Introduction
A wine making DCS customer may sell only to select distributors in each state due to federal alcohol regulations. Orders are viewed by EDI.
SAP Internet Documents (IDoc™) and GXS’ TrustedLink™ for the IBM System i™ had to be tightly integrated. This means TLi users upgrading to SAP do not have to purchase a new EDI system. DCS provided the expertise to guide the project, help them become self-reliant, and provided some mapping expertise.
Overview
A DCS customer’s Inbound Customer Sales Orders (850) needed to be integrated into SAP on an AS/400. The problem was to learn and implement TLI and the SAP module for a clean integration.
Customer orders for this from distributors need to be processed quickly and efficiently. Each distributor’s EDI requirements were slightly different so a comprehensive map between SAP IDocs and TLi for EDI was needed. This means that subsequent customization will be minimal. Integration with SAP assures that documents move directly into IDocs without additional steps.
A key step was in providing training in EDI concepts, TLi mapping and operations, and the IDoc Module configuration. A complete test environment was set-up and then replicated for production. Three days of map training resulted in the completion of the maps needed for their current partners.
Another key step was to implement direct and secure AS2 communications, avoiding VAN charges using GXS’ secure link. EDI documents as well as IDocs are received from other partners and routed directly to SAP.
Result
The DCS EDI Consultant and the users jointly solved this challenge with GXS’ suite of e-commerce products. This DCS customer now has sound EDI capabilities and is self-reliant as new requirements and customer demands arise. As a plus, the new processes take fewer people to process and monitor. DCS EDI Specialists with extensive knowledge of SAP and TLi kept the cost lower due to experience with technical challenges. DCS continues to be available for same day support when needed.