INTEGRATING EDI INTO YOUR ACCOUNTING / ERP SYSTEM USING MAPADOC

Transcription

1 PRODUCT INFORMATION INTEGRATING EDI INTO YOUR ACCOUNTING / ERP SYSTEM USING Author: Lee Mrkonjic Vantage Point & Associates February 2007 VANTAGE POINT & ASSOCIATES, INC. 17 AVERDON CR., TORONTO, ON M3A 1P4 TEL: FAX: [email protected]

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction...1 SWK Technologies, Inc...1 Sales Contact...2 Products and Services...3 Component Overview...3 Accounting / ERP Software Supported Features...5 Warehouse Add-ons...5 Transaction Sets & Maps...6 BW Xchange...6 Data Transport and Data Translation...7 EDI Outsourcing and Web EDI...7 Sage Software Authorized Training Center...8 Certifications and Designations...8 Success Story Lois Hill Accessories...9

3 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 SWK Technologies and the products they provide to integrate EDI into accounting / ERP systems. It is not mandatory to read the whitepaper but reading it will provide background information on EDI and a context from which to evaluate SWK Technologies. You are encouraged to contact SWK Technologies at any time with questions or requests for additional information on their company and products. SWK Technologies, Inc. SWK Technologies roots date back to 1987 as one of the first companies to offer EDI integration with MAS 90. Today SWK is a Sage Software reseller and Master Developer and has successfully integrated EDI with MAS 90 / MAS 200 / MAS 500 for hundreds of companies through their product. As a Sage Software reseller, SWK has intimate knowledge of the MAS product line and knows what it takes to integrate EDI. They are a certified Sage Software Master Developer and operate a Sage Software Authorized Training Center. SWK goes to great lengths to examine the business needs of their clients before recommending a solution. They understand the functionality of how MAS works and understand what it takes technically to integrate EDI. Being a MAS reseller and offering EDI integration software and services provides a unique combination that customers appreciate. Quick Facts Year founded: 1987 Number of employees: 40 Ownership structure: Public 100% owned by Trey Resources Management Team: Jeff Roth, CEO Lynn Berman, President Gary Berman, VP - EDI Dane DeSantis, Channel Sales Mgr. Target markets: Distribution Manufacturing Distribution method: Value Added Resellers Number of customers: 150 In addition to reselling the MAS product line, SWK is also a reseller of BusinessWorks from Sage Software and provides EDI integration through BW Xchange. This falls in line with SWK s practice of integrating EDI with accounting software that they resell. 1 To obtain a copy of the whitepaper visit (Resource Center Publications Whitepapers) or contact SWK Technologies. 1

4 Sales Contact Dane DeSantis Channel Sales Manager (fax) 2

5 Component Overview PRODUCTS AND SERVICES SWK s EC/EDI Component Offering Sender Inbound Receiver Data Transport Data Translation Data Transformation Data Integration Business Applications Your Trading Partners VANs: Easylink GXS Point-to-Point: Cleo Lexicom nubridges Qualedi GXS Desktop Invois TLW Sterling Gentran BW Xchange MAS 90 MAS 200 MAS 500 BusinessWorks Radio Beacon EZ Pick & Pack StarShip Your Company Other Apps. Receiver Outbound Sender SWK offers a one stop shop for companies looking for one or more EC/EDI components. They are expert in Data Transformation and Data Integration and work closely with many of the popular Data Transport and Data Translation products. is SWK s Data Transformation and Data Integration mapping product 2 for MAS 90 / MAS 200 / MAS 500. BW Xchange is SWK s Data Integration product for Sage Software s BusinessWorks accounting system. Customers do not have to depend on a programmer to use. They can be selfsufficient and do the mapping on their own or enlist the services of SWK. When customers need help, they call upon SWK as the first line of support for all EC/EDI components, not just. In addition to integrating EDI with accounting / ERP systems, also integrates with Radio Beacon 3, EZ Pick & Pack and StarShip to offer an end-to-end solution for manufacturers and distributors. In addition to integrating EDI with accounting / ERP systems, SWK also integrates non-edi formats into other business applications including Act!, Job Ops, Sage CRM, SalesLogix and Sage Abra HR & Payroll. 2 For information on mapping, refer to section The Mapping Process in the whitepaper. 3 SWK developed the interface between the Radio Beacon Warehouse Management System and MAS 90 / MAS

