
Director of “Vchasno.EDI” about the opportunities to accelerate the processing of documents in the retail sphere, reduce the number of possible errors and savings and savings of funds.
The “Vchasno.EDI” platform “Vchasno.EDI” is specifically developed for exchange of electronic documents between vendor and networks. The Service assists suppliers and trading networks to exchange documents in electronic form. EDI simplifies processes – for example, creating orders or exchanging bills – and makes they faster and convenient. In a interview RAU head of “Vchasno.EDI” Vladimir Shalygin told about the main advantages and new possibilities of the system.
Special for retail
– How long has this service been operating, what it is its self represents, and how many retailers have already utilized the opportunity to transform their documentation into electronic form?
– “Vchasno.EDI” (Electronic Data Interchange – Electronic Data Interchange – Electronic Interchange Data is operating from 2019 . The Platform is used by over 90 trading networks. For they it is not only saving time, but the opportunity to avoid the errors often occurring when working with papers.
– Why did Watchfully develop a separate product exclusively for retail trading?
– This industry has high potential for automation. Retailers share hundreds of documents daily between stores, suppliers and other participants in the trading process. In addition, modern business is actively driving towards digitalization. More and more companies are seeking solutions that simplify processes and reduce routine. EDI-system is just something to respond to thisneeds.
Another one peculiarity of retail is the complexity of the chains of supply. The large number of processes and participants requires accurate and quick data exchange. And Also in this area has been using standardized formats of documents, such as electronic orders or bills. Thanks to this integration with the platform is easier, and working with documents is faster and convenient.
– Are there any similar services in Ukraine?
– Of course, other other services for electronic document management also offer different solutions for retail trading. But the main advantage of “Vchasno.EDI” is the universality. We offer an entire ecosystem for the automation of business. Everything in one place: from contracting and bills to working with electronic checks, staffing documents and electronic bills.
This simplifies work, because a single input allows more control of processes. The common support team is always connected, and the stability of the system reduces risk. And in addition the client receives a comprehensive solution, saving resources and accounting for all their needs.
– How in general can a retailer join the project, and what are the requirements of the company’s technical or software support?
– To join Watch.EDI, a retailer needs to complete a few thingssteps. First, a chain of documents, which will be exchanged through the platform, for example orders, bills, acts and other important documents. Further The Watch team with the client analyzes technical capabilities: whether the company has ERP system, the availability of electronic signature and stable access to the Internet.
The next step is to integrate with the retailer’s accounting system. This allows to automate the exchange of data between the platform and the internal system of the company. After the setup test exchanges are performed to ensure that everything is working correctly. An important step is training staff so that all employees can quickly adapt to the new processes.
The technical requirements for connecting to “Vchasno.EDI” include the availability of a ERP system capable of integrating with the platform through API or other formats of data exchange, a qualified electronic signature, and also a reliable internet connection. “Vchasno.EDI” provides technical support. These requirements help ensure fast and uninterrupted connection and operation of the platform.
Investing in the economy
– Automation also requires an investment of funds. When will this investment return and what factors influence this?
– – Of course, it requires some investment, but the costs can be recovered very quickly. Everything depends on a few important components. First, the volume of document circulation – the more documents processed by the company, the faster the system will save time and resources. Automation reduces costs for paper, printing and delivery,which can lead to 60-80% savings on administrative costs. This significantly increases profitability.
Also Management of “manual” management often causes mistakes, which could then cause additional costs – fines or losses of products. Automation of such processes allows to reduce the probability of errors and, save resources and time. Significant savings can be received on storage and archiving of documents. And this allows savings on the rent of premises and the costs of management of archives.
It should be understood that the more partners connect to the system, the faster the return of investment. The more trading networks and vendors use EDI, the more savings on document management. An important factor is the fast implementation. If the company integrates the system quickly, the benefits of automation can be be received much earlier.
– Why should you begin to migrate to electronic document management and can you first automate individual – the most critical – processes?
– First you need to analyze which documents are most important for your business. This could be orders, order confirmations, bills of lading and other documents used to interact with vendors and trade networks. After that it is important to configure the integration of the EDI platform with the accounting system of the enterprise. This allows you to automate processes and reduce the number of errors.
First you can take the most critical processes, e.g.orders and confirmations, and then add other documents, such as acts of work completed, specifications, transportation, expense or profit bills. After installing the system it is important to test the exchange of documents with partners, to ensure that everything works correctly. Afterwards it is possible to gradually increase the use of EDI.
By the way, all electronic documents that are transmitted through EDI must have legal validity, that is why for their use in Ukraine a qualified electronic signature (CEP) is required.
Practical Questions
– What in practice is most often ordered by retailers and is it different what the network traded with?
– There are few most popular documents. The first is, First, the Commodity Order – the document with which the retailer informs the supplier that they need to replenish their stock of certain stuff. Then the supplier sends a order confirmation telling the retailer that the goods will arrive in the specified timeframe. When the goods are already shipped, the supplier sends a shipping report. And a report of acceptance of the goods. And, of course, there are bills they document the movement of goods, and are important for accounting and legal requirements.
