What is Electronic Data (EDI) Software?

EDI software is a solution that helps to facilitate the electronic sharing of data between companies or businesses. An EDI software is used to transfer documents between business partners. The EDI software extracts information from an ERP system based on your data selection and translates it to a standardized format for the recipient to access the data.

EDI Software is a software that is developed to offer a secure connection between two or more remote desktops. EDI is used to transmit business documents between different corporations or organizations.

An EDI software helps to ensure that sensitive data are well protected while they are being sent or transferred. It helps to speed up the transfer and reduces possible human errors. You can also use this software to schedule and automate data transfer.

Companies and corporations now employ the use of EDI software to eliminate the need for email, fax, and postal mail. All these methods are not effective and can be delayed. Edi software is integrated with tools that can collect data from different sources either in the cloud or on-premise.

Advantages of EDI Software

The following are some of the many benefits that an EDI software can offer;

  • Fast Business Transactions: It is faster to send and receive documents via EDI and as a result, transactions are done and completed in a shorter time as compared to when they are done over fax or email.
  • Little Human Error: With the use of EDI software, human errors are reduced to the barest minimum. Also, documents and transactions wouldn’t be manipulated easily when done with EDI.
  • Reduced Costs: The costs associated with document creation and management are eliminated or reduced when you use EDI software. With EDI, you don’t need to print documents or source for papers or envelopes for packaging of messages.
  • Improves Productivity and Efficiency: Using EDI software helps to improve efficiency in your workflow and your team members can focus on the most important aspects of work.
  • EDI helps to improves Customer and supplier relationships.
  • It helps to minimize your Value-Added Network (VAN).
  • It enhances your visibility and helps to increase your Returns on Investment (ROI).  

Features to Look out for in EDI Software

Here is a list of what you are to look out for in EDI software;

  • Make sure it is compatible with EDI standards.
  • It should be able to support different EDI documents.
  • It should be able to support all EDI protocols.
  • It should be able to offer EDI mapping and translation.
  • It should possess an easy onboarding process.
  • It should be able to integrate seamlessly with third-party tools.
  • It should be able to carry out data analysis efficiently.

What is the Best Electronic Data Interchange Software (EDI)?

The best EDI software should be able to secure ensure the exchange of documents between two companies and should be able to offer project management tools that automate the entire transmission process.

Let’s take a look at some of the best EDI software that you can get today.

#1 Cleo Integration Cloud 

This is a cloud-based Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) software that is designed to connect businesses to achieve a seamless integration on both ends. It comes with different pre-designed templates, partner profiles, and connectors to easily capture revenue.

One great thing about Cleo Integration Cloud is that it operates to sync with your business so that you can get the best result. You can use this software to monitor and manage invoices, transactions, and shipments in real-time.  

You can customize your dashboards for easy access to business and technical insights. It helps with Exception management that will help you identify, pinpoint risks, problems, and correct errors. You can automate your entire work process using Cleo and it can be used in other businesses sectors such as transportation, logistics, and manufacturing.

The key features that you will find in Cleo Integration Cloud include the following;

  • It allows seamless integrations over communications protocols such as SFTP and AS2.
  • It can help you manage, track, and share issue status.
  • You can customize your dashboard to sync with your business needs.
  • Using Cleo Integration Cloud to automate your workflow reduces manual errors and saves you time.
  • It can process data in formats such as EDIFACT, JSON, XML, Tradacoms EDI, and ANSI X12.
  • it makes your search easy by filtering options available.
  • It can help with data transformation so that the data format of the source can match its destination.
  • It can easily integrate with communication protocols such as SFTP and AS2.
  • It easily integrates with other applications.
  • It offers your business visibility in real-time.

>>MORE: Best Code Editing Software

#2 TrueCommerce EDI 

This EDI is most appropriate for boosting connectivity within sales channels. TrueCommerce EDI helps you carry out businesses across the globe by connecting your brand over the supply chain. It connects you automatically to marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, so that you can have more visibility from around the world.

With TrueCommerce, you can enhance transaction transparency, streamline your order fulfillment, and you can reduce the order-to-cycle (OTC) as well. You can verify all documents automatically to reduce processing time and manual cost.

You can integrate TrueCommerce with multiple channels to eliminate errors due to manual data entry, and increase accuracy. It can easily integrate with applications such as Acumatica, Microsoft Dynamics, QuickBooks, SAP, Sage, Oracle, and Oracle NetSuite among others.

