Integrating EDI Into Accounting & ERP Systems With …acom.com/pdf/shared/WP_ERP_Integrating_EDI-2_EZConnect.pdfIntegrating EDI Into Accounting & ERP Systems With EZConnect Author:

Integrating EDI IntoAccounting & ERP Systems

With EZConnect

Author:Lee Mrkonjic

Vantage Point & Associates

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ................................................................................................................................................1

ACOM Solutions, Inc. .......................................................................................................................1 Sales Contact ......................................................................................................................................2

Products and Services.............................................................................................................................3 Component Overview .......................................................................................................................3 Accounting / ERP Software Supported ......................................................................................4 EZConnect ............................................................................................................................................5 EZConnect-ASN ..................................................................................................................................7 EZWebForms .......................................................................................................................................8 EZConnect for System i...................................................................................................................9

Case Study ................................................................................................................................................10

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Integrating EDI into Accounting and ERP Systems using EZConnect

© Copyright ACOM Solutions

INTRODUCTION This document is a supplement to the whitepaper ‘Integrating EDI into Accounting and ERP Systems’1 published by Vantage Point & Associates, Inc. It provides information on ACOM and their EDI solutions, offering specifics on how they integrate into accounting / ERP systems. While this supplement is complete in its own right, reading the whitepaper will provide background information on EDI and a context from which to evaluate ACOM. You are encouraged to contact ACOM directly with questions or requests for additional information on their company and solutions.

ACOM Solutions, Inc. For 25 years, ACOM has been providing solutions to automate document processes for customers. With EDI, they have a history of anticipating trends in the marketplace and building leading-edge features into their flagship product, EZConnect. Whether you are new to EDI or looking to change your current EDI software, ACOM has a solution to help you gain the benefits from automation. EZConnect was developed as a robust tool for integrating EDI and XML directly into business applications. Application developers like EZConnect because it manages their company’s day-to-day EDI activities, plus it provides the tools they need to integrate EDI with their ERP system. Customers become self-sufficient when using EZConnect, but they can always call upon ACOM’s professional services team if assistance is needed.

1 To obtain a copy of the whitepaper visit www.ec-edi.biz (Resource Center | Publications | Whitepapers) or contact ACOM Solutions.

Quick Facts

Year founded: 1983 Ownership structure: Privately Held Management Team: Edward J. Kennedy, Founder &

Chairman Patrick McMahon, President and CEO James R. Scott, SVP Sales Mark Firmin, SVP Marketing

Sam Mikhail, VP of Sales

Target markets: Retail / CPG, Manufacturing, Warehousing, Government, Transportation

Distribution method: Direct Number of customers: 4,000+

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Sales Contact Enterprise Commerce Division

800.699.5758

562.424.8662 (fax)

[email protected]

www.acom.com

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Mapper

Data Transport

EZConnect;EZConnect for

System i

EZWebForms

AS2 WSDL FTP/s

HTTP/s

ODBCI-File

Import / Export

EpicorInfor

OracleSAP

Other applications accessibly by:

ODBCI-File

Import / Export

Data Translation

Data Integration

Business Applications

Inbound

Outbound

Sender

Receiver Sender

Receiver

DataTransformation

ACOM EC/EDI Component Offering

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Component Overview

EZConnect is the core of ACOM’s EC / EDI solution. It is an EDI / XML translator and integration engine that has all the components you need to implement an eCommerce program in your company. EZConnect integrates directly with your ERP Software, Warehouse Management System, CRM Software, or any other back-end software or database. Data can be translated from any data format (such as EDI X12, EDIFACT or various XML repositories), into any other data format. Communication options include Internet EDI (AS2), WSDL, FTP/s, and HTTP/s for linking directly to trading partners or to a third party VAN. EZConnect-ASN is an add-on product, to accommodate customers that require you to send an EDI 856 transaction (Advance Ship Notice). EZWebForms is an add-on product to EZConnect, that allows you to convert 100% of your trading community to eCommerce using forms entered through a web browser.

