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A ‘congrats’ and ‘thank you’ are in order for eBridge employee and teammate  Ivan Siarik who helped us become SAP Certified as a Development Associate with SAP Business One Release 8.8! This certificate will not only strengthen the partnership eBridge has built with SAP but serve as evidence to our clients and potential clients that eBridge has an effective and up-to-date SAP adapter.  This achievement demonstrates that eBridge software developers are well versed in knowing how to develop and implement the SAP adapter successfully into an ERP integration solution.

To add to this achievement, last December  eBridge Connections also successfully passed the certification process by certifying their adapter and integration solution with SAP Business One. The solution proved to successfully integrate with SAP Business One, providing  data integration with e-commerce sites, EDI trading partners and CRM solutions. More than 1,000 data endpoints are supported on the eBridge Connections platform, including Magento, Bigcommerce, Amazon.com, and Salesforce.com.

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Integrating your ERP/accounting software with your webstore, EDI trading partners or CRM system may seem like the perfect rectification method to save your company time and money! Along with eliminating data entry, integration can greatly minimize chargebacks and allow you to power a faster order-payment delivery cycle. But before you get too caught up in the benefits of integrating your software, here are some helpful tips you should know before you start your integration project research:

1. Have a list of your ‘pain’ points ready! are going to ask you why you are looking into integration and which aspects of an integration project would help your company. If you have reasons already noted than discussing your needs and requirements for an integration project will be much easier for both ends. You’ll be able to discuss a more detailed plan for your specific integration project in terms of which aspects of integration will really help your companies’ business processes.
2. What platforms are you planning to integrate in your project? It’s important to know which ERP or accounting software you are using as well as what version it is. If you’re looking to integrate with trading partners, eCommerce webstores or CRM packages, have that information ready as well. The more prepared you are the quicker your integration project can be deployed.
   • Note to reader: A lot of times people are pro-active when deciding if integration is right for them or not and haven’t chosen an ERP platform, accounting software, eCommerce webstore or CRM package yet. It’s totally fine to call without this information if you’re doing some preliminary research but even if you have platforms in mind, the Account Manager can inform you if the integration is possible or not.
3. If you have any customizations to your ERP/accounting software, make sure to have that knowledge available. Most adapters are built to a softwares ‘vanilla’ version, so if you have any customizations done to your ERP/accounting software, you will likely need to carry over those customizations to your integration project.
4. Have an ideal ‘Go Live’ date ready. That will give Account Managers an idea of how quickly the integration project needs to be completed so they can build out your project accordingly.
5. It is important to let your Account Manager know if you have had an integration project done in the past, what was integrated during that project and if that project has gone live or not. This allows the Account Manager to understand why you have come looking for a new integration project and helps explain where the last integration provider may have lacked in feature set or functionality.

Bonus Point:

1. Have a budget in mind for your integration project. Different types of projects are available with a wide range of costs so having a budget in mind will help one not get ‘sticker shocked’ once you start discussing your integration needs. Think of it like going car shopping, everyone would buy a souped-up luxury vehicle if we had the budget but the truth of the matter is we often are not awarded with an unlimited budget. You should set a preliminary budget based on your needs and how much you’re willing to pay for an integration project so projects don’t end up being more of an expense than you had hoped for.

If integrating your ERP/accounting software is something that you’re interested in pursuing than you should contact the Integration Specialists at eBridge Connections. We make ERP integration easy with over 20 years of experience in the integration industry and our partner certified adapters. We integrate over 40+ ERP/accounting softwares including Microsoft Dynamics, Sage, SAP, Netsuite, Epicor and many more. We contact to more than 20 popular eCommerce webstores, thousands of EDI trading partners and leading CRM platforms, making eBridge Connections the integration platform of choice for mid-sized businesses. Check if eBridge Connections supports your system on our Integration Blueprint Builder. If you are interested in integration please comment below or contact me via email pvanasseldonk@ebridgeconnections.com.

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Well… 10,000,000 documents processed through our ePortal  - certainly an amazing milestone for our Integration Platform!   From humble beginnings in 2008 (mainly processing EDI documents), our Platform has grown year over year to include the processing of eCommerce sales order & customer information as well as CRM (Salesforce.com, Dynamics CRM) data.

