Sowing Seeds of Success with the UK Agricultural Industry
AdvanceFirst Technologies are proud to be working with one of the UK’s leading Agricultural retail organisations to modernise and automate its communication links with supply chain partners.
With an expansive supply chain, the client recognised the strategic need to create closer, more collaborative links with the objective of seamlessly sharing data electronically and automating processes through the use and deployment of EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) technologies.
Although already part way down that track with another EDI provider, they sought better, more agile solutions with a company more responsive to their growing needs and able to provide a range of EDI based solutions to suit the varying technical requirements of their business partners. A company that could provide them with a solution (both people and technology) capable of enabling real strategic benefits rather than just the obvious cost savings. By this we mean more collaborative ways of working together. Without achieving a minimum of 70% digitalisation, the benefits remain more in the area of operational cost savings. AdvanceFirst excels in assisting its clients achieve high levels of supply chain digitalisation.
After considering a number of alternatives, the Client selected AdvanceFirst as their strategic EDI Managed services partner. Following an initial period of consultation, AdvanceFirst identified a programme of strategic initiatives and business solutions where EDI technology would have the most immediate impact and drive value to both the Client and its supply chain partners. These included:
Drop Ship
A “must have” solution to conform with rapidly evolving trading dynamics where fulfilment excellence is absolutely key to success. Closer, integrated EDI links with key suppliers has enabled the Client to extend the number of products they offer for sale whilst avoiding unnecessary overheads in holding and managing additional inventory. With an EDI based Drop Ship programme in place, key suppliers are now able to deliver goods directly to the Client’s customers, speeding up the fulfilment process and meeting customer expectations on fulfilment excellence.
Goods Inward Processing
As an extension to standard EDI processes, a solution was developed to automate the message flows between the Client and such its suppliers to improve the efficiency of goods received, saving considerable time and costs, as well as reducing the cost of invoice resolution.
Sales Order Cycle Messaging
EDI also provides the Client with the means to issue electronic orders to its wider supplier base in either a generic XML based data format or in the formats required by their supplier’s back-end IT systems and, equally, to receive electronic response messages back from the suppliers including Order Confirmations, Advance Shipment Notifications (ASNs), Delivery Notes, Invoices, Credits and Inventory Reports.
Process intelligence and data validation logic built into the messaging solutions provided by AdvanceFirst further benefits the Client by checking and ensuring data integrity and for automating the invoice matching process. Invoices are now exchanged electronically via EDI, saving the costs of having them translated from PDF formats and eliminating the inevitable errors which occur when manually re-keying data.
Integrated EDI links with Suppliers
Through EDI, the Client now has a single method for sending purchase orders and receiving invoices with their entire Supplier base. The solutions provided by AdvanceFirst include both fully integrated EDI connections and a web/forms-based solution for less technically able partners.
The Client acknowledges the solutions AdvanceFirst have created for them coupled with the dedicated service they receive have had a significant impact to their business. The solutions provided cover all aspects of their electronic trading needs, including a low-cost web-based solution for the smaller suppliers, which has enabled them to have a fully connected network, reduced operational costs, improved accuracy and provided higher service levels to their customers.
In summary, a retailer adopting EDI and exploiting it to its full extent with an EDI provider who is both commercially aware as well as technically competent will derive benefits that are essential to maintaining a competitive edge. The benefits to suppliers are equally significant, providing the opportunity to reduce administrative overheads, reducing cost-to-serve and creating closer, collaborative links with their own suppliers.