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How CIEL Book Distribution Automated 26M+ Amazon Records Using EDI2XML API Integration

About CIEL Book Distribution

CIEL Book Distribution is one of the leading book distributors in the Middle East, with operations based in Dubai (UAE) and Beirut (Lebanon). The company supplies books to bookstores, educational institutions, and online retailers, offering a vast catalog of titles across multiple languages and genres.

To meet the demands of a growing digital marketplace, CIEL relies heavily on Amazon Seller Central to reach global customers. With over 26 million bibliographic records in its master database, the company needed a scalable, automated solution to manage product listings, inventory updates, and pricing — without relying on manual uploads.

The Challenge: Manual Inventory Updates on Amazon Seller Central

Before automation, CIEL’s team manually uploaded inventory and product data to Amazon Seller Central up to six times per day. This process involved:

Handling daily delta files of 500,000 to 1 million records

Navigating Amazon’s Selling Partner API (SP-API) limitations — only 10,000 items per feed, with a two-minute interval between submissions

Spending over 48 hours to complete full synchronizations

While the process technically worked, it was time-consuming, error-prone, and unsustainable as the catalog continued to grow.

Manual uploads were slowing down operations and increasing the risk of data inconsistencies.

The Solution: EDI2XML Amazon API Integration Services

CIEL partnered with EDI2XML, to design and implement a fully automated integration with Amazon Seller Central.

With over 25 years of experience in system integration and EDI automation, EDI2XML specializes in connecting business systems, eCommerce platforms, and cloud applications using APIs and EDI technologies.

“It was the first API integration project in our company — a real challenge,” said Tony Akiki, Software Development & Consultancy at CIEL Book Distribution. “With EDI2XML’s support, we succeeded. Everything is now fully automated — no more manual uploads.”

How EDI2XML Solved the Problem

1. Automated Delta Feeds

CIEL’s system now prepares daily delta files and transmits them to Amazon via API. Each file contains 500K–1M updated records.

Amazon API Integration

2. SP-API Integration

EDI2XML built a robust integration layer that communicates directly with Amazon’s SP-API. The system respects all throughput limits, sending batches of 10,000 records every two minutes to maintain compliance and performance.

Amazon Managed Inventory

3. Proof of Concept and Testing

EDI2XML provided Swagger-based API access for testing. CIEL validated the integration using one seller account before moving to full subscription.

4. Scalable Architecture

The current setup supports one Amazon seller account, but it’s designed to scale across nine accounts. It can also be extended to Amazon Vendor Central, providing a foundation for future expansion.

5. Continuous Support and Collaboration

Throughout the project, EDI2XML provided hands-on technical support, close collaboration, and troubleshooting. This helped CIEL’s internal team build confidence in API workflows and integration best practices.

Results Achieved

After implementing the EDI2XML Amazon Integration, CIEL saw immediate improvements:

  • Manual uploads eliminated — saving hours of daily work
  • Faster, error-free inventory updates
  • Real-time product availability on Amazon
  • Scalable infrastructure ready for future growth
  • Technical foundation for full digital transformation

“We are very thankful to Pierre and the EDI2XML team,” Tony said. “This project made a big difference for our company.”

What’s Next for CIEL?

According to Tony Akiki, the current setup represents just a small part of the full vision. Upcoming phases include:

  • Scaling integration to all nine Amazon seller accounts
  • Expanding automation to Amazon Vendor Central
  • Improving throughput and synchronization speed
  • Adding validation with publisher lists to ensure only eligible titles are published

What Is Amazon Seller Central API Integration? (Explained)

Amazon Seller Central Integration allows businesses to connect their internal systems directly with Amazon using APIs. Instead of manually uploading spreadsheets, the integration automatically sends and receives data such as:

Inventory quantities

Product prices and metadata

Orders and fulfillment status

This kind of automation reduces manual effort, minimizes human error, and helps businesses operate efficiently — even with large volumes of data.

