How Long Does It Take to Implement an EDI Solution?

Implementing an EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) solution is a significant undertaking for any business. However, it can offer substantial benefits such as cost savings, streamlined processes, and improved communication with trading partners.

However, the length of time required for EDI implementation depends on several factors, including in-house resources, trading partner responsiveness, and system requirements. In this blog post, we explore important factors to consider when determining how long an EDI implementation may take and how Edict Systems can help businesses get started with EDI quickly and easily.

Custom EDI Implementation With Edict Systems

At Edict Systems, each implementation is a unique project plan that examines a customer’s needs, capabilities, and requirements to help them start doing EDI as quickly as possible.

Every implementation plan comes with its own timeline that differs based on what services are needed. Whether a customer is a buying organization, supplier, in the market for partial to full EDI outsourcing, requires testing and certification, has an interest in data mapping services to replace an in-house translator, or wants to integrate EDI with an existing ERP or business system, all influence the timeline for their implementation plan.

While there’s no specific timeframe for implementing an EDI solution, Edict Systems offers services like WebEDI, which can help most suppliers start doing EDI with their customers within days, as well as ManagedEC, a fully outsourced solution for buying organizations that may take up to six months or more to set up due to its comprehensive nature and goal of eliminating in-house EDI management and translation software. 

Factors to Consider When Beginning EDI Implementation

Whether you are getting started with WebEDI, ManagedEC, or any of our other EDI solutions in between, our goal is to get you started with EDI quickly and easily. 

Below, you’ll find a partial list of important factors to consider when determining how long implementing an EDI solution may take. Many factors depend on in-house resources, requirements, and the responsiveness of trading partners.

Preliminary Work

• Review internal needs to determine the type of system that best supports your company 
• Determine how many resources your company can allocate to managing in-house EDI operations or getting started with an outsourced solution
• Determine if your company can partially outsource EDI operations or if a fully outsourced solution is best for your needs 
• Research important cost factors when determining an EDI solution.
• Find an EDI survey or questionnaire that helps identify potential solutions that may be a good fit for your company’s needs 

Considerations

• Is EDI the right solution for your company? 
• Has your company reached out to an EDI provider to discuss your options?
• Does your company have the appropriate resources to begin an EDI implementation project? 
• Do you have an existing ERP/Business/Accounting system you want to integrate with EDI? If so, will your company be changing systems in the future?
• Did your company receive an EDI mandate from a customer?
• Is there a specific deadline for completing your EDI implementation? If so, can your chosen provider meet this deadline?

Timeline (varies depending on the EDI solution)

• Contact an EDI provider with questions and details for your EDI needs 
• Establish a time to discuss potential solutions in detail via a phone call, demo, or presentation 
• Determine whether the proposal meets your business needs and provides the best options
• Work with your EDI provider to exchange information and begin implementation 
• Work through data mapping, onboarding, testing, and other processes 

Factors That Can Influence Implementation Time

• Availability of in-house resources 
• Number of trading partners 
• Responsiveness of trading partners
• Specifications of an existing business system
• Required testing and certification 
• Trading partner onboarding 
• The type and volume of EDI documents exchanged with customers or trading partners 
• Data mapping setup and testing 
• System and equipment requirements 

Learn More About EDI Solutions From Edict Systems

Implementing an EDI solution can offer significant benefits for businesses, but the timeline for implementation varies depending on several factors. At Edict Systems, we provide a range of EDI solutions to help buying organizations and suppliers get started with EDI quickly and easily, whether they are interested in partial or full EDI outsourcing.

Learn more about our EDI solutions for buyers and suppliers and how we can help your business.