As you can imagine, we are very proud of this recent accomplishment and more importantly grateful to our customers for placing their critical business documents in our hands!

Congratulations Team and a big thank you to all of our Customers who use eBridge as their integration platform!

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Just recently I came across an interesting article on B2B.com which reported that a universal integration system is the top strategy for businesses challenging with internal and supplier communication. Aberdeen Group, a research firm in Boston,  surveyed the chief supply chain officers at 158 enterprises last April and 78% of the respondents said the top business strategy for dealing with supply chain issues is improving internal cross-departmental visibility and integration.

“In short, today’s supply chain management professional is being asked to move products further and faster than ever before through all these various channels while striving to decrease logistics costs and increase profitability,” Aberdeen reports.

B2B Companies today are being asked to have exact inventory levels available at all times to ensure the retailers they are working with have access to their up to date product information. Implementing processes and technologies, like eBridge’s EDI integration, that automate the tedious day-to-day work that keeps your business running will allow you and your employees to focus on higher-level strategic tasks. An EDI integration system for B2B companies ensures an integrated flow of data that eliminates data entry. EDI is used in all major industries, such as health, retail, automotive, finance etc. and can be implemented almost immediately, depending on the type of EDI solution chosen.

This type of seamless integration is also becoming increasingly valuable and often necessary for eCommerce companies. With the eBridge eCommerce integration, customer and sales order information is automatically entered into the back-office financial system from the Ecommerce storefront. In turn, product information and order status updates are automatically entered into the Ecommerce storefront to provide customers with essential and up-to-date information. The eCommerce solution greatly increases the speed of information exchange, resulting in improved customer service efficiency and customer satisfaction.

If you believe your company would benefit from eBridge’s universal integration platform, please comment below or contact me today: pvanasseldonk@ebridgeconnections.com

Also, if you wish to view the report “Supply Chain Visibility and Collaborative Execution in Consumer Markets: Addressing Omni-channel Logistics” it is normally available for Aberdeen clients at a price of $399, but is available as a free download for a limited time only.

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This is an email we received from one of our customers today and wanted to share this information to other EDI customers who are connected to Target Canada. The email read:

If you have any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to contact us!

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With Convergence 2013 only a month away, eBridge Connections is completing some finishing touches to ensure we’re fully prepared for the big week! This year the event will be held in New Orleans at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center from March 18th-21st. eBridge Connections will be sending two of our Microsoft Dynamics Integration Specialists, as well as our Sales and Marketing Manager, who are all hoping to make some valuable connections and meet some interesting people throughout the week. The eBridge Connections team has planned some special promotional items for our booth so be sure to look out for us during the event!

eBridge’s booth will be located in Hall E close to the Service desk and Exhibitor Lounge. Our booth number is 857 which is only steps away from the Microsoft Dynamics GP and CRM Solution exhibits. We are also happy to announce our newly designed trade show booth, so come over and let us know what you think!

Our Microsoft Dynamics Integration Specialists will also have some very exciting cloud related news to share with you at the event so be sure to ask them about that! eBridge Connections is a Certified Microsoft Dynamics Gold Partner and we have been working with Microsoft Dynamics products for over 20 years.

If this blog post hasn’t got you excited for Convergence yet then listen here for ‘the-cherry-on-top’ announcement for Convergence attendees. We will be bringing along some major eBridge swag. The highly anticipated swag items include  Stylus Pens for your smartphones and eBridge Sunglasses to help with the New Orleans sunshine. You’ll also have the chance to win an Apple iPad! Just be sure to bring a business card to our booth #857 to enter in the draw.

eBridge Connections looks forward to seeing everyone at #CONV13! Be sure to tweet us (@ebridgeconnects) or comment  about your booth number/location and we will stop by and say hello!

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Most people start the New Year with high hopes thinking that this year will be a more successful year than the last. Goals are set and resolutions are made, so if one of your goals or resolutions for 2013 has to do with eCommerce success, than you came to the right blog.

