Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

EDI is a means of structuring the intra and inter-organisational transmission of data electronically. Documents and key business information can be transferred between computer systems in a format that meets agreed 'message' standards. Importantly, the interchange of information can take place without human involvement or intervention.

Applications of EDI include automated supply chain processes, exchange of information between trading platforms and interchange of medical records. EDI provides both financial and environmental benefits by reducing the human interaction in the process required by other means of transmission – faxes, mail, paper documents – and reducing the amount of paper used.

Historically, the foundation for most forms of EDI has been a Value Added Network (VAN). VANs effectively act as an electronic post office and ensure messages are delivered to the correct recipients. Whilst many larger organisations still operate VANs, the advent of more secure and faster Internet services has seen EDI become more available to small and medium enterprises in the form of WebEDI. It functions in precisely the same way as EDI but operates under its own protocols. More importantly, it is accessible anywhere in the world, it is less costly to implement and requires no dedicated IT resource to manage it.

If your business needs to seamlessly exchange information between different internal systems, or externally with other organisations, EDI could provide the ideal solution. Transition Computing has a team of EDI experts who can design, develop and rigorously test the optimum application to ensure secure, efficient and cost-effective interchange of data, with your trading partners, suppliers and vendors.

If you would like to know more about how EDI could benefit your business, by saving you time, money and resources, why not contact our software developers for more information? We're more than happy to talk through your requirements and propose the best solution for you.