What is EDI

Tangentia | What is EDI
What is EDIWhat is EDI

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

Effortless EDI Compliance
For Your Business

What is an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)?

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) directly exchanging business documents between two business entities (or systems) using a standardized format. Business documents can include invoices or purchase orders. EDI is a globally recognized, mature technology that’s been around for over 30 years.

Effortless EDI Compliance For Your Business

Tangentia Gateway is Tangentia’s enterprise cloud Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) solution that lets you develop cost-effective, flexible EDI solutions that are customized to your unique supply chain needs. Our EDI solutions and Data Management Software keep your data flowing, so you can focus on scaling your business in the digital age. It extracts, cleans, transforms and integrates data without compromising its integrity, allowing you to access it in an easy-to-use format. Tangentia Gateway can radically transform your business for the better, from superior decision-making to lowering the cost of IT.

What is EDI?

What are the benefits of EDI?

There are many benefits to EDI. The most popular benefits for businesses include cost savings, data accuracy, and speed.

The cost savings come from completely eliminating the need for paper, including printing, reproduction, filing, postage, and retrieval. While there are some material savings, most of the cost savings come from the time that is eliminated by doing EDI.

Having accurate data quickly and securely certainly provides countless business benefits.Considering the old methods of exchange data between two companies, it’s easy to see why EDI has been the standard for decades.

Increase Performance & Productivity

EDI solutions improve your company’s overall performance & productivity when exchanging data with partners & vendors.

Streamlined Fullfillment Process

An efficient fulfillment process is key to building successful relationships & a powerful customer experience.

Manage Your Supply Chain

EDI provides your company with a dynamic supply chain solution that keeps all processes performing as expected.

Easily Onboard New Customers

Simplify the way you onboard new customers by making it easy for you to collect and categorize essential data.

Avoid Manual Errors

Improve the accuracy of your vital data by eliminating manual errors. An EDI solution is designed with compliance in mind.

Reduce Demand on Labour

EDI reduces your labor demand by simplifying the way you approach data entry tasks.

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The Past, Present, and Future of Electronic Data Interchange

Tangentia | What is EDI
Tangentia | What is EDI

What can Tangentia EDI do for your business?

Businesses need their EDI solution to sync with their internal back-office systems such as ERP/eCommerce/WMS applications. Tangentia Gateway provides integration with your EDI to ensure that you can focus on growing your business.

  • Stay connected with the retailers with 2,000+ connections available
  • Get going fast with pre-mapped connections to the largest retailers
  • Leverage automation to improve productivity and cut costs
  • Drive meaningful insights with an AI-friendly solution
  • Stay compliant with changing EDI requirements
  • Unlock enterprise-grade functionality
  • Sync your data directly with your ERP solution
  • Experience world-class reliability with a proven EDI provider
  • Meet holiday demand with confidence

Why Chose Tangentia for EDI Compliance?

Learn the advantages of working with Tangentia
Insurance RPA

TRUSTED IBM PARTNER

Tangentia is partnered with IBM to provide cloud-based EDI solutions using the SaaS model. We make it easy for you to access a robust and feature-rich infrastructure.

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Banking & Finance RPA

24/7 SUPPORT

Our company has offices in Canada, the United States, and India. The support you need to keep your systems up and running is never more than a phone call or click away.

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Retail RPA

ENTERPRISE-GRADE QUALITY FOR SMBs

We have spent decades providing cutting edge EDI services to businesses looking for reliable, scalable, and customizable solutions.

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Manufacturing RPA

INTEGRATIONS MADE EASY

Integration is everything when it comes to an EDI solution. Our platform is compatible with UPS WorldShip, FedEx Ship Manager, Canada Post EST 2.0, Purolator E-Ship Server (ESS), and more.

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Automotive RPA

SUPPORT FOR GLOBAL EDI STANDARDS

Security is more important than ever today. Tangentia Gateway offers best-in-class encryption and HIPAA-compliant solutions for 4010 and 5010 EDI specifications.

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Oil & Gas RPA

UNPARALLELED COST SAVINGS AND RELIABILITY

Working with a tight budget and a specific deadline? Our team knows how to deliver on time and on budget.

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What Our Customer Say

See how these companies are using OMS & EDI to improve their operational efficiency from top to bottom:
ROLLOVER PET FOOD

“When comparing EDI vendors, cost is a big factor. Add to that finding a reputable Canadian vendor. Tangentia has awesome customer service and their platform is simple to use. From day one, we knew we were in great hands. I definitely recommend them.”

– Genaah Meadows, Director of Operations

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LIFEMARK

“When we started up a month ago, our IQbot percentage was 30%. In a month, we’ve gone up 30%. The curve is longer than previously thought, but it’s improving every day. We wish we’d done this six months ago—we would have been so much farther along.”

– Lifemark Accounting Executive

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OLA BAMBOO

“With Tangentia, we know we can rely on them to build the EDI system we
need in the future, one that’s built with integration in mind.”

– Jean Phillippe Bergeron, President

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IBM Sterling

The EDI landscape is changing. How are you keeping up?