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Accounting / ERP Software Supported EZConnect is being used by customers who have successfully integrated EDI and XML with business applications such as Epicor, Infor, Oracle, and SAP. EZConnect will integrate EDI and XML with any accounting and ERP systems that support ODBC, I-File or I / E integration methods2, plus it will work with most “home grown” applications.

Publisher Product Name Method #

Enterprise ODB C 3

BAAN I-File 4

BPCS I-File 4

MAPICS I-File 4

Dynamics SL (Solomon) SQL 2

e-Business Suite I-File 4

JD Edwards Enterprise One I-File 4

PeopleSoft Enterprise I-File 4

SAP Business Suite I-File 4

Various Products that accept flat files for integration I / E 5

Various Products built on an ODBC compliant database ODBC 3

2 These methods for integration are described in the whitepaper, “Integrating EDI into Accounting and ERP Systems”.

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• Fully compliant with your trading partners' EDI requirements

• Works with customers and suppliers alike

• Supports all EDI standards and XML

• Integrates with any business application from Epicor, Infor, Oracle, SAP and others

• Comes with all the features you would expect from EDI software, plus more

EZConnect EZConnect ACOM provides all the components you need to carry out an EDI relationship with your customers and suppliers. EZConnect handles EDI / XML translation and transformation, mapping, integration, trading partner management and communications. With EZConnect you can communicate, map, apply business rules and integrate directly with your business application, all in one tool set. EDI / XML translation and transformation– EZConnect is compliant with nearly all EDI standards, including X12, plus several XML repositories, including BizTalk, and eb/XML. It will transform any format into any other format including EDI-to-XML, EDI-to-DB and EDI-to-Flat File. Mapping– EZConnect includes a drag-n-drop mapper for transforming one data format into another data format. Using the mouse, you drag the source data element over the top of the target data element and release. As a data element is transformed, business rules can be applied based on the requirements of each trading partner. Trading Partner Management– EZConnect keeps track of the attributes that differ from one trading partner to the next, including contact information, processing profiles and communication profiles. Communications– EZConnect enables transport of EDI files to/from your trading partners via FTP/s, HTTP/s or AS2. Integration– With EZConnect you have three options for integrating EDI data into your business application: ODBC, I-File and I / E2. The method you choose ultimately depends on what the business application will allow. If ODBC is used, EZConnect will interact directly with the business application’s database. With I-File, EZConnect creates an intermediate flat file or database table that is stored in a folder on your network. Your business application “polls” the folder regularly and initiates a process to import those transactions. If I / E is used, EZConnect creates a flat file that is imported by selecting the import function off a menu in your business application. EZConnect works with any ERP and MRP system, including Epicor, Infor, Oracle and SAP. It also supports the unique requirements found in most “home grown” applications.

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Features

EZConnect has all the features you would expect from EDI software and more. These features are ideal for technically-oriented users and set EZConnect apart from competitors: C-sharp Coding– The nature of EDI trading relationships requires unique business rules to be followed, based on the data received from a trading partner. In many competitive EDI products, a user cannot program those business rules inside their software. On the other hand, users can program unique functions and procedures using C-sharp right inside EZConnect. Available programming functions and methodologies include string manipulation, math functions, nested if-else statements, switch-case statements, looping, etc. These functions and procedures will be executed in real time, while processing EDI transactions from trading partners. SQL Coding– Similar to C-sharp above, users may have a need to perform unique queries against their application’s database while processing an EDI transaction. Within EZConnect, users can program SQL commands to query or modify a database table that resides in your ERP system, MRP system or other business application. Specific capabilities include; saving lookup queries, using inner/outer “join” statements, and using specific SQL functions native to the type of database being accessed.