6 Accounting / ERP Software Supported Publisher Product Name Method BusinessWorks MAS 90 MAS 200 BW Xchange MAS 500 is built for integration with MAS 90 / MAS 200 / MAS 500. The MAS 90 / MAS 200 edition is written in ProvideX, which is the same language used by Sage Software to create MAS 90 / MAS 200. The MAS 500 edition is written in Visual Basic and interacts with the MAS 500 database using APIs developed by Sage Software. By following Sage Software s methodologies, is technically interwoven with MAS and has the same look and feel of other functions in the MAS menu structure. is available in four editions based on the version of MAS used and the number of EDI trading partners anticipated by a customer. Customers can easily upgrade from one edition to another as the number of trading partners increase. 1. Standard edition is for companies that use MAS 90 or MAS 200 with up five trading partners. 2. SBE (Small Business Edition) is for companies that use MAS 90 or MAS 200 with one or two trading partners. 3. Enterprise edition is for companies that use MAS 90 or MAS 200 with an unlimited number of trading partners edition is for companies that use MAS 500 with an unlimited number of trading partners. 4

7 Features Ease of use. is user-friendly mapping software that gives a customer the ability to maintain trading partner maps without the need for a programmer. It includes wizards and functions that reduce mapping time considerably. Generate ASNs. An Advanced Ship Notice is a very complicated EDI document. automates the creation of ASNs and includes many options that make the process uncomplicated. will also generate MAS invoices based on the content of completed ASNs. Turnaround data. MAS 90 / MAS 200 / MAS 500 do not always have a home in its database for all fields that arrive on an inbound EDI document. The trading partner expects the data in those fields to be send back in other EDI documents later. gives the user the option to store this data in User Defined Fields (UDFs) or separate tables so the data can be retrieved and sent later in outbound documents. Cross-reference tables. Often one trading partner will transmit a piece of data such as a shipping code and expect the other trading partner to know the description for that code. includes a variety of cross-reference tables where it will look-up one value such as a shipping code, and return another value prior to integrating the transaction with MAS 90 / MAS 200 / MAS 500. Label printing. provides the data for printing UCC-128 labels according to each trading partner s specifications. SWK resells Loftware and Bartender software to print the labels. Warehouse Add-ons SWK offers a complete end-to-end solution for manufacturers and distributors through addon software for the warehouse. Radio Beacon. is integrated with Radio Beacon s warehouse management system. Orders, ASNs and shipment data flow back and forth between and MAS 90 / MAS 200 thus eliminating re-keying of data and reducing errors. EZ Pick & Pack. Scanco s RF technology combined with permit the capture of shipping data and the creation of ASNs in real time. As cartons and skids are scanned, the data is transmitted through the local wireless network and imported into MAS 90 / MAS 200. creates the ASN quickly and error free without re-keying data. StarShip. This product from V-Technologies manages the process of selecting the most cost effective carrier for packages and prints the chosen carrier s bar code label. works with StarShip by passing data back and forth from MAS 90 / MAS 200 without rekeying. 5

8 Transaction Sets & Maps is built around EDI transaction sets such as an 850 and 810 that are integrated into MAS 90 / MAS 200 / MAS 500. SWK has the most integrated EDI documents for MAS available in the marketplace and frequently adds new documents to their portfolio. A map is a trading partner s adaptation of an EDI transaction set. SWK has a library of nearly one thousand maps that are available to customers at no extra cost. Some tweaking or customization may be necessary for an additional cost depending on a customer s installation of MAS 90 / MAS 200 / MAS 500. BW Xchange Companies that use BusinessWorks from Sage Software (or any other small business accounting software) are increasingly under pressure from customers to accept EDI orders. Manually entering those orders is error prone and costly in the end. BW Xchange integrates almost any inbound order format with BusinessWorks including EDI and online shopping carts. BW Xchange is written in Microsoft Access and is easily customized. SWK provides the source code for customers who want to do the customization on their own, or SWK can do it for them. BW Xchange will work with any third party data transport and data translation software. If a customer is looking for other EC/EDI software components, SWK has partnered with DIcentral to offer an end-to-end solution for BusinessWorks (see EDI Outsourcing and Web EDI on the next page). Data Transport Data Translation BW Xchange BusinessWorks Accounting 6

