EDI Service: Build Your Business on a Solid Foundation 

Imagine you want to build a house. You know your requirements and have a clear vision of what the house should look like. However, you lack the time and expertise to handle the planning and implementation yourself.

The solution? You hire experts, such as an architect, who has the knowledge, experience, and contacts with all the necessary trades to efficiently carry out your project.

The same is true in a business context when it comes to implementing reliable, future-proof EDI connections. Your team acts as the client by defining the requirements and vision. Meanwhile, your EDI provider takes on various roles to ensure that all your needs are met.

In this blog, we will explain how your IT team holds the reins when it comes to data exchange while your EDI provider assumes different roles to make your vision a reality.

A project typically goes through several phases. First, there is the planning stage, followed by the implementation phase, and finally, the project moves into regular operation. During the maintenance phase, regular servicing ensures ongoing operations. When requirements change, expansion or remodeling phases often occur to adapt the project to new circumstances.

As with construction projects, the IT "client" can delegate coordination and management responsibilities to the EDI "contractor." The contractor ensures that each phase is guided and managed by the right experts. This allows internal IT teams to focus on defining requirements, approvals, and feedback while maintaining maximum control with minimal resource commitment.

1. Planning Phase  

• IT Department (Client): Just as a client works with architects to determine the layout and functions of a house, your IT team will work with our experts to define all the data and system topics that need to communicate via EDI. In this phase, you’ll decide which partners need to be connected and set the requirements for data transmission. 
• eddyson (Architects): As EDI architects, we gather your requirements and create a blueprint. We develop the right concept to fit your needs and vision, plan all technical details, and build a solid infrastructure. Afterward, all trades are planned and briefed to ensure a smooth project execution. 

2. Implementation Phase 

• IT Department (Client): Like a client on a construction project, your IT team acts as the main contact and monitors progress and milestones without having to dive into technical details. 
• eddyson (Contractor): As the EDI contractor, eddyson puts the requirements into action and makes sure everything aligns with the original plans. Building the “house” primarily means integrating data connections and creating the format mappings. Here, eddyson takes a unique approach with a one-of-a-kind “prefabricated house” solution. eddyson’s canonical data model allows the house to be built quickly using existing components, with individual adjustments, special features, or extensions integrated as needed. 

3. Operational Phase 

• IT Department (Homeowner): Once the “house” is complete, your IT department moves in and wants to enjoy the intended comfort without having to deal with problems or maintenance tasks. The process should work as planned, monitoring should be transparent, and no capacity or resources should be blocked. 
• eddyson (Handyman Service): The EDI experts continue to ensure everything runs smoothly after the implementation phase. eddyson takes care of system maintenance, fixes issues that arise, and makes sure your data transmission remains stable and reliable at all times. If something goes wrong, our experts respond quickly and efficiently to keep everything running.

4. Maintenance Phase 

• IT Department (Homeowner): For every homeowner, maintenance is an unwelcome aspect of owning a home. With the EDI solution, your IT team has handed off these challenges to the EDI provider and has taken on the role of information recipient and decision maker. 
• eddyson (Facility Manager/Contractor): As your EDI provider, eddyson handles regular maintenance and necessary updates. Our experts keep your system up to date and make sure it can meet future requirements. We remain in constant exchange with your IT contacts and offer a transparent and intuitive overview with our transaction monitor. 

5. Expansion and Remodeling Phase 

• IT Department (Homeowner): Time moves on and many things change—be it system changes or simply adding or replacing partners, processes, or other requirements. When you change your structure, your IT team stays in the client role: It defines new requirements and outlines the necessary adjustments. 
• eddyson (Architect & Contractor): eddyson adapts your system to new requirements. Our EDI experts implement new standards, add new partners, and make sure your system will function efficiently in the future as well. 

With eddyson, You Are Building on a Solid Foundation

Especially in times of skilled labor shortages, companies need to focus their energy increasingly on supporting their core business and offload tasks that, while important, tie up resources. Much like building a house, business departments act as clients and homeowners who want to realize their vision without losing sight of the bigger picture. The responsibility for operational execution lies with the architect and contractor — or, in our case, with eddyson as the EDI provider.

Your IT team can focus on strategic tasks while we ensure technical operations run smoothly and securely during the initial project and ongoing operations. Your team retains control over the decisions without having to monitor every step.

At the core of our partnership is establishing our clients’ data exchange plans on a reliable foundation flexible and scalable enough to react to changes.