Aging EDI systems are a liability for your business. Whether you’re struggling to keep up with changing vendor requirements, spending too much time correcting manual errors, or just need a full-service EDI solution that improves supply chain visibility—there’s no denying the value EDI provides.

Today’s companies are finding it challenging to keep up with the latest innovations caused by the global push for digital transformation. Add to that aging IT infrastructure, and it’s not surprising why cloud EDI is quickly becoming a must-have for businesses with complex supply chains operating in a multi-channel environment.

Tangentia | What is EDI

EDI Connections With the World’s Biggest Companies

Additional Frequently Asked Questions About EDI

What is an EDI?

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) directly exchanging business documents between two business entities (or systems) using a standardized format. Business documents can include invoices or purchase orders. EDI is a globally recognized, mature technology that’s been around for over 30 years.

Which industries use EDI?

Almost every major industry uses EDI in some capacity. Major industries that heavily rely on EDI are retail, finance, automotive, and aerospace. Regardless of the industry in which it’s being used, EDI is seen as a standard for the electronic exchange of documents.

What are the benefits of EDI?

There are many benefits to EDI. The most popular benefits for businesses include cost savings, data accuracy, and speed.

The cost savings come from completely eliminating the need for paper, including printing, reproduction, filing, postage, and retrieval. While there are some material savings, most of the cost savings come from the time that is eliminated by doing EDI.

Having accurate data quickly and securely certainly provides countless business benefits.Considering the old methods of exchange data between two companies, it’s easy to see why EDI has been the standard for decades.

Can I outsource EDI?

Yes. You may outsource EDI to a company that manages the setup, integration, and ongoing maintenance of the system. The right partner will work with you to develop systems that empower employees to access necessary documents wherever they need them.

Can I customize EDI documents?

Yes. EDI documents can be customized to suit a business’ needs. Sometimes, a business needs to include a specific code or other forms of data that is specific to the trading partnership. In these scenarios, businesses can customize their mappings to cater to these situations between trading partnerships.

Is there a difference between an EDI delivered with a VAN compared to one delivered over the Internet?

An EDI that’s delivered via the Internet and one that is delivered by a value-added network (VAN) accomplish the same goal. Although, an EDI delivered via a VAN offers unique benefits:

  • Increased security
  • Integration with workflows
  • Auditing tools
  • Visibility tools
  • Pre-built solutions that are specific to your industry
  • Enhanced data integrity

Which method should your business use? It will depend on the method that your trading partners use. If your industry tends to use Internet delivery, then you should stick with that method.

What is a trading partner?

A trading partner, sometimes referred to as a business partner, is another entity that your business trades documents with. Trading partners can be a business down the street or in another country. Keep in mind that EDI processes can also help streamline international operations by coordinating with border control as well.

What are the different types of EDI solutions?

There are three different types of EDI solutions available:

  1. EDI software:This type of solution is installed on a computer or server and receives documents directly. EDI software solutions are often integrated with order management systems and other types of software that make use of the documents directly.
  2. Web-based EDI: These EDI solutions often make use of cloud computing to provide access to documents wherever you need them.
  3. EDI service bureaus: These EDI contractors manage your entire EDI operation and typically charge a pay-as-you-go payment.

Each of these solutions caters to different business needs. Businesses with complex document handling processes may benefit from a software solution, while other businesses will benefit from the ease of use of cloud solutions. You’ll need to consider your business needs along with your industry standards for method transmission (VAN vs. Internet) before purchasing a solution.

An EDI trading partner asked me to use a specific EDI solution. Do I have to use it?

EDI solutions are typically regarded as entirely universal. There are several standards in existence that dictate how companies should transmit EDI documents to each other, but these standards are typically independent of the platform. The EDI solution that you select should align with your business needs and requirements and does not need to be the exact solution that an EDI trading partner requested.

Is it difficult to implement EDI?

The difficulty of implementing EDI will depend on which type of solution was selected. Web-based cloud solutions will deploy immediately after you set them up, allowing for easy and instant access to documents.

Some businesses will have more complex requirements that call for installing the software on your network and integrating them with back-office systems. These solutions will be more difficult, but the time savings of having a fully integrated EDI solution will more than make up for it.

How secure is EDI?

EDI is as secure as the protocol that is transmitting the document. There are three protocols that are commonly used with EDI:

  1. File Transfer Protocol (FTP): This network protocol has been used as the standard method of transferring files between computers for decades.
  2. Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS):Seen throughout the Internet, this protocol encrypts and decrypts data at each endpoint.
  3. Applicability Statement 2 (AS2): This is a specific protocol for transporting data securely and reliably. It achieves security by making use of encryption and digital certificates.

Take note that EDI does not exclusively use the above protocols. Several other communication protocols are capable of securely transmitting documents.

Is EDI regulated?

EDI is regulated in several different ways that are dependent on the industry. As an example, HIPPA regulations place strict requirements on the guidelines for electronically transmitting a patient’s information. Additionally, various government entities may have unique rules and standards. Of course, any given organization will also regulate its own EDI policies.

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