9 Data Transport and Data Translation is independent of any third party product used for Data Transport and Data Translation. SWK is a reseller of many popular third party products but will leverage any product already used by a customer. Following is a list of third party products and services available from SWK: EDI Translation: Qualedi GXS Desktop Inovis Trusted Link for Windows Sterling Commerce Gentran DIcentral Point-to-Point transport: Cleo Lexicom VANs: nubridges / isoft Easylink GXS EDI Outsourcing and Web EDI EDI outsourcing and web EDI are alternatives to Data Transport, Data Translation and Data Transformation 4 offered by third party service providers. SWK will work with any of these service providers in the same manner as any other third party product. If a customer is looking for a web EDI service provider, SWK has partnered with DIcentral to form an end-to-end solution that combines DIcentral s web EDI service with SWK s integration software and services. DIcentral handles all the EDI requirements for the customer and SWK integrates the documents into the customer s MAS 90 / MAS 200 / MAS 500 or BusinessWorks. 4 For more information, refer to the section EDI Outsourcing and Web EDI: Alternatives in the whitepaper. 7

10 Sage Software Authorized Training Center SWK operates a Sage Software Authorized Training Center (ATC), which is the only center that covers the New York Metropolitan area and New England states. SWK offers training in most modules and related business tools for Sage BusinessWorks, Sage MAS 90, Sage MAS 200, as well as different levels of training for. Certifications and Designations 8

11 Success Story Lois Hill Accessories Jewelry Distributor Shines With End To End Solution Lois Hill Accessories attractive sterling silver jewelry is carried by Nordstrom, Bloomingdale s and Marshall Field s. The company s sales have grown 50 percent over the last five years. The Challenge Over its years in operation, Lois Hill has seen the retail marketplace change dramatically. With the landscape now dominated by a few mega retailers, distributors must meet strict labeling, packing, shipping and invoicing protocols. A late order could mean hundreds of thousands in lost revenue dollars and charge back fees. Lois Hill Accessories must have adequate stock and be equipped to respond quickly or risk losing major customers. When Jeff Green was hired on as CFO two years ago, he recognized that although sales were up, the high overhead required to keep up with increasing sales was eating away profits. New retailer requirements combined with the launch of a new private label program for Target threatened to overwhelm Lois Hill Accessories warehouse operations. Green had an important choice to make hire more staff to keep up with order entry and Challenge Solution Results Increasing customer requirements and growing order volume began to threaten on-time shipments. A fully integrated business management solution including EDI, warehouse communication and accounting. shipping operations, or invest in the company s technology infrastructure to streamline and automate many of the tasks. Opting to streamline and automate, part of Green s strategy involved outsourcing Lois Hill s warehouse and distribution operations to a professional warehouse management company. CLIENT INFORMATION Headquarters New York, NY Industry Jewelry Distributor Web Site Software Solutions Sage MAS 200 ERP EDI In order to make this shift, Lois Hill Accessories would need the ability to communicate its order information electronically to the warehouse, and receive updated inventory stocking levels and shipping notifications back from the warehouse and distribution operation. Order throughput increased Staff level decreased Overhead costs cut 9

12 The Solution After years of successful use of the EDI solution from SWK Technologies, Inc., Lois Hill Accessories now turned to SWK for help with its latest initiative. SWK Technologies, an experienced consultant in electronic data interchange, worked with Green and the warehouse to design and implement an electronic interface between the company s Sage MAS 200 software and the warehouse management company s software. What s unique about SWK is that although they are IT professionals, they re business people first. They understand the distribution industry and were able to help us implement these strategic changes. Communication between the two systems is seamless. Orders are received electronically into Lois Hill Accessories Sage MAS 200 software courtesy of the EDI software. Those orders are then transferred to the warehouse which picks, packs, ships, and returns updated inventory quantity information and shipping notices to Sage MAS 200. The EDI software picks up the process again and generates advanced shipping notices and invoices to Lois Hill Accessories customers. Half the Staff Double the Orders The company recently enjoyed its largest shipping month ever up by 25 percent. To put the overall gain in perspective, Green points out that just one year ago, the company had more than twice the staff and shipped less than half as many orders. Our overhead costs dropped dramatically, and we re able to ship more products faster. We could not have achieved that volume previously, even with twice the staff. Our overhead costs dropped dramatically, and we re able to ship more products faster. We could not have achieved that volume previously, even with twice the staff. It s a true end to end business software solution. With integrated accounting, EDI, and warehouse communication Lois Hill is able to stay lean, competitive and successful. Lois Hill definitely could not have experienced the growth it has without the infrastructure SWK helped us develop, concludes Green. 10