EDI Process Automation Boosts Producers Profits

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DCS has compiled a list of energy companies that are currently EDI-active. View our list to see if any of these companies are a key customer of yours. Contact Data Communication Solutions (DCS) today and we can ask the company’s I.T. department (not the buyer) for their EDI guidelines to get the process started.

As an OAGi member, DCS knows your industry and it’s specific requirements. We bring you the most up-to-date knowledge with our weekly blog post, best paired with our years of experience.

Evolution Happens, Adaptation is Piecemeal

Process automation has proven itself as a long-term cost controller for product movement, bills of lading, delivery tickets, price notification, and invoicing. Yet, many know processes can be further optimized. The next step is the automation of lower volume documents such as field tickets or moving away from pricey EDI networks to secure Internet (AS2) data exchange.

It is likely that your business application now has modules that help you boost process automation.  These modules speed reporting of upstream data such as inventory reports and downstream data such as royalty payments.   Second, many purchasing modules now automate the killer document, the inbound P.O. Acknowledgement (Confirmation) warning of short-shipments, late shipments and surprise price increases. The modules are effective and economical because they link to distributors and vendors using the API’s Petroleum Industry Data Exchange standards.

During the past decade, the glory of XML and Internet has dimmed due to the time intensiveness of data definition. This intensity has resulted in standardization so now the time needed to launch is less.  For example, there are .xsd’s for Field Tickets and Pipeline Nominations.  The EDI and XML standards posted by PIDX, NAESB, PIPENET, GRADE, WODEX, and others now have implementation protocols and clearly defined code sets.  This meant the integration project is shorter.

With standards laid out by the Petroleum Industry Data Exchange (PIDX), the Electronic Commerce Committee of the American Petroleum Institute (API), XML Schema files are still recommended for:

  • Pipeline Nomination Change
  • Pipeline Nomination Create
  • Pipeline Response
  • Pipeline Schedule

By adopting the PIDX standards, integration projects become more predictable in length and technology needed to implement. The standards allow you to know what others have done in your industry so that you might look to the next step of automating your EDI process. EDI isn’t going anywhere and has become a driving force since it allows your company to share resources for greater productivity while maximizing efficiency, especially when it comes to cooperating with suppliers.

EDI integration and development must honor your time proven processes and yet offer cost savings for reliability and economy. DCS can help you plan: we know the return as well as the cost. Your first step is to have DCS give you a no-cost assessment.