EDI Matters

EDI Matters This blog has been created for EDI professionals or those who just wish to find out more about all things wonderful in the world of EDI. http://www.b2bgateway.net/blog.asp Tue, 8 May 2012 11:13:03 EST Happy May 4th http://www.b2bgateway.net/blog.asp

]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:12:05 EST Where executives get their news.... http://www.b2bgateway.net/blog.asp

]]> Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:12:05 EST Happy Birthday to us! B2BGateway turns 13! http://www.b2bgateway.net/blog.asp

]]> Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:11:02 EST Klone Labs laces up with B2BGateway http://www.b2bgateway.net/blog.asp

Klone Lab, owners of Ipath Footwear, and licensee to big name brands like New Balance, recruits the fully-integrated EDI support services of B2BGateway to sell to major retailers like Amazon, DSW, and Zappos.

As a licensee of New Balance Athletic Shoes, Klone Lab is the authorized developer and distributor of all open toed footwear under the New Balance brand. Klone Lab also acquired the skateboard and lifestyle brand Ipath Footwear 16 months ago. So what’s the work environment like for this booming Boston-based company? Business is flourishing at their Boston headquarters and employees are working round-the-clock during peak season at all offices including those in Asia and on the West Coast. However, it is not all work and no play at Klone Lab as the staff sneaks in surf and skate sessions throughout the day, and encourages a family friendly work environment that includes bringing dogs to work and regular home cooked pot lucks. Hmmm wouldn't mind tasting some of those home cooked pot lucks here at B2BGateway!

P.S. Best of luck to everyone running in the Boston Marathon.]]> Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:11:03 EST Have lunch on us! http://www.b2bgateway.net/blog.asp

B2BGateway will be sponsoring lunch on Monday May 14, 2012 at the CDC Ross Enterprise SIG conference.
This year’s CDC Ross Enterprise SIG User Conference will take place at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, LA, May 14-17, 2012. The Hotel Monteleone is a historical landmark hotel located in the heart of the French Quarter.
The annual CDC Ross Enterprise SIG User Conference offers Ross users a unique opportunity to network with other Ross users, learn best practices through customer presentations, gain insight into the Ross product roadmap, and meet with Ross product experts and third party solution providers.
As well as sponsoring lunch at this years event, B2BGateway will be presenting on the advantages of EDI in the Supply Chain and will have a booth in the main hall.]]> Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:11:06 EST What is PEPPOL? http://www.b2bgateway.net/blog.asp

B2BGateway has recently been selected by the Irish Government to partner with the National Procurement Service (NPS) and Office of Public Works (OPW) in delivering a pilot e-Invoice project as part of the overall EU PEPPOL project. But what is PEPPOL?

Initiated in 2008, the Pan-European Public Procurement Online (PEPPOL) project has been developing and implementing the technology standards to align business processes for electronic procurement across all governments within Europe, aiming to expand market connectivity and interoperability between eProcurement communities.

PEPPOL enables access to its standards-based IT transport infrastructure through access points, and provides services for eProcurement with standardised electronic document formats (based on UBL and CEN/BII) PEPPOL’s vision is to enable businesses to communicate electronically with any European government institution in the procurement process, increasing efficiencies and reducing costs.

Through agreement on specifications for cross-border procurement processes, the European Commission’s pilot project PEPPOL has contributed to the development of a pan-European, standards-based IT infrastructure. PEPPOL has not replaced, but built upon, the existing strengths of national eProcurement systems by using information and communication technologies to enable them to connect with each other.

PEPPOL does not compete with IT service and solution providers. In fact, IT companies will be the key enablers of PEPPOL's connectivity, offering new, value added services and solutions to their clients.

As an open standardised platform, PEPPOL's infrastructure has been designed to interconnect existing networks and bridge individual eBusiness islands in Europe. PEPPOL increases business opportunities for participants and supports interoperability across borders. It facilitates electronic communication among European companies and government institutions.