This platform gives you access to reporting and analysis of your business inventories in real-time. You can even exchange data with your partners who are not on the EDI platform. TrueCommerce EDI supports all kinds of formats such as CSV and XML.

The important features on TrueCommerce are as follows;

  • It offers a single platform to manage and connect your customers, suppliers, and business channels.
  • The EDI mapping feature helps to sync your audience with your business system conventions.
  • It allows you to expand your connectivity and business by giving you access to more than 90,000 trading partner’s databases.
  • You can use this tool to convert unprocessed data into error-free business documents such as invoices and POS.
  • It has an EDI translator that you can use to format all your EDI transactions. This translator is web-based. 

>>MORE: Best Data Entry Software

#3 SPS Commerce Fulfillment

This is an EDI that can help you to centralize your entire transaction process. It is a perfect software that you can use to centralize information sharing between enterprises. It is a cloud-based tool that allows you to streamline, stay updated and connect on all deliveries and purchases.

SPS Commerce Fulfillment is a software that can work for all types of businesses or enterprises such as ecommerce, retail, logistics, retail, grocery, and distributors among others.

Standard features that are available on SPS Commerce Fulfillment include real-time tracking, bulk processing, automated data entry, processing orders among and many more. It also serves as a tool that manages your documents and accounting details such as invoicing, shipping notices, and order management in an easy-to-search hub.

The most important features on SPS Commerce Fulfillment include the following;

  • AI-powered transparency that gives you access to view order status from any device of your choice.
  • It notifies you immediately your customers place an order.
  • This tool helps you to automatically update your dashboard.
  • The real-time order tracking feature ensures transparency during transactions.
  • It comes with pre-built tools for data visualization.
  • In-app chat that enables one-on-one customer support.
  • The real-time workflow helps to display customer’s requirements thus preventing errors.
  • It is capable of garnering data in diverse formats like API, spreadsheets, and raw data files among others.
  • It helps to avoid confusion by ticking off completed tasks.
  • It offers Ad-hoc reporting on forecasts and retail data trends.
  • Its auto-fill helps you to save keystrokes and time.

>>MORE: Best Referral Management Software

#4 MuleSoft Anypoint Platform

This is a platform that is most suitable for managing many trading networks at the same time. It is an API-based cloud Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) software that creates an integrated system and also improves business connectivity.

It is a tool that helps you to track and organize all shipments and purchases in a location that is easily accessible. MuleSoft Anypoint software adapts to the future and present needs of the customer according to their specifications.

It allows you to connect your SaaS integrations with your legacy assets without affecting existing businesses. You can use this tool to receive and share data via multiple B2B EDI formats such as X12, Tradacoms, and RosettaNet.

MuleSoft Anypoint Platform works well with standard transport protocols like FTPS, AS2, and HTTP/S. It also offers DataWeave data language for data integration. You can use this tool to transform EDI messages to link backend or cloud systems and to integrate messaging in real-time.  

The top features on this software include the following;

  • API lifecycle management.
  • Analytics and reporting.
  • It helps you to prepare and file shipments and invoices to avoid errors and also to cut costs.
  • It has a custom design of new APIs or you can decide to use the existing ones.
  • It offers Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) testing.
  • It enhances connectivity management and application development.
  • It provides you with updates regarding all your transaction in real-time and these updates are accessible from any device at any time.
  • It enhances transparency and visibility across the whole process to simplify your partner management.  
  • It helps to fast-track trading partner onboarding with pre-designed onboarding templates.

>>MORE: Best Conversation Intelligence Software

#5 DiCentral EDI & Supply Chain Solutions

DiCentral EDI is a cloud-based tool that is designed to help you improve the visibility and efficiency of the supply chain through automated fulfillment, shipping, and receiving processes.

It is used in many industries such as Automotive, Retail, Manufacturing, and Healthcare. It can integrate with accounting systems, different ERP, and ecommerce platforms such as QuickBooks, Oracle, Shopify, Mageto, and Xero. It is also available on several devices including mobile devices, Mac, and Windows.

DiCentral EDI comes with proprietary adaptors that can replace error-prone and slow EDI providers. It is suitable for all businesses and offers both buyer and supplier solutions.

