Magic xpi Integration Platform: The Best Fit for Enterprise Data Integration

This post was updated to reflect current trends and information

Magic xpi is Magic’s code-free integration platform that lets you streamline business process quickly and easily, integrating them across diverse applications, platforms, and databases. Magic xpi enables you to integrate your business information, logic, and data into cross-organizational, cross-platform business processes. Smooth running business processes reduce operational costs and increase revenue and reduce business risks.

Magic xpi: The Code-Free Integration Platform for Seamless Business Process Automation

Magic xpi is Magic’s powerful, code-free integration platform that enables businesses to streamline their processes quickly and efficiently. By integrating diverse applications, platforms, and databases, Magic xpi ensures seamless communication between all areas of your business. Whether you’re working with ERP, CRM, finance, or other enterprise systems, Magic xpi makes business process automation simple.

Why Choose Magic xpi for Your Business Integration Needs?

  1. Comprehensive Integration
    Magic xpi allows you to integrate business information, logic, and data into cross-organizational and cross-platform business processes. This reduces manual intervention, speeds up workflows, and improves overall productivity.

  2. Certified and Optimized Connectors
    One of the key strengths of Magic xpi is its out-of-the-box, certified connectors for leading enterprise systems such as SAP, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and more. These connectors make it easy to extend the capabilities of your existing software without needing custom coding or complex configurations.

  3. Reduce Operational Costs and Risks
    With smooth-running business processes, Magic xpi minimizes operational costs, reduces business risks, and helps you focus on growing revenue. It eliminates the need for manual data entry, reducing human errors and ensuring that critical data flows freely across your entire business ecosystem.

  4. Scalability and Flexibility
    Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, Magic xpi’s scalable architecture allows you to integrate new systems as your business grows. Its flexibility supports a wide range of industries, making it the go-to solution for companies in retail, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and more.

Use Cases for Magic xpi Integration Platform

  • ERP Integration: Seamlessly connect ERP systems like SAP, Oracle, or JD Edwards with other business applications to ensure data consistency and accuracy.
  • CRM Integration: Integrate CRM platforms like Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, or HubSpot to improve customer experience by ensuring all teams have access to real-time customer data.
  • eCommerce Integration: Automate order processing and inventory management by integrating your eCommerce platform with ERP and fulfillment systems.

 

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Learn More: Download the Magic xpi Integration Platform White Paper

For a deeper dive into how Magic xpi can transform your business, we invite you to download our comprehensive White Paper. You’ll discover:

  • Detailed insights into how Magic xpi works
  • Real-world examples of successful integrations
  • The key benefits for different industries
  • How Magic xpi enables businesses to quickly adapt to changing markets and customer needs.

Download your free copy now and start streamlining your business operations today!

 

cta_magic-xpi-white-paper

 

How to get more out of Salesforce with EDI Integration


This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.


At the end of a discussion we had with one of our contacts, who was inquiring about EDI, Salesforce and how to integrate it all together, I decided to write this article, in order to clarify and structure my arguments with the hope it can help other readers who might fall on this article having the same questions and concerns. I will start by defining some technical terms, prior to getting to the points.

What is Salesforce?

Salesforce is one of the most popular cloud-based CRM. The company is based in California (USA), and it has thousands of users worldwide. We’ve already written an article that provides more about the product, which I invite you to read, and learn more about salesforce itself, and how Magic xpi can be the best integration platform with Salesforce.

What is EDI?

Electronic Data Interchange or (EDI) is fundamentally a standard that regulates the electronic exchange of business documents between trading partners. EDI contains a set of message types. There are many different EDI standards i.e. X12, EDIFACT, RosettaNet…used mainly in different industries and different parts of the world. In North America, the US standard ANSI ASC X12 is p predominantly used.

Some example message types are:

Help: What is EDI2XML as a Service?

EDI2XML as a Service is our popular translation and communication service offering to businesses of all sizes, from various industries. All conversions of EDI files are done on our end, leaving customers with no on-site installation of software or hardware and an EDI project that is on time and within budget.

Download our EDI2XML Translation Service Pricing Package here for more information

Why EDI Integration with Salesforce is Important

Companies of all sizes have different systems in place: i.e. ERP, CRM, Warehouse management…Some other companies might only operate their business using Salesforce.

It is a common situation that companies will have business partners requesting to exchange EDI (regardless of the standard), with them. The truth is that companies’ can NOT refuse such a request coming from a customer for example. They have to comply with such demand and become “EDI ready” or “EDI compliant”.

In a such scenario, the company running Salesforce will be receiving a Sales order (850 as an example) and sending back and invoice (810) for billing purposes, all in X12 standard (for example). What to do about this requirement? Companies need to take action.

Why You Need to integrate EDI into Salesforce

Given the above facts and considering that Salesforce “out-of-the-box” does NOT support any EDI standard, there is no choice for a company leveraging Salesforce, to escape the integration request.

Ultimately, businesses need to Integrate EDI into their Salesforce instance. By pushing EDI messages into their Salesforce instance in a near real-time basis, companies can achieve even more with the Salesforce system.

