let 1EDISource help. We have extensive experience working in a wide range of industries. The result of that experience is superior products and services that address many of these industry-specific issues. We can help you navigate the EDI landscape and develop an EDI solution that is right for your business, and the industry in which you operate
Get more information on the specific nature of EDI within a few industries here:
- EDI for Education – educational institutions exchange student records electronically via EDI.
- Healthcare – HIPAA requirements establish EDI as a requirement in healthcare.
- Automotive – streamlined operations for automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.
- EDI for Retail – lower prices through streamlined processes.
- Manufacturers – manufacturers benefit from EDI in all product categories.
- Suppliers – businesses look to utilize EDI across their entire supply chain.