James Smith
Table of contents
While deciding on the type of Electronic Data Interchange or EDI can be a daunting task, it’s nearly as difficult to decide which EDI service provider will work for you. While there are several factors to consider, it is important to shortlist an EDI service provider based on your organization’s requirements and priorities.
At STAEDEAN, we have to keep track of the competition to stay on top of our game. Therefore, in this blog, we have put together a list of the best EDI vendors in the business that give our EDI Solution — EDI Studio for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management — tough competition.
This list of the best EDI Service Providers is based on market research (reviews from online platforms such as Gartner, G2, GetApp, Capterra, PeerSpot, Software Advice, and Software Suggest*). We have compiled this Top EDI Vendors list by evaluating most of the factors shared in our previous blog.
Disclaimer: The information on the competition is based solely on customer reviews, the company website, and other publicly available sources listed above*. None of the information contained in this blog is an expressed opinion of the author or STAEDEAN.
Solutions built within Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management
EDI integrated with your ERP software can help you considerably streamline operations with quicker processing, a holistic view of data which enhances visibility and tracking and reduces double entry of data which can lead to errors.
An integrated EDI solution can truly harness the power of Microsoft Dynamic 365. An EDI solution that also integrates seamlessly with all your business systems such as Warehouse Management System (WMS), third-party logistics (3PL), etc. can streamline document exchange across your supply chain. Read our blog to understand the advantages of investing in an Embedded EDI Solution within Dynamics 365 for more information.
1. STAEDEAN’s EDI Studio
While most EDI platforms must be integrated with the ERP, which means potentially LONG implementation times, EDI Studio is the only solution in this list that has been built within Microsoft Dynamic 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management (D365 F&SCM).
What are our strengths and weaknesses?
Our solution is built using the same business logic and provides a familiar user experience for users of D365 F&SCM, as EDI Studio is an embedded solution. So, the implementation time for the first few trading partners is just about 30 days. Don’t miss our webinar where we shed more light on this: Rapid EDI Deployment within Dynamics 365 F&SCM. Since our solution is embedded, and knows the underlying logic perfectly, managing exceptions is easier as you can do it within the ERP system.
Our solution has been built on our integration engine, so it can be integrated with the ERP and other business systems using simple configurations.
Our solution can be used with any value-added network (VAN)/broker of your choice which adds a level of flexibility for our customers. The solution offers tutorials that work as a quick starting point for transactions such as orders, and invoices to name a few.
We currently do not have an EDI library or all EDI documents available in our solution, however, we do have it on our roadmap.
Cost and pricing models
We offer a monthly subscription pricing model for licenses and additional costs for services, training, and implementation support (optional depending on internal available expertise). Reach out to our experts to learn more.
Type of EDI solutions offered
We offer a no-code EDI solution for Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&SCM and BC (Business Central).
Do we have an industry specialty?
We have customers across industries.
Do we only offer EDI or any other add-on services?
Along with EDI Studio, we also offer end-to-end, no-code/low-code Data Management Solutions embedded within D365 F&SCM. These include solutions for data integration, preparation, and extraction, data migration, creation, and quality, data governance and distribution, data security, and data analytics and business intelligence. We also offer industry-specific, embedded solutions for the equipment rental, manufacturing, and life sciences industries.
EDI Offerings
EDI Studio offers integration support, a history feature to track past transactions and staging journals. EDI Studio offers multiple EDI formats for different transactions. And the solution offers support for several processes including Order2Cash, Procure2Pay, 3PL, VMI, and Master Data.
Scalability
The solution can be scaled across legal entities or companies across Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP and also integrated with multiple business systems. Our solution can be used to process a large volume of EDI transactions per legal entity as verified by our customers.
User-friendly and customer-focused
We keep customer feedback in mind for future development and also take up customization requests based on feasibility. STAEDEAN’s core focus is to provide more value and make our EDI solution easy to use for business users.
Downtime and support
We have a services team that can support customers with downtime and other requests. Our product teams also get involved on a case-by-case basis. We have received positive feedback from customers and partners about our partnership from the implementation stage to post go-live when there have been service requests.
Solutions that are ERP agnostic
Most EDI solutions available today are ERP agnostic and can be integrated with any ERP. This means that none of them have been custom-built for Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&SCM which puts them lower on this list since they lack the deep understanding of the underlying data logic needed to make EDI work seamlessly. Since these solutions need to be integrated with D365 F&SCM, the implementation time for these solutions is a lot longer and could range anywhere between 6-12 months.