“Need Integration” Checklist

Each company is unique, and it can be a lot of reasons why your business needs Integrations. Following are the most common reasons a company might need to consider, in order to jump into integration projects:

– Your trading partner(s) is requesting to exchange data electronically

– Your company gets a lot of orders (200+ orders a month on average), this is being taped manually in different systems, thus taking lots of time of your employees, and creating inefficiencies.

– You are looking for a better experience with your customer. You need to get your inventory out that always exact, tracking numbers are received instantly after the merchandise is sent, etc.

– You do not have enough time to process orders. Your costumers need to wait for order processing.

– As third-party sellers, you are getting penalties from Amazon, eBay, and other marketplaces for the reason that you are not shipping orders fast enough.

– Your company receiving negative reviews from your customers who shop online, because of slow service or erroneous orders processing.

What to do Next to integrate EDI and Salesforce

Integrating EDI with Salesforce, is a bit different from other types of integration projects, a company might go through. Due to the fact that EDI is very specific, it requires very specific expertise. Here are some of the important points to consider before going into EDI integration projects:

  • For EDI integration in general, work with an EDI provider, and NOT with VANS (Value Added Networks). VANs are more expensive and less into integration.
  • Make sure the EDI provider is “integration oriented”; meaning he is not only specialized in EDI, but in integration as a concept
  • Do NOT settle half-way with “file integration”, look for near “real-time” integration, directly into your system.
  • Do NOT settle with point-to-point integration”. Developing and “coding” integration points, is very expensive to maintain at long term.
  • Look for the best integration method: look for certified connectors from the manufacturer (salesforce).

Integrate EDI with Salesforce to drive your business

If you need more information or help in determining your need in EDI to Salesforce Integration, please contact our integration experts, and Feel free to request a free demonstration.

EDI Salesforce Integration

Salesforce integration and Magic xpi: Things you should know

Salesforce is a cloud CRM solution, designed to manage customer relationships, sales, and marketing. The company was founded in 1999 in San Francisco. At that time, the existing CRM systems were quite complicated to configure and expensive to operate, therefore, only large companies could afford a CRM system. The initial idea of Salesforce was to offer CRM in the “cloud” and sell the software through an annual subscription or lease model, computed per user of the software.

CRM IntegrationHelp: What is CRM?

CRM or Customer Relationship Management is a software system that allows your business to manage contacts, collaborate effectively, increase productivity & grow your business. It is based on the preservation and analysis of information to improve the marketing, service and business relations with your customers.

Why Salesforce?

Salesforce CRM is provided in a “software as a service” model (SaaS). Customers receive ready-made, ready to use CRM software application, fully serviced by the provider. Salesforce is accessible in a web-based interface on a Desktop, mobile or tablet. It is also accessible via mobile devices. This offers a great number of advantages to end-users in comparison with other traditional solutions.

When opting to Software as a service, end-users get the benefits of a reduced cost associated with the initial installation and continuous maintenance of the software.

Moreover, the SaaS model reduces to the maximum the upfront investment to acquire hardware equipments where the software should be installed, along with its continuing maintenance and support.

Add to the above, the convenience to be able to access and run the software application, from any device, browser or mobile application from anywhere in the world, since it is sitting in the cloud.

Who uses Salesforce?

Salesforce CRM is the ideal solution for small and medium businesses, as well as for large organizations. More than 150,000 customers of all sizes and various industries are connecting with their customers, partners, and employees with Salesforce’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.

Integration with Salesforce

Salesforce plays an important role within lots of companies of any size, however, it does not cover all the business processes an enterprise can have. Therefore, the enterprise will certainly have in place another software solutions (mainly ERP) deployed in the “cloud” or “on-premises”.

The ERP is mainly the main vehicle an enterprise uses to cover the main business processes (for example, inventory, pick, pack ship…); it is a very common scenario to find a company running a Salesforce instance in its Marketing and sales department, while running an Oracle JDE or SAP or Microsoft ERP, in the other departments.

The above scenario creates a delicate situation where the master data (i.e. customers, accounts, items, prospects…) are entered and maintained separately in each one of the software systems of the company, hence creating the need to “Orchestrate” and “integrate” data between all the above systems, in a safe and automatic manner.

What is Magic xpi?

Magic xpi and Salesforce IntegrationIn summary, Magic xpi is a code-free, low maintenance platform that maps your company’s data, automates your business processes and connects your apps, databases, APIs and more – all on a single platform. Magic xpi is a technology proprietary of Magic Software enterprises, a NASDAQ company, present in almost every country in the world with millions of users Worldwide.

Magic xpi certified connector for Salesforce

To soften the integration challenges and allow enterprises to orchestrate and integrate data between different dispersed systems, Magic Software (MSE) the manufacturer of “Magic xpi” integration platform, built a “Salesforce connector”.

This connector eases the integration with Salesforce by discovering the objects built within the application and allowing the user to build mapping between source and destination, visually with a simple drag and drop process, without the need for extensive development and programming skills.