Depending on what the network trades, there may be other nuances. For example, for electronics stores it is important that the documents show the serial number of each product, and for pharmaceuticals the life of products. But the basic set of documents in all cases remains similar.
– How often do your clients have to change business processes or customize other procedures for document management and how do they achieve this ?
– – Most often this is because of changes in external circumstances or the want to make processes more efficient. For example, new legislative requirements or changes in the conditions for cooperation with partners often require adjustments to the workflow. Sometimes companies change their processes in coupled with the scaling of business, when the number of partners or the workload increases significantly.
With the flexibility of the Platform “Hourly.EDI” and the support our clients are usually able to quickly adapt to new conditions. We help to configure everything so that the business continues to operate without problems, even even when we have>to change settings or introduce new solutions.
Working over Mistakes
– Have Were there any failures in your practice and why were they?
– Of course, everyone makes mistakes. We’ve also had some cases where projects didn’t go as we planned. We don’t consider them completely unsuccessful, because every such experience has helped us to improve our processes.
For example, once when implementing “Vchasno.EDI” in one of the trading networks have already completed all necessary settings, the network began integration, and we have been to the stage of testing. But the partner’s priorities changed and he paused everything because of unforeseen circumstances. As a result we wasted significant resources and time, but no planned result was achieved. The project was not restored until a year later.
Another case when a trading network decided to implement EDI and to convert all of their suppliers to electronic order exchange . We agreed on the chain of processes and templates of documents, began integration. But Before the testing the client wanted to change the approved process. And this required additional work. We took more than two months and were forced to commit additional resource. This affected the schedule of the launch and increased costs.
But all this is experience. Now we are more careful to negotiate requirements at the most first. Also began to work in a step-by-step implementation scheme, allowing to reduce the risk of delays. Permanent communication with the client has become an important element of predicting possible changes. There are few major factors that we consider to minimize the probability of failure in the future. Clearly defining business processes and requirements at the beginning helps avoid misunderstandings. It is important that the technical infrastructure of the company is ready for integration, and the team is trained and ready to work with the new systems.
– Who is primarily responsible for implementing the project: the customer or the executor?
– – In the implementation of an automation project, in particular for EDI or EDO, the responsibility is distributed between both but each has its role. The Executive is responsible for the technical part: configures the system, integrates it with other platforms and monitors the successful operation. He also develops the implementation plan, coordinates all steps,Controls the adherence to schedule and trains workers. The Customer, in turn, must define clearly which processes and documents need to be automated. It also organizes access to the required data and prepares the command for changes.
It is important that the customer and executor discuss the project’s progress regularly. Success depends on how well the parties work together at all stages.
– Which documents cannot be translated into electronic form or is not possible because of legislative requirements or other factors?
– – For example, there are documents that require notarial authentication or that have holograms or watermarks . There are also international standards that require an original. But with the development of technologies, in particular, digital signatures, these restrictions are gradually reduced.
– How to harmonize software solutions if the partners of the retailer have other systems of electronic document management?
– – Commonly trade networks work integrated, that is, information is transmitted with EDI and dropped into the accounting system. The Network processes and converts documents in accordance with the requirements independent of the provider. Use API between EDI different providers allows to customize data exchange when each system has its own standards. API requests are configured so that the retailer can receive and send documents in the partner’s format.
– In modern realities there are problems with connection and electricity. Is work possible? systems in offline mode?
– Although electronic document management systems usually operate online, there are some opportunities for the to work even in in the case of communication or electricity. For example, it is possible to store documents in drafts. After when the connection is resumed, they are automatically sent through EDI. It is also possible to prepare documents and send them later, when the access to the Internet is available. You can integrate with ERP systems, which allows you to create documents in autonomous mode, and then transmit them through EDI, when connection resumes. And, of course, there isanopportunitytobackupcopydocuments,so thatnoimportantinformationislostaftertheconnectionisresumed.
While thesystemcannotfullyoperateinautonomousmode,suchcapabilitieshelptominimizeproblemsbecauseofthelight going out.
-WhatshouldweexpectinthefuturefromthefuturedevelopmentandimplementationofEDI?
–In my opinion, we shouldexpectmoreautomation,increasedsecurityandintegrationwithotherbusiness systems.EDIwillbemorecomplicatedtointegratewithERPandCRM.Thiswillallowautomaticallytrackinventory,updatedatainrealtimeandimprovethegeneralefficiencyofthebusiness.
Anothertrendisartificialintelligenceandmachinelearning,whichwillbeappliedtoworkwithlargevolumesofdata,identifyanomaliesandpredictneeds.Thiswillmakeinformation processingfasterandmoreaccurate.
An importanttrendwillincreasecybersecurity,inparticular,usingencryptionandmultilevelauthenticationtoprotectdata.In thenearestfuturewillbeevenmorepopularblockchain technologyformaximumsecurityofelectronicdocuments.
Astimewillincreasethesupportfornewinternationalstandardsandregulatoryrequirements.Thiswillprovideconvenientdataexchangebetweencountriesandmarkets.Andwillalsoallowimprovedinteractionbetweendifferententerprisesatthegloballevel.Generally, thiswillallleadtomoreautomationofprocesses,reducedcostsandincreasedbusinessefficiency.