The top features on DiCentral EDI & Supply Chain solutions are as follows;

  • It has an EDI that is installed locally.
  • Offers supply chain solutions.
  • It helps to manage exceptions and business rules.
  • It offers integrating and outsourcing EDI functions.
  • Can integrate with many financial institutions.
  • Web-based EDI solutions.
  • Carrier and 3PL solutions.
  • Enables and manages dropship.

>>MORE: Best EHR Software

#6 Jitterbit 

This is an EDI software that is a good tool for streamlining business transactions and processes. It is a cloud-based platform used to automate the process of synchronizing, processing, handling Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) communications. It helps to speed up business transactions and processes.

Jitterbit allows you to manage manufacturing and retailing together with distribution and supply chain management. It offers resources that bring your traders, customers, and suppliers together so that the entire business system is unified.

You can integrate this software with your EDI platform alongside your leading CRM applications like NetSuite, SAP, Salesforce, and Microsoft with tour ERP systems also included. Jitterbit works perfectly well with EDI Data Mapping. This combo helps to transform EDI files either from or to connections like XML to databases.

Jitterbit allows you to create ready-to-use and reusable templates for fast EDI integration with new business partners. The EDI Splitter in Jitterbit helps you to organize and split files the way you wish. It helps you manage and connect easily with partners for smooth EDI exchanges.

The most important features on Jitterbit include the following;

  • Visual workflow management.
  • Automated transaction management.
  • It can establish connections with your business partners in real-time by processing EDI documents.
  • Helps to eliminate manual errors and save time by automating data entry.
  • Process changes tracking.
  • Improves quality of data by eliminating data re-entry.
  • Processes analytical reports for all business transactions.
  • It supports more than 20,000 transaction sets such as X12, AS2, HL7, and many more.
  • Process designing and modeling.

>>MORE: Best Patient Engagement Software

#7 GoAnywhere MFT 

This is a software that you can use to share encrypted data from a centralized dashboard. It helps to manage file transfer and centralizes business processes. You can use this tool to transfer data either outside or within the organization.

GoAnywhere MFT EDI solution is applicable in industries such as Government, Healthcare, Banking, Manufacturing, Ecommerce, the public sector, and logistics among others. It helps to connect enterprises across the globe through the exchange of encrypted data via standard protocols such as AS2, HTTPS, and AES.

You can use this tool to convert data from X12 documents to other files and vice versa. You can either share or upload data in the database for collaboration with trading partners. It can integrate with other business tools and EDI to help you maintain an efficient workflow and meet compliance requirements. It can integrate well with Microsoft Dynamics 365, Salesforce, and Amazon Web Service.

It makes use of an FTP automated solution for secure and safe data sharing. It permits you to share encrypted data between the server systems and clients.

The important features on GoAnywhere MFT include the following;

  • End-to-end encryption.
  • It has an intrusion detection system, 
  • Offers permissions and access controls.
  • Workflow management and schedules.
  • Automation of batch file transfer.
  • Synchronization in real-time.
  • In-built data mapping tools to configure and visually map the X12 EDI documents.
  • It supports different types of files such as Fixed width, Excel, or CSV.
  • File integrity monitoring.
  • Supports Cloud Connections for cloud integration.

>>MORE: Best Autoresponder Software

Summary

The tools highlighted in this article are some of the best Electronic Data Interchange that you will find around. They can help you translate and transfer documents of different formats at high speed between businesses. It allows you to do business from anywhere you are in the world.

If you are looking for the best way to exchange data between computers or you want to have a smoother communication and document transfer done without stress, then you have to look to get an EDI.

  • Cleo Integration Cloud: It is the ideal choice EDI software for all kinds of businesses or brands.
  • TrueCommerce EDI: It is the best EDI software for connectivity within sales channels.
  • SPS Commerce Fulfillment: This is the most appropriate EDI for centralizing your business transaction processes.
  • MuleSoft Anypoint Platform: This is the best EDI that you can have for managing many trading platforms.
  • DiCentral EDI: This is an EDI software that is suitable for all businesses of all kinds and sizes.
  • Jitterbit: This is a great software for streamlining all business transactions and processes.
  • GoAnywhere MFT: This is a perfect tool for sharing encrypted data from a central dashboard.

It is great when you have a business that operates seamlessly and one of the ways of having such is to automate your business processes; this is what an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) software can do for you. All you need to do is consider what your workflow or processes involve so that you can decide on which of the listed EDIs you need.

Once you decide which EDI is best for your business, you can easily integrate it with other applications that you use for a smooth work process.