For further information on e-Invoicing for suppliers of government/public sector departments please email Sales@B2BGateway.Net or call B2BGateway's EU offices on +353 61 708533

]]> Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:11:03 EST B2BGateway hits 600lb Gorillas sweet tooth! http://www.b2bgateway.net/blog.asp

600lb Gorillas, manufacturers of all natural, premium frozen desserts, selected B2BGateway as their EDI solutions provider to trade business documents such as purchase orders, invoices and shipping notices to major retailers such as BJs, Costco and Stop & Shop. With ready-to-bake Cookie Dough and ice cream sandwiches so good, 600lb Gorillas pride themselves on blurring the distinction between homemade and store bought, all while using the highest quality, natural ingredients.

CEO and Founder, Paula White, might not allude to where the name 600lb Gorillas came from, but she will elaborate on her experience with B2BGateway’s fully-integrated EDI solution. “Prior to using B2BGateway, I was spending a minimum of 20 hours a week processing invoices, now I literally spend less than 5 minutes,” said White. “In addition, B2BGateway has eliminated errors due to manual data entry, saving our company $1000s each year. An added bonus is our ability to monitor inventory on a day to day basis due to the timely manner in which our invoices are now being processed.”

What started as a business run from her kitchen, White’s delicious treats now grace the freezer section of major retailers nationwide. “Even though we have distribution nationally with some very BIG customers, we are still a small business,” said the CEO. “B2BGateway lets us interact with the BIG guys the way they prefer, via EDI, so they don't have to make any exceptions for us. I would highly recommend B2BGateway. I can't emphasize enough the positive impact B2BGateway and has had on my time, my bookkeeping and ultimately our bottom line!”

]]> Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:11:04 EST St.Pat's 5k Providence, Rhode Island http://www.b2bgateway.net/blog.asp

The B2BGateway team at the St. Pat's 5k Providence, RI on Saturday March 10, 2012. Well done to all who took part!]]> Tue, 6 Mar 2012 11:11:04 EST Making your carbonless footprint in the EDI world http://www.b2bgateway.net/blog.asp lectronic Data Interchange (EDI), e-Invoicing, VANs, going paperless...chances are, if you aren’t already implementing some facet of EDI, you’re at least familiar with it. So where is your place in the cloud?

First, a little EDI 101: EDI became popular in the mid-1990’s. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, EDI is, “the computer-to-computer interchange of strictly formatted messages that represent documents other than monetary instruments.” So what does that mean exactly? It’s the automated translation and transmission of structured data from one business to another. Most popular belief is that EDI is intended for larger firms, but with today’s technologies, that’s not the case. B2BGateway, for instance, offers a fully-integrated solution, WebConnect 2.0, where setup time takes only a day and costs as little as $39 per month. That’s one option, but depending on your document flow, the opportunities are endless.

Now, for the perks…

1. Less to Dispute: With hard documentation floating around everywhere, factual information is always at ones fingertips, creating less mistakes and less hassle.

2. Expedited Pay Cycle: With automated documentation, invoices get to their destination faster and paid sooner, which leads to perk #3.

3. Higher Growth Possibilities: Faster, more cost-efficient methods allow for the same job to get done with less manpower and less inherent errors.

4. Eliminate Paper Costs: With everything done automatically and digitally, there’s no paper laying around, therefore cutting costs and making your carbon footprint that much smaller.

Whether you’re utilizing some form of EDI or not, there is no question that the ultimate goal of your business is to grow. With little to no administrative overhead, less errors and quick turnaround, the financial and ecological gains are exponential.

]]> Thu, 1 Mar 2012 11:11:04 EST Nearshoring and Onshoring to make their way back? http://www.b2bgateway.net/blog.asp

At a recent supply chain conference in Dublin, Ireland, Michael Proffitt - a global supply chain expert - claimed that nearshoring and onshoring were on their way back to the developed world. He stated that as the cost of oil and fuel kept rising coupled with disruptive world events and increasing security concerns, organizations in the developed world are beginning to think twice about outsourcing all their manufacturing requirements to China and the Far East. Michael cited River Island, a large UK clothing retailer as an example. Due to increasing transportation costs, time lag and security concerns, River Island have brought back their manufacturing requirements from the Far East to be sourced locally in the UK. If the cost of oil keeps steadily rising on world markets, he believes that there will be much diminshed returns from outsourcing your manufacturing requirements to distant locations.]]>