When BPL Plasma, a leading health services provider, implemented its Microsoft Dynamics NAV business system, they knew that their supply chain technology was still missing a link. Without EDI integration, BPL’s team had to save each sales order as a PDF, and then email the orders to each supplier by hand. In addition to being time-consuming, this process also increased the potential for errors in document tracking and acknowledgment procedures, which poses significant obstacles to successful order processing.
The challenge faced by BPL is one familiar to many of the companies we speak to every day. As consumer demands on delivery continue to rise, businesses are looking for any way to reduce manual efforts and accelerate order processing. Even with advanced ERPs like Microsoft Dynamics NAV, the process of manually entering sales data from customers or suppliers into the business system can still take time and resources that today’s businesses simply can’t spare.
Automated Order Processing
So how can businesses circumvent painfully slow rekeying, while reducing errors? For Innovia’s NAV customers, TrueCommerce offers a remedy via automated order processing.
By integrating EDI directly into your existing NAV system, the solution enables business users to automate key steps in the order fulfillment process. For example, when a sales or purchase order is received, the data is automatically sent to NAV, triggering the production of outbound invoices, order acknowledgments, and ASNs. By automating “one” step, you’ve actually automated multiple operations, while ensuring data consistency between inbound and outbound documents. Plus, with built-in validation and verification, that consistent data is also sure to be complete, correct, and compliant.
With less effort spent typing orders or dealing with typo-induced delays and chargebacks, businesses are “getting back” more than just time. While internal resources are reallocated, giving an extra boost to other parts of the fulfillment process such as picking and packing, EDI managers can subsequently spend their time assessing higher-level supply chain strategies and finding even more ways to scale.
One Place for Your Data
Another benefit of integrated EDI? Fewer windows open on your computer. While many EDI vendors require separate portals for managing EDI transactions, TrueCommerce for Microsoft Dynamics NAV eliminates even this small extra effort with an embedded NAV user experience. NAV users can monitor and control transactions without leaving their business system, even setting triggers or schedules for data transmission that reduce the time spent checking for incoming invoices and executing on recurring orders.
EDI serves as a bridge between customer communications and Microsoft Dynamics NAV processes. And when Innovia customers use EDI for NAV, the advantages are doubled; not only do they enjoy enhanced automation, but they also have access to Innovia’s NAV expertise on everything from upgrades to custom reporting.
Conclusion
In the end, the true benefit of automation and integration is the ability to deliver on your customer promise quickly and accurately. With integrated EDI for Microsoft Dynamics NAV from TrueCommerce, in partnership with Innovia, you can exceed customer expectations, even as order volumes increase, supply chains become more complex, and delivery timeframes shrink. As BPL Plasma’s Senior NAV Analyst put it, “we upload it and it’s done.”