Key Takeaways from CIEL’s Automation Journey

  • Automation replaces repetitive manual work CIEL now updates Amazon automatically, freeing staff to focus on strategic tasks.
  • APIs can handle massive data — when configured correctly With careful batching and scheduling, even 26 million records can be synchronized reliably.
  • Start small, scale smart Testing one seller account first ensured a smooth rollout and reduced risk.
  • Partnership matters The close collaboration between CIEL’s IT team and EDI2XML specialists ensured project success.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a delta file in this context?

A delta file contains only the changes (new, modified, or deleted items) since the last synchronization. This approach keeps updates fast and efficient.

Why does Amazon limit batch sizes to 10,000 records?

To maintain system performance and reliability, Amazon enforces rate limits. Integrations like EDI2XML manage these limits intelligently to ensure data is delivered on time.

Can this solution work for other eCommerce platforms?

Yes. EDI2XML’s API framework can integrate with various marketplaces and ERP systems, not only Amazon but also Shopify, WooCommerce, and others.

How long does it take to implement such an integration?

Implementation timelines vary based on complexity, but CIEL’s proof of concept was completed within weeks.

Is this solution secure?

Yes. EDI2XML follows best practices for API security, including authentication, encryption, and data validation.

About EDI2XML

EDI2XML, a sister company of Namtek Consulting Services, provides fully managed EDI and API integration services. With over 25 years of experience in system integration, the team helps businesses automate data exchange between internal systems, trading partners, and cloud applications.

Whether it’s Amazon SP-API, Shopify API, or EDI X12 transactions, EDI2XML ensures seamless, secure, and scalable integration – so your business stays connected and efficient.

Ready to Automate Your Amazon Operations?

Whether you manage one seller account or multiple, EDI2XML can help you:

  • Automate data updates
  • Improve accuracy
  • Scale confidently

Contact us today to learn how our Amazon API Integration Services can streamline your business operations and accelerate your digital transformation.

Free IT Consultation

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How to Become EDI Compliant in Under 60 Minutes (Yes, Really)

How to Become EDI Compliant in Under 60 Minutes (Yes, Really)

Being an EDI-compliant company is one of the most effective ways to drive business growth.

There are times when SMEs cannot collaborate with large companies because small companies do not meet their EDI requirements.

In other cases, companies may lose their long-term large business partner because a large company moves to EDI and starts requiring all of its suppliers to exchange documents via EDI.

This can happen to any company.

However, EDI is still the main tool for interacting between business partners and the possibility of cooperation with large companies.

In fact, all major retail companies such as Walmart, Kroger, Home Depot, Costco, Target, and others actively use EDI to communicate with their suppliers, carrier companies, and 3PL partners.

So, what tool can enable you to quickly exchange EDI and become EDI compliant? How to start exchanging EDI documents quickly and cost-effectively, without losing an existing trading partner, and be ready to cooperate with new ones?

HTTP EDI Web Service (REST API) – an Easy Way to Exchange Business Documents

EDI connectivity is a pain for many SMEs. Often, they simply do not have the necessary resources for an EDI integration and can’t afford the monthly EDI fees that must be paid to the EDI provider. Moreover, often, it is simply not profitable and very expensive, since small companies often have a small volume of transactions per month.

With 25 years of experience as an EDI provider, we have identified this problem that small businesses need to solve every day, and developed a unique, easy-to-use solution for SMEs to become EDI-compatible quickly and easily.

We have built a robust and well-established EDI tool that allows you to connect to EDI in record time and start exchanging EDI documents with your trading partners.

What Is an EDI Web Service and How Does It Work?

The EDI2XML Web Service is a web-based HTTP service that runs over the Internet and is capable of translating EDI messages to XML and XML messages to EDI (based on EDI2XML’s proprietary xml format or schema). In addition to XML, the EDI2XML Web Service now supports JSON input and output, allowing developers to choose their preferred data format when converting EDI documents.