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Look Ahead Function– EDI is a batch process, and it takes many records (EDI data segments) to produce one EDI transaction. Sometimes it is necessary to know what lies ahead in a FF, XML, or EDI data file before it has been read. By using the C-sharp look ahead function in EZConnect, you can establish a second cursor position within the data file to extract the needed information. This can be an essential capability when application data is not in the proper position to generate the desired result. One example of this need is found in the standard SAP invoice 02 XML file, which stores all date information in the middle of the document. The look ahead function can be configured to “go-get” the invoice date for use in the big segment of an 810 document. Multiple Outputs– Most competitive products follow the batch processing rule of “one record in, one record out”. If you require “two records out” it takes double the number of steps and double the amount of processing time. With EZConnect, you can create one or more outputs through a single pass of a file. For example, one inbound purchase order can produce one outbound sales order for your ERP system and one outbound warehouse release for your warehouse management system, both at the same time. EDI Viewer– While troubleshooting an error or problem, it is helpful to see the original EDI data in its raw format – and its not pretty. The EDI viewer in EZConnect makes troubleshooting easier by taking the raw EDI data and displaying it in a spreadsheet format that is easy to read.

EZConnect-ASN Companies use an EDI 856, referred to as the “Advance Ship Notice” (ASN), to manage just-in-time deliveries from their suppliers. Some of your customers may require you to transmit an ASN before each shipment, that tells them exactly what to expect when the goods arrive. You are also required to print and affix a matching label on each carton and skid. EZConnect-ASN is an add-on module that generates ASNs and prints labels. It takes data from the original purchase order, invoice or picking ticket, and organizes it according to the way you packed the goods. EZConnect-ASN is accessible in the warehouse where the actual packing and shipping takes place. Once an ASN is completed, it is transmitted to your customer through the normal process in EZConnect. The ASN module can be integrated with your existing warehouse management, barcode or carrier shipping system to automate the entire process.

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EZWebForms With EZWebForms, you can expand your eCommerce program by exchanging business documents electronically with low-volume or non-EDI trading partners. Purchase orders and invoices, plus any other business document you need to exchange with customers or suppliers can be automated using EZWebForms. It requires only a web browser and Internet access for your trading partners to participate. When you combine EZWebForms with EZConnect, you can convert 100% of your trading community from paper to eCommerce. Features: Turnaround documents. Purchase orders and invoices hold similar data while they pass through the order cycle. EZWebForms will “turnaround” a purchase order into an invoice, thus eliminating the need for re-keying.

Automatic Reconciliation. EZWebForms will automatically match purchase orders against invoices received from suppliers. An exception report can be produced to identify any discrepancies.

Integration. Data coming from a trading partner that is using EZWebForms will flow right into your business application the same way as data coming from a trading partner via EDI or XML.

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EZConnect with System i Companies that use IBM’s System i platform gain the same features and benefits that are available through EZConnect, EZWebForms and EZConnect-ASN. EZConnect can be integrated with System i to handle all EDI requirements, including integration with the most popular ERP and MRP systems for the System i platform. It also supports the unique requirements found in most “home grown” applications. EZConnect can connect to ODBC compliant databases regardless of platform (e.g. DB2 on System i, DB2 on Windows, MySQL on Linux/Unix).

EZConnect will interact directly with your System i database if the appropriate permissions and security are in place. If the business application uses flat files for EDI integration, then the files are transferred between EZConnect and your System i using FTP, NetServer or Client Access.

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THE CUSTOMER Travel-book publisher Lonely Planet, whose California warehouse supplies bookstores across North & South America. THE PROBLEM Lonely Planet needed SAP to support EDI Orders, Order Acknowledgements, Invoices, and Shipment Notices (856/857), as required by trading partners. THE SOLUTION EZConnect EDI/XML translation software from ACOM, with Visual ASN from Edisoft for Warehouse Management System. EZConnect handles messages between buyers, publisher, and warehouse, translating smoothly between EDI, XML, and SAP’s iDoc formats. THE RESULTS On-time and on-budget integration with SAP. Full support for EDI 850, 855, 810 and 856/857 documents. Faster order processing. A flexible platform for linking further applications to SAP in the future.

CASE STUDY

LLoonneellyy PPllaanneett

ACOM helps travel book publisher streamline warehouse and boost EDI support in SAP Check out the travel section of any bookstore, and you’ll likely spot some colorful titles from Australia-based Lonely Planet.