Moreover, MSE went farther into certifying this connector with Salesforce themselves, to add to it the stamp and approval of Salesforce.

Salesforce API or Magic xpi?

The answer to this question is that using Magic xpi as a backend integration platform, will eliminate the need for point-to-point integration between Salesforce and any system or API.

Add to it, the agnostic nature of Magic xpi, makes any integration from Salesforce to any other system similar in nature: You always do things the same way, without any coding.

I invite my readers to click here in order to download Magic xpi product sheet, in order to know more about this great integration platform.

Improve your integration projects

If you need more information or help in determining your need in Salesforce Integration, please click on the below image to contact our integration team and feel free to request a free demonstration of Magic xpi platform integration with Salesforce.

Magic-xpi Integration Platform

 

 

 

 

Why EDI 846 is important to do business with big-box retailers

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Many vendors these days want their products to be sold at Big-box store  such as Target, Walmart, Home Depot or Costco. If you want your product on their shelf, you should be complying with their EDI requirements. EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is the standard electronic messaging between two business partners.

B2B Integration Matters to Business Success

connect-to-large-retails-with-EDI2XML

Nowadays, big box retailers work exclusively with companies that are capable of complying with their EDI requirements, and there is a good reason for it.

Large stores move a huge amount of goods, so all that they track in their inventory systems, must comply with a variety of requirements. This means that your inventory data must be properly formatted and transmitted on time and in accordance with their requirements.

Before starting EDI Integration, you must to identify the trading partners you want to do business with. The reason for this is that each trading partner you deal with, has his own unique requirements. One of the most popular EDI document in demand these days for big-box retailers is the EDI 846 Inventory Inquiry / Advice.

What is the EDI 846 and how is used?

Based on the ASC (Accredited Standards Committee) X12 format, the transaction set Inventory Inquiry/Advice (EDI 846) could include vendor number, products, and quantity in stock. 846 documents can be used by manufacturer or supplier in the following ways:

  • for a vendor of goods and services to provide inventory information to a prospective purchaser, with no obligation to the purchaser to acquire these goods or services;
  • for a seller’s representatives of goods and services to supply inventory information to that seller;
  • for one location to supply another location with inventory information;
  • for an inquiry as to the availability of inventory with no obligation on the seller of goods and services to reserve that inventory.

 Benefits of EDI 846

There are benefits of 846 Inventory Advice to both business partners as for the supplier and for the purchaser. Some of the benefits:

  • Enable the supplier to advise when product is out of stock or no longer being manufactured
  • Allows better management of manufacturing and logistics
  • Communicating to the purchaser when the item will be available again if out of stock
  • The purchaser is able to better plan warehouse and store ordering
  • Supports the ability to order non-stock items or make some special orders

How to send/receive an EDI 846?

For the most part, the transmission of EDI is carried out via the Internet or Value-Added network (VAN). To make EDI more accessible, today most of the EDI data is carried out via the Internet using AS2 or a secure FTP. This eliminates the need for expensive VANs. The file is protected by encryption to ensure data security.

 Need to know more about EDI? View our SlideShare Presentation on EDI in the Business World

Connect to large retailers with EDI2XML

Don’t miss your opportunities to trade with big chains, because of their requirements of EDI. Using our service, even small companies can get the opportunity to trade with large stores and send 846 documents.

Delegate EDI to a third party and focus on running your business. We are well-qualified EDI-as-a-Service provider and we produce results rapidly while avoiding common errors that can endanger business operations and trading partner relationships.

If you need EDI Integration, let us show you what our popular translation and communication service EDI2XML as a Service can do for your business. Don’t give up big retailers, Contact us today!

cta_edi2xml

Systems integration platform to improve business performance

This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.

Information Technology is developing at a fast pace. Many experts call IT the fastest-growing area of human activity. Systems and applications integration play an important role in the IT space, and has a significant impact on a company’s performance as well as the entire industrial and commercial sectors. This is why we have noticed a surge in companies’ interest when it comes to integration…

Key Takeaway:

  • Systems integration connects disconnected software systems and databases.
  • It improves data accuracy, automates processes, and boosts productivity.
  • Magic xpi is a proven no-code integration platform for ERP, CRM, and more.
  • Businesses using integration platforms make faster decisions and increase profitability.

What Is Systems Integration and How Does It Help Businesses?

According to Wikipedia: “System integration is defined in engineering as the process of bringing together the component sub-systems into one system (an aggregation of subsystems cooperating so that the system is able to deliver the overarching functionality)….”

But, it would be a mistake to consider that “system integration” is only the assembly of hardware and software tools together; the essence of the concept is much broader than that.

“System integration” is an activity to improve the efficiency of an enterprise, the decision-making process, and the quality of the information, through an automated process, where “heterogenous” systems can communicate and integrate to each other on a real-time basis.

Most companies in today’s business environment run lots of “heterogeneous” systems and software applications, where each one does not communicate with the other; this kind of environment, creates lots of inefficiencies, poor quality of information, which most of the time results in a reduction of profits, and delays in executive decisions.