API-Converter for EDI XML and JSON

EDI Web Service is a low-cost alternative solution to on-premises EDI, SaaS EDI, or Managed EDI.

EDI2XML now includes built-in 997 Functional Acknowledgments and secure OAuth2 token-based authentication for production-grade reliability and security.

 

This EDI solution offers almost the same benefits of a traditional EDI, including speeding up business document transformation, eliminating document loss, and reducing administrative contact with trading partners.

Supported EDI Transactions

In our EDI document library here you can find a list of supported EDI X12, EDIFACT, HIPAA / X12 transactions that you can start transformation, and be ready to exchange in less than an hour. However, we can add any additional EDI transaction set at your request, without any fees.

How Much Does EDI Web Service Cost? Pricing Breakdown

Payment for the use of the EDI web service is very simple and consists of two parts:

  1. The monthly payment for using the web service mailbox.
  2. Payment for the volume of processed data. This fee is variable and depends on the volume of data converted (between EDI and XML) during a calendar month.

GOOD TO KNOW: All new users of our API web service can benefit from our 15-day free trial.

How to Become EDI Compliant in 3 Simple Steps

I will give you a specific formula in 3 easy steps you need to follow to quickly become EDI compliant without spending a lot of time and money.

Step #1: Learn About the EDI2XML REST API for Fast EDI Integration

Learn full information about the HTTP EDI Web Service on the page: What is EDI2XML Web Service? On this page, you will find information about how the EDI web service works and what its benefits are.

Step #2: Get Custom Pricing for EDI2XML API Usage

Fill out the short contact form on this page to receive a document with a detailed pricing scheme. This document will also contain a section with answers to frequently asked questions. We recommend that you also read it as it contains very valuable information.

Step #3: Getting Started with EDI2XML Web Service in Record Time

After filling out the form and submitting it, we will contact you within [24] hours with the information you need (Token and password) in order to start interacting with the Web Service. Each subscription comes with detailed instructions and documentation regarding our Web Service.

FAQ (frequently asked questions) about EDI2XML REST API for Fast EDI Integration

What are the benefits of becoming EDI compliant for my business?

Becoming EDI compliant can significantly enhance your business growth by enabling faster, more efficient document exchange with large partners, securing long-term contracts, and maintaining competitiveness within the industry.

How does the EDI Web Service (REST API) facilitate quick EDI integration for SMEs?

The EDI Web Service (REST API) provides a low-cost, easy-to-use solution that allows small and medium-sized enterprises to connect to EDI systems rapidly, start exchanging documents seamlessly, and avoid expensive traditional EDI setup costs.

What is an EDI Web Service and what functionalities does it support?

An EDI Web Service is a web-based HTTP platform that translates EDI messages to XML and JSON formats over the internet, supporting secure, reliable, and quick exchange of business documents, including support for functional acknowledgments and OAuth2 authentication.

What types of EDI transactions are supported by this service?

The service supports a wide range of EDI transactions including EDI X12, EDIFACT, and HIPAA/X12 transactions, with the ability to add custom transaction sets upon request at no additional cost.

What are the steps to become EDI compliant quickly using the EDI2XML Web Service?

To become EDI compliant swiftly, you should fill out a short form to receive access details, allowing you to start integrating and exchanging documents within hours.

Final Thoughts: Get EDI Compliant in Under an Hour with EDI2XML

You may have already spent weeks looking for the right EDI solution; now you can quickly become EDI compliant without wasting another day of your time.

Our EDI web service is fast and stable, and brings results to our customers.

If you have any questions, please contact us for a free EDI consultation.

EDI web service
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Fully managed EDI service VS HTTP Web Service: Which is Better for Your Business ?

This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and all the services around it are becoming more and more popular, regardless of the industry, for one major reason: EDI transactions are replacing paper documents exchanged between trading partners, and helping companies in their digital transformation projects, for a “greener” planet.