I found three articles that really lay out what eCommerce retailers need to do to be effective in the fast pace tech-industry during 2013. The articles lay out what you need to do to set your eCommerce site apart from others. Shoppers now have the flexibility to shop in a store, online, or through their mobile device, which gives them access to eCommerce stores all over the world. The three articles do a great job providing tips and tricks that range from website layout to unique promotional ideas which I think will give ideas for even the most veteran eCommerce sites.

Perhaps you’ve neglected your 2013 goals or just haven’t gotten around to making the wanted or needed changes to your eCommerce website, well now is your time. Don’t put it off any longer. 2013 is moving quickly, so by following these helpful tips, you could reach success that you once thought was only a dream!

If you have any other great eCommerce articles, please post them in the comments section. I would love to read other tips you have used to help your company succeed in 2013!

13 Tips for Ecommerce Success

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/3882-13-Tips-for-Ecommerce-Success-in-2013

Revamp Your Open Source e-Commerce Website for the New Year

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/blogs/post/1011-Revamp-Your-Open-Source-e-Commerce-Website-for-the-New-Year

What Do Shoppers Think of Your Ecommerce Site?

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/3873-What-Do-Shoppers-Think-of-Your-Ecommerce-Site-

If you have any other great eCommerce articles, please post them in the comments section. I’m sure that there are tons more effective tips that may help your fellow e-retailer!

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Similar to the saying ‘Call Before You Dig’ we would like to remind all of our customers to ‘Call Before You Upgrade’. A lot of companies are upgrading their ERP systems or adjusting their eCommerce, EDI or CRM applications so that their company can be using the best and most intuitive software available. eBridge Connections is a firm believer in staying on top of innovative technology but when it comes to making upgrades that may affect your integration, you should always call your eBridge Integration Specialist before making any changes. This will ensure that the upgrade does not interfere with your solution because that ends up creating headaches for both us and you.

The aftermath of upgrading without letting your Integration Specialist know beforehand can vary. Sometimes nothing changes and it’s business as usual, but unfortunately, it usually ends with your integration needing some work done so that it can run properly again.

Here are the most common issues eBridge runs into when you make upgrades without letting us know:

• The integration adapters often have a version check, so while there may not be changes at the database level from version to version, upgrading can cause the solution to fail based on this alone
• An old version of Windows or SQL server may not be compatible with the adapter, however, if the ERP officially supports a particular version of Windows or SQL, this shouldn’t be an issue
• If the customer updates and we haven’t released that version of the adapter, they can be production down for several days…or weeks
• If the customer forgets or isn’t aware they have customized their ERP database in a way that required a customized adapter, this could compound the delays
• It’s possible that the integration will appear to work but some of the data fields will not map to the correct location anymore

If you have any questions about your current solution or are planning an upgrade during the new year I advise you to call your eBridge Connections representative right away. This is because if any changes need to be made to your solution, it can be scheduled ahead of time to avoid any down-time or problems with your integration. If you are not sure which representative you should contact about your integration, please email me at pvanasseldonk@ebridgeconnections.com and I will forward your inquiry to your proper specialist.

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As a small business starts to grow, organization and business management become major factors when making everyday business decisions. Resource management quickly turns into insight into new business opportunities but sometimes developing small businesses don’t have the resources to catch-up with their growth. Microsoft Dynamics is currently running a Business Challenge where they looking for three worthy businesses who are trying to gain more control over their growing companies with a giveaway of $45,000 toward new ERP software and implementation services.

In order to be considered for this giveaway you need to make a short video explaining how Microsoft Dynamics ERP could positively transform your business operations and increase your potential for future success. Once your video is complete, upload your video to the “Win To Grow” website and share it with as many friends and colleagues as possible to help you receive the most votes. There are currently only 4 videos uploaded so odds are in your favor! Three companies will then be awarded $45,000 toward their ERP systems. This money will be put toward licenses for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013, Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013, or Microsoft Dynamics SL 2013 and implementation services from a Microsoft Dynamics Partner. If this is something that interests you please read the full Terms & Conditions and upload your video today! This contest closes February 15^th 2013. Be sure to post your video entry in our comments so we can vote for your business!

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