Automated “systems integration”, comes into play in creating a “bridge”, where data flows between heterogenous systems, software applications, and databases in multiple directions, based on pre-defined business rules, as if the systems are totally “homogenous”

Why Do Modern Companies Need Systems Integration Today?

Companies are increasingly adopting software solutions and equipment to solve specific business needs, therefore adding new “standalone” applications and systems to their software management suite. Most of the time, those software solutions do not communicate natively to each other.

While adopting a specific software application (either cloud-based or on-premise) might satisfy a business need and solve a business issue, it will create at the other hand a series of new challenges such as :

  • Redundant data entry; most data already exist in another system.
  • Need to hire more staff to manage more systems
  • Open a door for more human errors when managing new systems.

The above challenges are relevant in any size company, be it small medium or large.

How Can Businesses Overcome Integration Challenges Without Coding?

To solve integration challenges, companies should not hesitate to embrace integration projects to synchronize and orchestrate software systems, databases, processes, and equipment.

To do so, companies should adopt a capable “integration platform” having the following properties:

  • Easy to use, drag and drop
  • No coding required
  • Quick to learn, develop and deploy
  • Easy debugging and simple errors tracking and handling
  • Multiple options for triggering and launching processes and flows
  • Capable of connecting to most of the databases commonly used in today’s marketplace
  • Capable of connecting to the branded software systems (i.e. SAP, Salesforce, Oracle, SugarCRM…) with certified connectors by the manufacturer
  • Have built-in generic API driven connectors for IoT projects
  • Extensible to go beyond the “out-of-the-box” where you can build your own connectors and drivers for specific proprietary solutions

Top 5 Benefits of Using a Systems Integration Platform

The benefits of implementing an API-driven solid integration that is capable of connecting to a wide range of business ecosystems, are valuable. Here are the to 5 benefits:

1. Real-Time data synchronization

Having a robust integration platform in charge of orchestrating ad synchronizing data and processes, eliminates the delays in data publication. The data is synchronized between different systems in a real-time basis without the need of any human intervention.

2. Quicker data processing

With an automated integration platform, capable of synchronizing data and trigger flows and processes efficiently based on rules and conditions, processing data becomes also real-time, which eliminates the needs of data extraction, transformation and load (ETL). No need for a separate ETL tool.

3. Improvement of employees’ productivity

Data synchronization and orchestration obviously eliminates lots of time and effort for employees to manage and feed/extract data into one system to another. Employees can focus on business related issues, where they can generate more revenues, rather than entering and manipulating data into “heterogenous” systems.

4. Quicker executive decision-making

Having a robust integration platform in place, with all the benefits identified above, company executives will be empowered with the capability to take quick decisions, and avoid the lengthy process of extracting data from different systems, and merging it together in order to build unified data sheet.

5. Increase in profitability

The above benefits put together will result in a considerable increase in the profitability of any company having heterogenous software systems and applications.

Magic xpi Integration Platform

9 Signs Your Company Needs a Systems Integration Solution

The following are the top signs in any company that will indicate an integration platform is required in order to improve business processes.

1- Your company has multiple software systems that are standalone, with no direct link between them

2- Your company has a mix of on-premise and cloud-based software solutions that are not connected

3- Employees spend considerable time on their day-to-day job to feed multiple systems

4- Your company has an eCommerce site that is managed separately from the internal ERP system

5- The IT department at the company is not capable of delivering reports and analytics on time

6- Unable to respond to business requirements from your clients, to deliver within 48 hours

7- Data is in great mismatch between systems and solutions, due to its redundancy

8- Lots of employees are working on building reports and data entry work

9- No visibility of the company’s equipment data and performance (i.e. production machines, cameras, field service data…)

Which Integration Platform Is Best for Your Business Needs?

For 25 years now, our company has been an official partner of Magic Software Enterprises Ltd. a global enterprise software company, delivering Magic xpi, a fully reliable SOA, API-driven integration platform for all connectivity needs. Magic xpi Business Integration Platform delivers enterprise-grade integration, business process automation, and data synchronization solutions, with comprehensive security and proven reliability. Implementing a wide range of certified and optimized connectors and adaptors, Magic xpi integrates leading ERP, CRM, finance, and other enterprise systems, such as SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, Microsoft, IBM, Google, and many more.

Looking for Integration Solutions? Contact Us Today

FAQ: Systems Integration for Modern Businesses

1. What is the difference between systems integration and data migration?

Systems integration connects multiple systems to work together in real time, while data migration is a one-time process of moving data from one system to another. Integration is continuous and dynamic; migration is static and transitional.

2. Can systems integration improve cybersecurity?

Yes. A well-implemented integration platform can centralize access control, reduce data silos, and monitor data flows, which helps identify anomalies and prevent breaches more effectively.

3. How does systems integration support digital transformation?

Systems integration is a core enabler of digital transformation, allowing businesses to automate processes, unify data sources, and adopt new technologies (like IoT and AI) without disrupting existing infrastructure.