Retail was one of the first industries to fully adopt EDI, and it is still the most active vertical in its usage. EDI is a proven and effective alternative to fax, e-mail, and manually entering or re-entering data such as Invoice, Purchase Order, Inventory and many others…

There are various types of EDI and several approaches to integrate Electronic Data Interchange in a business community. Each EDI provider can offer a different EDI integration methodology, in order to become EDI compliant. We at EDI2XML, offer two options for to integrate EDI into your company, and make your business “EDI compliant”, while shortening the integration project:

Fully Managed EDI Service

HTTP EDI Web Service

How to select? What kind of EDI integration solution is a better option for your business?  First, let’s understand both options.

Fully Managed EDI Service

The EDI2XML service offered as “fully managed” includes translation and communication service offering to businesses of all sizes, from different industries.

Our team at EDI2XML, takes care of ALL the aspects of the integration project. With this model, we offer a “Turnkey EDI Solution” where we take on our shoulder all setup, configuration, testing, certification with the EDI partners …

EDI Fully Managed Service

In other words, with this option, we take care of everything: all the steps of the project from A to Z. We can even integrate directly into your ERP or CRM system. We provide certified connectors for leading IT systems such as Salesforce, JD Edwards, SAP, Dynamics CRM, Dynamics AX, and more.

EDI integration platform

a) Technical Details

A setup phase is mandatory for all new Trading Partners and/or EDI document implementation. This stage includes the project analysis, setup of Trading Partner accounts, configuring Partner specs and platform, defining the transfer file structure, building and setting up all required connectivities and communication protocols. It also includes an end-to-end full cycle data testing and certification.

To learn more about EDI service, download our free introductory guide here

b) Pricing

As for the pricing, it is based on pre-defined monthly service packages, including a pre-defined volume of data processed. All our packages are billed monthly based on the entry level plan (Business Light) at the beginning of each month. Subsequent month billing will include the basic plan fee PLUS the difference between the plan we billed initially (Business light) for previous month, and the plan that we were supposed bill for the previous month based on real volume of data processed for that month.

All this to say, our monthly pricing packages are dynamic, they go up and down based on the volume of data we process and integrate, and our clients are not locked in in any of the packages.

For more information about pricing, fill out a form: EDI2XML Translation Service Pricing Package

HTTP EDI Web Service (REST API)

EDI2XML Web Service is an HTTP service running over the internet, on EDI2XML’s own platform that is capable of receiving HTTP requests to translate EDI messages to XML, and XML messages to EDI (based on EDI2XML’s proprietary format).

EDI2XML Web Service is much more cost-effective, and meant for companies who got their own technical resources to work with REST API (call and consume HTTP Rest Web services)

The principles of the mechanism of the EDI2XML Web Service is schematically illustrated in the diagram below.

API-Converter for EDI XML and JSON

a) Advantages

EDI2XML Web Service is the way to go for the following reasons:

  • Self-service solution
  • Low cost
  • We offer a 15 days free trial, without any commitment.
  • Get started with less than an hour
  • There is no contract, no commitment.
  • Payments are month to month; Cancel anytime with a 30 days’ notice.
  • A very simple and dynamic pricing scheme
  • Availability and reliability
  • Based on proven technology in the field for over 18 years now
  • Outstanding technical support

b) Technical Details

Implementation time: Getting started with EDI2XML Web Service, is very simple and quick. Within less than an hour, you can issue the first Call to the Web Service and see the response. Our HTTP EDI Web service is very clearly documented, and we provide instructions with each subscription.

