DCS Helps Automate to EDI

EDI Challenge

This DCS Customer wished to improve by automating and deepening its EDI processes. They faced fixed prices, gradually increasing operating costs, and greater demands from customers’ buyers. Leveraging their existing JD Edwards World™ Software v. 8.9 and GXS Trusted Link™ for the IBM System i™; they hoped to save development costs and smooth order processing processes. EDI is important as over 35% of customer orders arrive by EDI, so the EDI system needed to be implemented with no disruption to the ongoing business document (data) flow.

The DCS Solution

DCS helped by providing in-depth TLi mapping and by setting JD Edwards EDI gateway pointers and business rules. This was more than a technical challenge due to the nature of the chemical business. Product is sold by pound or volume, but shipped in varying containers. The unit price problem also affected promotional discounts and special handling charges (in the SAC segment).

Knotty technical challenges included:

  • Setting FTP connections between multiple Systme i at head quarters and remote distribution centers
  • Setting the DDM re-set to F47 logical files.
  • Upgrading Trusted Link and using the new GXS Mapper™ integration tool
  • Archiving off the old TLi system and inactive Customers, Maps, and Scripts.

After the integration of the INbound PO (850), the OUTbound PO Acknowledgement (855), the Shipment Notice (ASN, 856), the Invoice (810), and the INbound Remittance Advice (820); DCS tested with the first few customers; and then provided assistance as the customer learned how to test and revise maps themselves. At the conclusion of the project, about 10 trading partners were fully automated and training of sales representatives was about to begin.

The Result

The goal of EDI process automation was achieved. It was done economically over the course of several months as time permitted and to avoid disruptions with key customers. The secondary goal of gaining a competitive advantage occurred soon after. Their GXSTrusted Link EDI and JDEdwards ERP systems are working smoothly together to save countless hours of data entry time. Today they are self-reliant, yet have DCS at hand for rapid response production support.

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