4. Is systems integration only for large enterprises?

No. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) benefit significantly from integration by reducing manual work, improving data accuracy, and scaling operations efficiently — often with no-code platforms that don’t require IT teams.

5. What industries benefit most from systems integration?

Industries with complex operations and multiple software systems benefit most, including:

  • Manufacturing (machine data + ERP)
  • Retail & eCommerce (inventory + CRM + website)
  • Logistics (fleet tracking + warehouse systems)
  • Healthcare (patient records + billing + scheduling)
  • Finance (CRM + accounting + compliance tools)

6. How long does it take to implement an integration platform?

Implementation time depends on the complexity of systems and business rules. With platforms like Magic xpi, many integrations can be deployed in days or weeks, especially when using pre-built connectors.

7. What is the role of APIs in systems integration?

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are the communication bridges between systems. They allow platforms to exchange data securely and efficiently, making API-driven integration the most flexible and scalable approach.

8. Can systems integration help with compliance and reporting?

Absolutely. Integration ensures data consistency across systems, which simplifies regulatory reporting, audit trails, and compliance with standards like GDPR, HIPAA, or ISO.

9. What happens if one system fails in an integrated environment?

Robust integration platforms include error handling, logging, and fallback mechanisms. They can isolate failures, retry operations, or alert administrators — ensuring minimal disruption.

Free-It-consultation

EDI compliance and integration with Burlington Coat Factory

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This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.

Company Overview of Burlington Coat Factory

Burlington Coat Factory is an American national off-price department store retailer and a division of Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation. The company operated 592 stores located in 45 states and Puerto Rico, inclusive of an internet store and has approximately 40 000 employees.

As per the company’s website, the first store was opened in Burlington, New Jersey in 1972, selling principally coats and outerwear.  Since then company diversified product categories by offering an extensive selection fashion-focused, labeled merchandise acquired directly from nationally recognized manufacturers and other suppliers.

Burlington Coat Factory EDI Standards

For all communications with their suppliers, Burlington Coat Factory use Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) including purchase orders, Advance Ship Notices (ASN), Invoices etc. The company is on EDI X12 v4010 standard.

Burlington Coat Factory EDI Specification

850 Purchase Order

Burlington Coat Factory sends 850 Purchase Orders via EDI, to inform their seller of a product request. A Purchase order 850 may be used to provide distribution requirements for receiving location(s), such as cross-dock, drop-ship, or direct to consumer as would be the case for the Burlington online store.

For each 850 Purchase Order, they indicate a purchase order number, a P/O date, the location of the ship to, provide a delivery time and product pricing.

856 Ship Notice/Manifest

Burlington Stores requires their seller to send an 856 Ship Notice/Manifest via EDI, to be advised of shipment information. The 856 transactions, includes order information, description of goods, types of packaging used, carrier information and more.

For a single purchase order, there can be or more shipments which would be followed by one or more 856 ASN Advance Ship Notice and possibly one or more 810 Invoices.

810 Invoice

The suppliers of Burlington Coat Factory have to comply with X12 810 Invoice to bill Burlington for products and services shipped to their stores.

Using an EDI 810 Invoice, permits Burlington to register payment-request information and update automatically their appropriate systems. The information included in the Invoice 810 provides automated cross-referencing of a purchase order and receiving information. This process is executed without manual intervention, thus eliminating further data entry.

824 Application Advice

Burlington Stores send 824 Application Advice via EDI, to notify the acceptance, rejection or acceptance with change of a trading partner’s transaction. The 824 transaction set contains information such as quantity and monetary amounts, dates, reference numbers, it also provides trading partner information, technical error descriptions in free-form text format.

852 Product Activity

The EDI message 852 Product Activity sent by Burlington to transmit product sales by location to the supplier. These messages inform a supplier about the items sold and items on hand at a store and its level. Burlington sends the EDI 852 message on a scheduled basis (e.g., weekly on Mondays) for input to a vendor’s sales and inventory management system.

997 Functional Acknowledgment

997 Functional Acknowledgment is required by Burlington, when sending or receiving EDI transactions. 997s, are an indication that a trading partner has successfully received a well-formed EDI message. The message Functional Acknowledgments 997 generated automatically for transmission back to the sending party.

Becoming EDI compliant with Burlington Coat Factory

EDI2XML offers full EDI integration with Burlington Coat Factory. From A to Z, a customer’s EDI requirements are handled by our team of EDI experts. We take care of EDI mapping, Trading Partner configuration, Standards maintenance, XML/CSV/TXT translation etc.

For more information Download our EDI2XML Translation Service Pricing Package here 

EDI2XML pricing packages

EDI converter: Benefits of converting between EDI and XML

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This post was updated  to reflect current trends and information.

 

Overview of EDI

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) – standardized message formats for the transfer of commercial information between business partners. The two most common documents exchanged using EDI are purchase orders (EDI 850) and invoices (EDI 810). To transfer the EDI data, companies are often using the Internet or VANs (Value Added Networks). EDIFACT is the most popular EDI standard in Europe and ANSI X12 is in active use in North America. In the global  supply chain,  the GS1 EDI  set of standards are predominant. In brief, EDI allows companies to communicate business and commercial information quickly and efficiently.