  • Quick entry: you can be up and running in less than an hour, and it is proven; we provide everything to your developers to get started, a java client with its source code and instructions on how to work with it.
  • We offer the schemas(xsd) of the XML format our API expects, and all what you need to do is to format your data according to that format and you will be up and running.

c) Pricing

EDI2XML API service fee to use the HTTP / Web Service calls, has a very simple pricing scheme. The price consists of two elements:

  1. Monthly mailbox fee: a “fixed” monthly fee for the Web Service Mailbox usage on EDI2XML platform. It is a nonrefundable fee.
  2. Data processing fee: a “variable” fee based on the volume of data processed and translated between EDI and XML, during a calendar month. The volume of data processed is computed in both directions:
  • Incoming, and
  • Outgoing

Click here to request EDI2XML Web Service Price List

d) How to get started with EDI2XML API

To get started with our EDI Web Service three steps you need to follow:

1. You need to provide us the list of documents/transactions you want to be activated under your trial account.

2. We will simply set you up with a 15 days trial account, without any commitment from you. Just let us know when do you want to kick off, and we can take care of setting you up on a trial account.

3. We provide a Java client and its source code. You can get started with less than an hour, this will allow you to try and see the results by your own.

We’ve recently launched EDI2XML Web Service v2.0 – a smarter, faster, and more secure version of our REST API. It supports improved token-based authentication and better performance for X12, XML, and JSON document exchange. Learn more: What’s New in Version 2.0?

Watch the Video and discover which solution aligns best with your business needs and goals.

 

Compare key features of Fully Managed EDI Service and HTTP EDI Web Service

key feature

Fully managed EDI service

HTTP EDI Web Service
 Type of EDI solution Full service Self service
 Contract Yes No
 Commitment 24 months No
 Implementation time   (approximately) 2 weeks 1 hour
 Real-Time Connection Yes Yes
 Free Trial account No 15 days
 Data processing fee Based on the appropriate plan. It works in both directions: when the volume goes up and  when the volume goes down.   “Variable” fee based on the   volume      of data processed     and translated         between   EDI    and XML, during a         calendar    month.
 Need for internal   resources No Yes
 Need for in-house EDI expertise No No
 Technical Support Yes Yes
 Hardware Installation  Required No Yes
 Software Installation Required No No
Communication with the trading partner: setup and testing in both directions Yes

No
Free edi consultation

We, at EDI2XML, provide an EDI integration solution for every type of business. Contact us today for a free consultation and we will help you find the most appropriate option for your business.

 

Seamless EDI Implementation Through Web Services

EDI is used almost everywhere regardless of industry or company size. The most extensive use of EDI is in the retail industry. EDI compliance is mandatory in order to trade with big retailers such as Target, Costco, Walmart,… even giants of electronic commerce like Amazon are heavy users of EDI.

There are a lot of different types and approach of implementing EDI in your company. It can fully managed EDI service, or gaining popularity lately EDI Web Service, because, service architects and developers want EDI to be easy to implement, maintainable, extensible, and scalable.

What is Web Service?

Web service is a network technology that provides inter-program interaction based on web standards. More specifically, it’s client and server application that communicate over the World Wide Web’s (WWW).

The W3C consortium defines a web service as: “A Web service is a software system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network”.

Thus, the web service is identified by a URI string. The Web service has a User Programmatic Interface (UPI) that is represented in WSDL format. Other systems interact with this web service by exchanging SOAP or REST protocol messages. HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol is used to transport the messages. The description of Web services and their APIs can be found by UDDI.

♦ WSDL (Web Services Description Language) – is an XML-based interface definition language that is used for describing the functionality offered by a web service.

♦ UDDI (Universal Discovery, Description and Integration) – is an XML-based registry for business internet services

Web services are rich in functionality and extensibility, as well as their machine-readable descriptions through the use of XML. Web services can be combined to achieve complex operations.

web service diagram

The diagram above shows a very simplified view of how a web service works. The client invokes a web service call by sending a request to a server which hosts the actual web service, then get the response from the web service.

What are the Different Types of Web Services?

Web services can be deployed in several ways. The following web-services are the most commonly used http web services:

♦ SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) — in fact, it is a triple of standards SOAP/WSDL/UDDI

♦ REST (Representational State Transfer) – quite often called as RESTful API (Application Program Interface that uses HTTP requests to GET, PUT, POST and DELETE data) or RESTful web service – is based on (REST) technology.