2. Fulfillment EDI (formerly known as Vantage Point) from SPS Commerce
What are their strengths and weaknesses?
Fulfillment EDI is built outside of Microsoft Dynamics 365 but provides several message translation options for different standards. The EDI solution uses SQL views to retrieve data from the ERP and uses ports to send data back and forth. The team offers customizations in certain cases so that the software is not a one-size-fits-all but adapts to the business. The maintenance of systems is extremely low once trading partners are set up.
As per the SPS Commerce website, Data Masons offers services focusing on consumer goods and industrial/distribution businesses and resellers, primarily in North America. To send out EDI messages or documents the EDI provider solely uses the proprietary network offered by SPS Commerce, so readers considering the solution should keep this in mind while considering Fulfillment EDI.
Cost and pricing models
Data Masons offers quote-based pricing plans. Please contact the vendor for more information.
Type of EDI solutions offered
SPS Commerce offers Cloud, SaaS, and web-based EDI Solutions. Fulfillment EDI is available on the Cloud, and on-premise. Additionally, SPS can integrate with various ERPs, (including Microsoft, SAP, Oracle+Netsuite) and other platforms such as Order Management System (OMS), Warehouse Management System (WMS), and more.
Do they have an industry specialty?
SPS Commerce specializes in the retail industry.
Do they only offer EDI or any other add-on services?
SPS Commerce also offers SPS Analytics for retailers. They also have a DevCenter that offers API Development and access to existing APIs such as Shipping Label APIs, Packing Slip APIs, & Transaction APIs.
EDI Offerings
The solution includes pre-built EDI maps, so mapping and reporting for trading partners and customers becomes easy. They offer partner-specific error detection. Fulfillment EDI has a graphical workflow interface with notifications and alerts for data coming in and out of the system.
Connectivity to EDI networks and their VAN networks
SPS has a wide network of connections in the retail industry and offers a VAN service. SPS' network includes more than 95,000 trading partners in over 80 countries.
Implementation time and process
The ease of EDI Mapping reduces the implementation time, but some customers have mentioned that the management of exceptions is challenging for the first few months post go live.
Scalability
The solution is capable of handling high-volume customer and vendor transactions.
Downtime and support
They have email, phone, and live 24/7 reps supporting customer queries and issues. Customers have reported positive reviews on the skillset and experience of the Data Masons team mentioning good response times and quick resolutions to any issues or queries. Training and implementation assistance is provided to the customers during the onboarding process.
Changes or corrections to the solution could take some time as some customers mention that they have a protocol to reach out to the level 2 support team for more critical issues.
3. TrueCommerce
A Managed Services Provider, TrueCommerce offers an EDI solution that can be integrated with 60+ ERPs as per their website. Some of these ERP systems include Microsoft Dynamics 365 BC, 365 F&SCM, and GP, NetSuite ERP, SAP Business One and ECC systems, etc.
What are their strengths and weaknesses?
TrueCommerce offers a simple and user-friendly EDI platform that can easily be customized by the end-user for changes to certain data items. The solution can simplify business communications by integrating with software such as Quickbooks and UPS/Fedex that ease logistics and supply chain management. The solution also has some useful features that are popular with customers such as Transaction Manager and the ability to search for specific orders.
While True Commerce offers to export many uncommon EDI transactions via FTP as flat files to your ERP, the mapping for those transactions needs to be customized by their support team at an extra cost. Customers have reported cases of mismatched expectations from assigned partners in a few reviews.
Cost and pricing models
The pricing structure doesn't involve monthly fees per trading partner. However, customers have to pay for feature add-ons such as EDI mapping customization. So, we recommend reading the fine print.
Type of EDI solutions offered
They offer a cloud-based EDI solution that can integrate with several ERP systems as we mentioned earlier. In addition to ERP integrations, TrueCommerce offers integrations with specialty business systems such as Acctivate, AccountMate, Fishbowl, Spire, etc.
Do they have an industry specialty?
TrueCommerce specializes in EDI for retail and supply chain management.
Do they only offer EDI or any other add-on services?
TrueCommerce also offers eCommerce solutions, invoicing, marketplace integration, order fulfillment services, and product information management (PIM) systems.
EDI Offerings
TrueCommerce manages trading partner mappings, compliance, and connectivity requirements. The EDI software allows you to add new fields and additional workflows without any re-programming. However, it is still necessary to check partner information on EDI mapping after the initial onboarding.
Connectivity to EDI networks and their VAN networks
As per their website, they have a wide network of connections with trading partners – “over 180,000 pre-configured trading partner maps, including retailers, distributors, and logistics service providers”. Customers have reported quick processing of even large orders.