Read: What is EDI? (A technical introduction to EDI)

Understanding XML

 XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a markup language that allows to standardize the data, in the form of text easily understood by users and computers. In other words, XML is a simple and flexible text format designed to meet the needs of electronic publishing.

XML has two main tasks:

  1. Provide a description of the data structure.
  2. Provide a common syntax for all other specifications.

Thus, XML does not specify how to display a document, it only describes its structure and content.

XML created in 1996 by W3C (World Wide Web Consortium); it is a subclass of the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML). XML was conceived to be a flexible format, at the same time as a formal metalanguage for use on the Internet. One of XML’s primary applications was in handling B2B and B2C data interchange.

From the beginning of XML implementation, its advantages over EDI were obvious. Simple and self-descriptive, structured, support of multi-lingual and Unicode (very important for international EDI transaction).

What is EDI2XML?

EDI2XML is a technology to transform incoming EDI documents (X12 EDI files) into XML. At the same time, converting an XML document to EDI X12 format. This process of converting edi to xml is due to the fact that our company took the time to create predefined xml schemas (xsd files) that respond to the business needs of almost 100 % of EDI consumers.

Read: How does EDI2XML work?

EDI2XML converter

The fact that we have over 20 years of experience in converting X12 EDI to XML gives us a competitive advantage over other EDI developers. We have already successfully implemented this converter in many companies of different sizes from various industries. We also helped IT consultants use EDI2XML in their EDI integration projects.

EDI2XML as a Service is our popular translation and communication service. All conversions of EDI files are done on our end, leaving customers with no on-site installation of software or hardware and an EDI project that is on time and within budget.

Read: EDI Integration of B2B e-commerce for small companies

If you would like to know more about the plans offered for EDI2XML (Free EDI Consultation), or would like to see it in action (live Demo), please do not hesitate to contact us.

Free Guide Intro to EDI

Related Posts:

Electronic Data Interchange: Key Information You Need to Know
ANSI ASC X12 Standards Overview
What Are the Differences Between ANSI X12 and UN/EDIFACT
A technical introduction to EDI

Bed Bath & Beyond EDI Integration, Compliance and Implementation

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This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.

Bed Bath & Beyond – Company Overview

Founded in 1971 Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.  is an American-owned omnichannel retailer offering a vast selection of high-quality domestic’s merchandise and home furnishings.

Bed Bath & Beyond (BBB) has an e-commerce platform consisting of various websites and applications. The Company also operates established retail stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico. As of 2021, the company has a total of 1 020 stores and 55 000 employees.

Bed Bath & Beyond purchases its merchandise from 10 800 suppliers, 85% of such purchases are provided by small and medium-sized enterprises. The company’s 10 largest suppliers accounting for only 15% of purchases.

BBB faces growing competition from online stores, such as Amazon. To strengthen its presence on Internet, Company makes acquisitions such as Decorist an online interior design platform. One Kings Lane Inc. – an online home goods retailer which offers an extensive collection of designers. PersonalizationMall.com – online seller of personalized gifts. Of a Kind, is an e-commerce website that offers limited edition items from emerging fashion and home designers.

Bed Bath & Beyond EDI Compliance

To be among the Bed Bath & Beyond suppliers, you must be able to send and receive documents electronically in accordance with x12 EDI standards.

As a supplier of Bed Bath & Beyond your company may be required to exchange the following EDI business document types:

At any time, we can add additional Bed Bath and Beyond compliant EDI transactions at a customer’s request.

Check up our EDI Document Library

EDI Service Providers for Small Business

EDI2XML offers EDI integration with Bed Bath and Beyond to allow businesses of all sizes to become Bed Bath and Beyond EDI compliant.

Even small companies can trade with Bed Bath & Beyond using our EDI2XML Translation Service. Our services cover all:
  • EDI Mapping
  • Partner Configuration
  • Translation Processing
  • Standards Maintenance
  • XML Translation
  • EDI communication with Trading Partners, etc.

We also work with your team to easily integrate your EDI process with all major ERP systems.

Read: Convert EDI to XML: The Winning SaaS Option

Best EDI for Small Business

With our EDI converter, B2B companies have the ability to exchange essential business documents via EDI without hiring in-house EDI/IT personnel. Our EDI2XML Translation Service is the best EDI solution for B2B. This service is great for any business looking to implement EDI at an affordable price, without any headaches.

If you’re looking to complete an EDI project, Contact us today for your  FREE consultation to evaluate your EDI project.
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A must-have guide for a successful systems integration with EDI

The concept of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is still very abstract for a business owner up until today. More often, as soon as an SME (small to medium-sized enterprise) is requested by an important partner to comply with the electronic data interchange process or do EDI, everyone gets into a big pig panic inside the enterprise, and all reinforcements are being called to help with such a project.

