BizTalk Accelerator for Trading Partner Integration

Streamlining your communication internally and externally

Summary - Suppliers are realizing that the traditional X12 and EDIFACT EDI solutions that they have been implementing and sup-porting for the last 10 years are no longer able to integrate with all the platforms and technologies being used to send and receive business transactions. Web based forms, FTP, AS2 and fax interfaces are required to communicate with suppliers, customers, and freight carriers today. The once assumed x12 ‘Standard’ for communicating purchase order, invoice, receipt and shipping information is ap-pearing far from a standard. Additionally the VAN (value added networks) and traditional software solutions are overpriced, incomplete and unable to keep up with the industry changes.

Problem - Today traditional manufacturers and distributors are being forced to exchange information both internally and externally using several different formats and protocols. A typical scenario would involve customer orders being received as fax orders from smaller customers, web based information from e-commerce solutions, direct AS2 EDI orders from Big Box retailers. Today's orders are received on separate platforms then individually integrated independently in a order processing system. Similar integration challenges exist when integrating with freight consolidation or carriers. When the time comes to communicate back to customers shipping/invoicing information the manual or platform specific interface challenges exist..

Solution - Standardizing on a communication server (hub and spoke) environment that enables all data formats and protocols to be managed and processed is the future. The communication server environment allows all customer order formats to be consolidated into a single inter-face (canonical) on the communication server. This interface would allow fax, web based e-commerce, FTP, AS2 and traditional EDI transaction to be received, managed and sent thru a single platform. These orders are still received with independent schema's and are then mapped or transformed into a single common schema. Once converted into this common schema, the manufacturer or distributor can integrate a single schema into the same standard business processes. Similar interfaces can be communicated to freight consolidators or carriers. When the time comes to communicate back to customers shipping/invoicing information, the communication server can again use a single schema from the back office system and deliver the information back to customers in the original format or protocol.

Assessment - The MPS Partners BizTalk Accelerator for Trading Partners offering is based on BizTalk Server 2006 R2. The approach is designed on the principal that technology should solve complex business problems. Unlike competitive solutions, the Communication Server approach provides a repeatable framework for quickly integrating with trading partners. This highly customizable solution allows trading partners to send data in many different formats such as XML, EDI, or CSV and uses allows for any protocol supported by a BizTalk or 3rd Party BizTalk Adapter.

MPS Partners Delivers

We deliver:

• 20 days of onsite development, training and knowledge transfer
• A Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 R2 environment installed using best practices
• Integration of one document type with a single trading partner
• Strategic advice and direction on trading partner on-boarding and core EDI business practices

Getting Started:

• 1 day - Assessment Review and Planning
• 3 days - Business Scenario Planning
• 3 days - Architecture Scenario 
• 10 days - Pilot
• 1 day - Partner Integration Testing
• 2 days - Training and Knowledge Transfer

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