Aimtec Integration Platform: An Effective Solution for EDI, WebEDI and Systems Integration

• Automotive
• Article

In the globalised, interconnected world of industry today, flexibility and effectiveness are crucial for staying competitive. And tools that go beyond just handling ordinary operations and further streamline your processes are essential. Aimtec Integration Platform is a comprehensive solution for managing and optimising electronic data interchange and integrating internal systems.

This article covers the main features and benefits offered by this platform, including solutions dealing with order fluctuation, advanced data mining and comprehensive transaction reporting and monitoring, as well as our unique approach to SaaS.

EDI as a tool for raising efficiency and productivity throughout the supply chain

EDI is constantly evolving. The traditional formats including VDA/EDIFACT and transfer channels like OFTP2 or AS2 are being supplemented by newer technologies such as HTTPS, API queries and messages in XML or JSON format. The technical aspects will be especially appreciated by IT specialists, who face ever greater demands on integrations and information exchange.

But at the same time, when EDI is implemented properly and used to the fullest, it enables faster and more efficient data exchange, allowing you to access information faster, and thus plan and optimise your inventory, production and logistics better than before.

From WebEDI for “non-EDI” suppliers to faster receipt processes

Aimtec Integration Platform also includes a WebEDI portal for suppliers that don’t know how to work with EDI. WebEDI deployments often end up as nothing more than just call-off deployments, and that’s a shame. When WebEDI has been implemented properly, you can accept ASNs from your “non-EDI” suppliers while also receiving goods marked with your own internal labels. And if you’ll be using ASN data during the receipt of goods, for example as the foundation for receipt in a scanner, you can automate your receipt process, speeding it up significantly. Consequently, besides accelerating your logistics processes, you’re minimising the risk of mistakes and speeding up your handling of goods.

Mining data to unify the functions in your processes 

Call-offs and ASNs have been a part of business processes for several decades by this point, and the automated processing and transmission of these documents has brought major time savings and a reduced error rate. Nevertheless, at many companies order and invoice processing still requires significant manual work, and this offers a lot of room for optimisation.

One example of effective integration is the Order to Cash company process, which joins various steps into a single functional EDI unit, which contains orders or call-offs, ASNs and invoices. This process can also include the processing of received payment notifications, which illustrates the broad possibilities of an EDI system.

“What’s happening technically is that we’re extracting key information from electronic messages, which enables us to put the whole Order to Cash process together, and with help from AI, we’re able to convert any documents that are processed manually into digital form, and through that, ensure automatic transfer into the ERP, a reduced error rate and a speed-up for the whole process,” explains  Aimtec Integration Solutions Director Karel Sladký.

Raising efficiency through smooth, safe systems integration

Systems integration should be viewed as an opportunity, not a complication. Every day there are new tasks and new ideas for speeding up and streamlining processes, which is especially crucial for the systems that support manufacturing and logistics. The right choice of integration tool or platform can work effectively even with a mishmash of data formats, while still meeting every security requirement. A well-designed architecture ensures that integrations are sustainable and enables their re-use, and so it is an efficiency multiplier.

As integrations grow tighter and the volume of data grows due to the Internet of Things (IoT), systems integration becomes a key element for maintaining a smooth flow for manufacturing and logistics. The IoT brings new possibilities into the world of industry such as automated warehouses, smart production lines and sensors that can monitor inventory levels in real time. These technologies generate an enormous amount of data, which has to be processed and integrated effectively.

“At first glance a purchase of an integration platform represents quite a large investment, but the possibilities for swift format mapping responses, making changes and monitoring are all priceless. And above all, an integration platform enables you to plug in another system later without further major investments,” says Aimtec Supply Chain Solutions Director Rostislav Schwob.

Flexible and timely responses thanks to call-off analysis 

Global industry works like an interconnected organism, where if one link drops out, it can break the entire chain. In automotive this problem is often manifested through fluctuations in call-offs. EDI as a Service within Aimtec Integration Platform is the ideal solution for these conditions. This platform monitors new customer call-offs and sends off timely notifications whenever it identifies differences that exceed user-defined limits. Users can set rules for order deviations, and if a deviation is over e.g. 20%, the system will send out an email notification automatically. This lets you respond to unplanned anomalies flexibly and in time.

Reduced error rates thanks to monitoring and message validation

Top-notch suppliers go beyond just monitoring to also offer message validation, which reduces error rates significantly. In the case of ASN transmissions, such suppliers minimise the risk of being hit with defect charges, which are a standard penalty for sending erroneous ASNs in the automotive industry. The validation of ASNs accepted from suppliers is beneficial as well, because data quality within the supply chain gets lower the further down you go in the supplier tiers.

In Aimtec Integration Platform, we don’t just validate and monitor messages; we also offer proactive support and communication with your partners in business. This comprehensive package will save you significant time and ensure that your processes run effectively and smoothly.

SaaS as a true service 

Aimtec customers receive full-service treatment, where they can practically forget about EDI and systems integration and just watch as data is exchanged problem-free with their company’s ERP and among other systems. Aimtec takes care of operations, handles errors and outages, communicates with partners and offers swift service – it addresses every request by the next day.

If Aimtec Integration Platform has caught your interest and you’d like to learn more about its possibilities, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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