Why EDI Integration Projects Often Turn Into a Headache

Large retail chains are critical customers for many small and medium-sized businesses. Complying with their requirements isn’t optional—it can make or break a partnership. And since these retailers communicate almost exclusively through EDI, integrating it correctly is non-negotiable.

Yet many companies underestimate what it takes. Diving into EDI integration without a clear understanding of your own processes and specific business needs often leads to delays, errors, and frustration. In short: without proper planning, EDI projects can quickly become a nightmare.

Recommendations and Steps for a Successful Integration

EDI technology can have a bigger impact on a company’s business processes than almost any other IT solution. That’s why EDI integration projects need to be carefully planned and executed, following a clear, structured approach.

Here are the key steps to ensure a smooth and successful integration:

Step 1: Preparation of an EDI implementation team

It is essential that senior management be involved in any EDI integration project and implementation, at least at a high level.

Ideally, the EDI implementation team should include representatives from different departments, such as operations management, sales, and information services.

It is important for the team to design together a good flow of information, so everyone understands the issues, the scope, and the benefits of the project. A project manager should be assigned to take charge of such a mandate.

Step 2: Setting a project timeline

The implementation team should set an ETA and develop a plan with a complete list of tasks, resources required, and delivery estimates.

Step 3: Choice of standards

While the choice of standard of EDI format and communication protocols is very limited, this phase consists on just reviewing and making sure all specs and documentations are in place for the kick-off.

Step 4: Choice of documents for EDI transaction

Often, trading partners specify the EDI standard and the type of documents they will send or accept. Sometimes partners use only a few of the possible documents such an Invoice EDI 810 form and purchase orders EDI 850 form.

Step 5: “On premises” or “cloud” based or EDI Web Sevice?

There are many ways to do EDI. It is depending of the anticipated transaction volume, or the size of the business. Going with a software solution deployed “on-premises” or adopting a “cloud based software” or maybe EDI Web Service

♦ The Cloud-based EDI Service is an excellent solution for Small and Medium-sized enterprises that do not have a budget for large EDI projects, and who do not have experienced staff with EDI exchange.

USEFUL: Learn more about EDI Solution as a Service for SMEs 

♦ The other way to get the most out of EDI, is by adopting a full EDI integration with your internal software management system like your ERP, CRM etc.

♦ EDI2XML Web Service, is for developers and businesses, interested in building their own EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) integration flows and programs. Normally, these individuals, are capable of interacting with external API and Web Services to translate EDI to XML and XML to EDI, and have the resources and expertise to work with Web Services and HTTP requests in order to achieve their goals. EDI2XML web service, is the premier choice for IT people as a reliable service to accomplish such integration projects.

Step 6: File Integration or direct system integration

When it comes to integration, the implementation should be decisive on how the integration to their CRM/ERP is going to happen: there are (2) methods to do such an integration; either through file integration, Where the ERP has already some built-in jobs to import data based on specific format, or direct integration. Obviously, this decision is also dependent on whether the software management system is a legacy system or a modern one, fully loaded with all kinds of API and programming interfaces. This part can be the most difficult and lengthy part, unlike what most people think…

Step 7: Integration project testing

Pilot projects are conducted both within the company and with external business partners. EDI test should be of a specified duration. They will help identify possible loopholes and establish a problem-solving plan. Technical employees should be trained in the technical aspects of EDI.

Step 8: Setting up

The implementation of the EDI system must be combined with several factors in order to be successful: adequate users training, proper implementation plan, and establishment of an emergency procedure.

For small to medium-sized enterprises, EDI integration is a good deal. An Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) capable enterprise retains an important customer or supplier and have a lot of opportunities to enter into new contracts with large companies.

For many years, our EDI2XML service has been offering up-to-date integrated solutions at an affordable cost. We have been helping companies of all sizes, to optimize operations and improve their competitiveness.

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What is EDI 846 document?

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This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.

What is EDI 846 Document?

One of the most important electronic EDI documents heavily exchanged between trading partners is the 846 X12 document. It is important mainly due to the evolution of the drop-shipping business that saw a great advancement in the last few years, because of eCommerce and online sales.

The EDI 846 document, also known as the Inventory Inquiry/Advice transaction set, is used in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to provide inventory information between trading partners in the context of e-commerce. This transaction set is commonly employed in the retail industry to facilitate the exchange of inventory details.

What is EDI 846

This EDI document originates from the paper-based “inventory inquiry and advice”. Basically, it is a notification sent by the manufacturer to the seller, advising about stock status and availability. It can also include pricing information. In other words, this EDI message is to exchange information about stock levels and the availability of goods.

For e-commerce, it is very important to have up-to-date information about the availability of goods. That is why one of the major EDI requirements for Amazon, is the capability of the supplier to transmit an EDI 846 Inventory Inquiry message. This is not only a requirement for Amazon exclusively; Other leading retailers such as Cabela’s, Wal-Mart, Costco … all have the same EDI requirement, to be able to feed their e-commerce platform with quality inventory status information.