The journey from printer to bookstore is anything but lonely. Each book is accompanied by paper and electronic forms and shipping labels as it’s picked, packed, and shipped numerous times. For example, Lonely Planet’s warehouse in Oakland, CA receives a container of books from Singapore several times a month, then uses this stock to fill orders to bookstores across North and South America.

At any point, there are roughly 700 orders waiting to be filled, worth up to half a million dollars. To keep it all organized, Lonely Planet asked the American operation to convert to its standard enterprise system, SAP. There was just one hitch.

Their North American customer base expected Lonely Planet to support EDI Orders (850/PO), Order Acknowledgements (855/POA), Invoices (810/INV), Advance Ship Notices (856/ASN), and the Ship and Bill Notice (857/BSN) documents. All of these documents are required for this publisher to do business with North American customers. But SAP did not have viable support for these documents, leaving Lonely Planet to find a solution that could integrate with SAP while remaining cost-effective.

All-in-one solution for SAP Thom Dyson, the company’s Business Systems Manager for the Americas, sometimes wondered if he would need two new systems linked to SAP, one for EDI and another for the warehouse.

“Happily, I was saved from that pain and suffering,” he says, “thanks to the flexible solution from ACOM.” This included the Visual ASN warehouse management system (WMS) from Edisoft, along with ACOM’s EZConnect EDI/XML translator.

While SAP handles accounting, and Visual ASN handles the warehouse, EZConnect runs in the background to translate messages between both customer and supplier as well as between internal applications using EDI, XML, and SAP’s iDocs format. This keeps communications flowing between buyers, warehouse, and the publisher’s offices in Australia and California.

The project kicked off in late 2006. And throughout, Dyson appreciated ACOM’s approach. “More than any other company, ACOM struck the right balance between ‘Yes, we can do that!’ and ‘You may want to find a better way to approach that.’ They came up with some ideas that struck me as elegant.”

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Streamlining the warehouse For example, most books in the warehouse are arranged by titles from A to Z, so pick lists were re-designed to print in alphabetical order. This saves steps for pickers every day. For whole boxes simply being re-shipped to customers, the system was tweaked to print barcode shipping labels that do double-duty.

“Essentially, the labels that go on those boxes become your picking instructions, with no additional piece of paper, and no scanning required,” says Dyson. “That whole process came out of a brainstorming session. That was another place where ACOM was really great to work with.”

All told, Dyson figures the new system eliminates nine manual steps in processing orders. Seven sales people no longer have to eyeball every order for accuracy. Today they only handle exceptions, like an order for 2,500 copies where a small rounding error would affect the total price. On their request, an e-mail copy of each order is now routed to the sales staff so they can keep up with the regular buyers: a task that EZConnect readily supported.

“The ability of ACOM’s software to adapt to various data formats turned out to be very useful,” says Dyson. “The EDI side is a back-end process that doesn’t get any glamour, but it works, and adding new trading partners isn’t hard at all.”

Linking SAP to more apps Since going live in February, Lonely Planet is happy with how the project has streamlined its order processing.

“For EDI order processing, the workload in the sales department has gone down dramatically. The warehouse has a new process, with all kinds of benefits they’re happy with,” says Dyson. “This project went very, very well.

”He estimates the system saves at least 15 person-hours of work a week. The warehouse staff are picking, packing and shipping faster than ever. And the whole project came in on-time and on-budget.

Dyson’s next goal is to link a marketing database to SAP. He plans to use the ACT! CRM to track book reviewers and generate orders for review copies. “I’m confident that if I get ACT! to output a file with order information, I’ll be able to use EZConnect to format it in a way that SAP will accept,” he says.

The warehouse system already links to software from FedEx and UPS and generates any required shipping documents and labels. The flexibility of EZConnect makes it an effective platform to link SAP with additional applications in the future.

“ACOM has been good to work with,” says Dyson, “so this all worked out really well. It’s been a great experience.”

EZConnect is a flexible EDI/XML eBusiness gateway solution that translates between EDI, XML, and SAP’s iDocs format. Electronic orders and reports now flow smoothly around the company and with customers.

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