Implementation time and process
As per customer reviews, some have reported longer times than expected for implementation finalization and go-lives.
Scalability
TrueCommerce boasts of handling more than a hundred million transactions annually so they can scale as you grow. They have the infrastructure and resources to handle multiple deployments for EDI for enterprises.
User-friendly and customer-focused
The EDI solution is configurable and adapts to the business process.
Downtime and support
TrueCommerce offers support within the platform for complex EDI workflows. Their support team is US-based and is available for general queries on weekdays between 8am to 8pm and provides 24/7 support for emergencies. However, we have seen both positive and negative reviews in this regard.
4. SEEBURGER B2B/EDI Solutions
Seeburger offers B2B/EDI Communication Services, B2B/EDI Cloud Integrated Managed Service, and B2B: Supplier Portal Service (WebEDI portal) as per their website.
What are their strengths and weaknesses?
Seeburger offers B2B/EDI as part of their BIS solution through software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications or cloud-based integrations. Enterprises can consider the BIS Solution for hybrid integration needs via a unified and homogeneous middleware stack which reduces the need for any third-party solutions.
Seeburger offers an integration platform: The SEEBURGER BIS Platform. EDI is one of the offerings within this platform. Their focus is primarily on API-led integration, API management, and hybrid integration using SEEBURGER Cloud Services.
Cost and pricing models
They offer a pay-per-user-based pricing model. So, their customers pay for a maximum number of setups, per customer map, and maintenance on each one of those. In addition, you have to pay for each adaptor that you anticipate using. They offer different licensing models for Europe and the USA.
Type of EDI solutions offered
Their solution is available as a cloud-based, web-based, or SaaS offering. Seeburger offers cloud, on-premises, and hybrid deployment options for its customers.
Do they have an industry specialty?
Seeburger offers EDI services across industries such as Automotive, Healthcare, CPG/Retail, and others.
Do they only offer EDI or any other add-on services?
The SEEBURGER BIS Platform integrates with EAI (Enterprise Application Integration)/A2A (Acount-to-Account), API, and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things). Additionally, they offer Cloud Services for integration with SAP Global Trade Services (GTS), E-invoicing and Peppol services, and Utilities services.
EDI Offerings
They offer an EDI outsourcing solution that involves the implementation and management of the EDI platform. Additionally, they also offer a translation service to adapt the EDI format based on the business requirements. And they have an EDI network and offer partner onboarding and a central directory with SEEBURGER B2B partner profiles for their customers.
Connectivity to EDI networks and their VAN networks
Based on the Seeburger website, their EDI-specific offerings include a repository of close to 20,000 partner mappings, connections via OFTP2, AS2, SFTP, and a connection to SEEBURGER VAN (powered by their partner DXC).
Implementation time and process
Deployment of the solution depends on the kind of integrations and the platforms in use for the BIS suite. If there are several integrations and vendors in play, the planning, implementation, and final go-live could take anywhere between 3-6 months or longer.
Scalability
Seeburger’s B2B/EDI can be used for a large volume of EDI transactions and can scale based on customer requirements.
User-friendly and customer-focused
Seeburger offers an integration platform that eases the EDI integration and implementation process allowing customers to focus on EDI. They have some level of automation for surveys and emails based on their website.
Downtime and support
They offer three packages for support and also take up mission-critical requests based on their website. They have a basic package that offers services from 9 am – 17:00 pm, Monday to Friday. And their Premium package offers 24/7 support via a service desk for their customers. The reviews for customer support are positive.
Choosing the right EDI service provider for you
We have shared the strengths and weaknesses, solution features, implementation, and several other critical factors one must consider while evaluating shortlisted EDI providers. This list includes some of the most renowned providers in the market. We hope this simplifies your decision-making process. But, if you’re still unsure about which type of EDI implementation to opt for, read our blog on the various EDI Implementation scenarios.
If you are in the retail business and are looking for an EDI Solution Provider with specialization in retail then TrueCommerce or SPS Commerce might be a good solution to consider. If you are keen on an integration platform that also offers EDI then Seeburger and STAEDEAN are neck and neck in that category. However, if you are looking at an embedded solution within Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management (D365 F&SCM), then STAEDEAN’s EDI Studio is the only solution built within the ERP.
At STAEDEAN, we can provide the connecting link between your engineering and manufacturing to streamline your supply chain process. Find out how by downloading our solution factsheet below.
*Last updated on March 06, 2024