The EDI 846 document can be sent to business partners, as many times as necessary. It can be 2-3 times a week, up to several times a day; each retailer has his own requirements. EDI 846 Inventory Inquiry/Advice permits suppliers to provide trading partners with information about their products without forcing them to make a purchase. In addition, the EDI 846 transaction is often used to notify business partners about the availability of goods at discounted prices.

EDI 846 Inventory Inquiry and Advice Usage

The other obvious question about 846: who uses this EDI 846 message other than Amazon and the major eCommerce retailers?
The truth is that not only eCommerce retailers can use this EDI transaction and exchange 846 documents. All trading partners can agree to use it to exchange inventory availability and stock level. Some examples:

  • sellers to provide inventory information to a potential customer
  • seller’s representatives to supply the seller with inventory information
  • one seller’s location to give another location inventory information
  • seller to demand the availability of inventory

Diverse Applications of the EDI 846 Transaction Set in Varied Industries and Business Scenarios

The EDI 846 Inventory Inquiry/Advice transaction, has varied usage across different industries and business scenarios. Its primary purpose is to provide detailed information about the current inventory levels of a product at a specific location, typically a warehouse or distribution center. This information is crucial for effective supply chain management and helps trading partners optimize their inventory levels and order fulfillment processes.

Here are some of the varied uses of EDI 846:

  1. Inventory Replenishment: Retailers and suppliers use the EDI 846 to communicate current inventory levels and forecast demand. This helps in making timely decisions regarding inventory replenishment and avoiding stockouts.
  2. Order Planning: The information exchanged through EDI 846 aids in order planning by providing insights into product availability. Retailers can adjust their order quantities based on the actual inventory levels at the supplier’s end.
  3. Demand Forecasting: By analyzing historical inventory data provided through EDI 846, businesses can better forecast future demand for products. This can lead to more accurate production and procurement planning.
  4. Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI): In VMI arrangements, suppliers use EDI 846 to monitor and manage the inventory levels at their customers’ locations. This collaborative approach helps in maintaining optimal stock levels and reducing carrying costs.
  5. Supply Chain Optimization: The use of EDI 846 contributes to overall supply chain optimization by enhancing communication and collaboration between trading partners. It streamlines the flow of information related to inventory, reducing manual processes and improving efficiency.
  6. E-commerce Integration: In the context of e-commerce, EDI 846 plays a role in updating online product availability and supporting real-time inventory visibility for customers. This is important for online retailers and marketplaces to provide accurate information to customers about product availability.

Overall, the varied usage of EDI 846 reflects its importance in facilitating efficient inventory management, enhancing collaboration between trading partners, and improving the overall supply chain performance.

What Information Does the EDI 846 Document Transmit?

In the EDI 846 transmission, inventory location identification, item, and part description, and quantity are the basic information included in almost any EDI 846 document; however, additional information can be added such as:

  • Quantity forecasted
  • Quantity sold already
  • Quantity available in stock
  • Pricing information
sample-edi-846

With EDI 846 online stores optimize their deliveries. They do not need to enter data manually into their internal systems, such as ERP  or back-office of their stores. It gives an accurate information to online shoppers about the availability of stock, in a real-time mode. Moreover, it does reduce the administration fees and expenses to process orders and items bought by consumers, while having no stock.

What are the Benefits of Using the EDI X12 846 Inventory Inquiry/Advice?

The EDI X12 846 Inventory Inquiry/Advice transaction set provides several benefits for businesses that use it. Here are some of the key benefits:

1. Improved inventory management: The 846 transaction set provides real-time updates on inventory levels and enables businesses to quickly identify inventory shortages or excesses. This helps businesses to optimize their inventory levels, reduce carrying costs, and avoid stockouts.

2. Increased efficiency: The use of EDI eliminates the need for manual data entry and reduces the risk of errors. This can result in faster order processing times, reduced labor costs, and improved accuracy.

3. Enhanced collaboration: The 846 transaction set allows for seamless communication between trading partners and provides a standardized format for inventory information. This makes it easier for businesses to collaborate with their partners and share inventory data consistently and efficiently.

4. Better decision-making: By having access to real-time inventory data, businesses can make better decisions about when to reorder products, how much to order, and where to allocate inventory. This can help businesses to reduce inventory holding costs, improve customer satisfaction, and increase profitability.

5. Competitive advantage: By using the 846 transaction set, businesses can differentiate themselves from their competitors by offering faster, more accurate inventory information to their customers. This can help businesses to attract and retain customers, increase customer loyalty, and gain a competitive edge in the marketplace.

For more information about how edi2xml fully managed services or web service can help you set up your EDI 846 Inventory Inquiry/Advice with your trading partners, please contact us.

Free EDI Consultation EDI 846

Related Posts:

Inventory management and forecast sales using INVRPT, SLSRPT, and SLSFCT
All you need to know about EDI ANSI X12 Transaction Set 850 Purchase Order
How EDI can speed the receiving of goods in a warehouse
What is EDI2XML Managed Services?
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