Actually, SOAP originated from XML-RPC (XML Remote Procedure Call) and is the next generation of its development and evolution. While REST is a concept, based on an architectural style.

Of course, there are other types of web services, but since they are not widely used, we will focus on these two in this brief review: SOAP and REST.

A Quick Overview of SOAP Web Services

SOAP stands for Simple Object Access Protocol. It is an XML-based protocol for accessing web services.

It is platform and language independent. It means that by using SOAP, you can interact with other programming language applications.

Initially, SOAP was primarily intended to implement a remote procedure call (RPC). Now SOAP is used to exchange arbitrary messages in XML format, not just to call procedures.

Like any text protocol, SOAP can be used with any application layer protocol: SMTP, FTP, HTTPS, etc., but more often SOAP is used over HTTP.

All SOAP messages are structured as an envelope (is the root element in every SOAP message), including the following elements:

  • Message ID (local name)
  • Optional Header element
  • Mandatory Body element (message body)

Structure of SOAP message:

SOAP message structure

The expanded list of SOAP message elements is shown in the data schema (for SOAP version 1.2).

A Quick Overview of REST Web Services

REST stands for Representational State Transfer. As it was mentioned above, REST is not a protocol but an architectural style built on existing standards that are well known and controlled by the W3C consortium, such as HTTP, URI (Uniform Resource Identifier), XML and RDF (Resource Description Format).

In a REST services, the emphasis is placed on access to resources, and not on the execution of remote services; this is the fundamental difference from SOAP-services. However, the remote procedure call is also applicable to REST. It uses the PUT, GET, POST, and DELETE methods of the HTTP protocol to perform tasks. The cardinal difference between REST and SOAP is that REST remains an HTTP request.

According to many developers, SOAP is cumbersome and difficult to use. REST is an easy alternative.

REST is using the URL approach. Often, to make a request, REST relies on a simple URL Instead of using XML.

Advantages of REST Web Services

REST is more flexible and easier to use for the most part. There are following advantages when:

  • Agile: Unlike SOAP, there is no strict specification for REST Web services and it consumes less bandwidth and resources, thus, REST Web services are very fast.
  • Language and Platform independent: REST web services can be written in any programming language and run on any platform.
  • Can be used with different data format: REST web service permits different data format such as Plain Text, XML, HTML, and JSON.

SOAP vs REST: What to Choose?

SOAP is more applicable in complex architectures where interaction with objects is beyond the scope of the CRUD model. In applications having the CRUD model, it can be quite applicable to REST due to its simplicity and transparency.

In fact, if any objects in your service do not need a complex relationship than: “Create”, “Read”, “Update”, “Delete” (usually in 99% of cases is enough), it is possible that REST will be the best choice.

In addition, REST compared to SOAP can be more productive because it does not require parsing complex XML commands on the server (regular HTTP requests are performed — PUT, GET, POST, DELETE).

EDI2XML HTTP Service

EDI2XML Web Service, is an HTTP (based on REST) service running over the internet, on EDI2XML private cloud platform that is capable of receiving HTTP requests to translate EDI messages to XML, and XML messages to EDI (based on EDI2XML’s proprietary XML format). Advantages of using EDI2XML HTTP service:

⇒ You can start with less than an hour

⇒ No contract: pay as you go

⇒ Very simple and dynamic pricing scheme

⇒ Availability and reliability

⇒ Based on proven technology in the field for over 18 years now

⇒ Outstanding technical support

Our EDI Web Service solution solves developer’s problem because we have over 18 years of expertise in EDI, that is difficult for every developer and integrator to acquire quickly.

You can start with the free 15 – days trial of EDI2XML Web Service to see how real-time translation services works.

EDI Web Service for edi integration

Related Posts:

What is EDIFACT? | UN / EDIFACT standard overview

EDI ANSI ASC X12 Standards – Technical Overview – 2020

EDI Integration of B2B e-commerce for small companies