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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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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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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Salesforce pioneered the Software-as-a-Service industry and is the leading CRM solution, which is why I am excited to announce exciting news regarding the eBridge integration connector for Salesforce.

We have enhanced the integration connection to allow greater flexibility, including:

• Access to any objects related to an “Opportunity”, including those that are one or more steps removed. For example, for Opportunity –> Account –> Case, the Case object is not linked directly to the Opportunity but we will be able to ‘tow’ it along when we pull the Opportunity.
• Access custom objects related to the Opportunity.  Salesforce is almost always customized to accommodate specific business processes or workflows and that means adding objects that are not native to the default Salesforce environment.  Now eBridge can access custom objects so we can accommodate your specific business usage of Salesforce!
• Access an unlimited number of user-created fields (maximum was previously 20) on the Opportunity and any of the objects that come down with the Opportunity.  This means we can support an unlimited number of custom fields on the Contacts object, for example, since Contacts is linked to the Opportunity.  Of course all of this true for custom objects as well.

Here is a diagram highlighting the Opportunity object in green and all the related standard objects we can access, in orange.  Don’t forget, if you create a custom object that is linked to any of these, we can access that as well!  Click the image to enlarge.

We are always looking for your feedback on how you would like to integrate Salesforce with your back-office systems so please leave your comments below or on The Core, the eBridge community forum.

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Good morning everyone, I’m currently trying to gauge interest in accounting integration for Sage X3? 

Leave a comment if you are looking for an integration solution to Sage X3 – I’d love to hear your feedback.

Thanks,

Dave Malda.

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Something is different around the offices of eBridge, and it’s got people talking. Over the last week or so, we’ve put on display the logos of a number of our clients. These clients have been organized into various groups depending on where they are within our business process. If a deal was just recently signed, they are grouped to one side. The other end of the spectrum holds customers that are fully implemented and currently running an eBridge solution.

Why is eBridge doing this, you ask? Great question – we had a number of goals in mind when we deployed this project. First off, it helps everyone in the company become more familiar with our family of clients. Being relatively new here, this has been a great help for me. Every time I walk by the wall I notice a new logo or name that I wasn’t previously aware of.

It also helps to provide a visual representation of the company’s overall work flow. This is useful for spotting bottlenecks or backlogs at a specific point so that we can take action to correct issues. If we notice for example that too many clients are waiting for implementation, action can be taken to move them along the process (and consequently, the wall!).

That brings me to the last aim of this initiative. Being able to physically move a logo from one partition to the next gives an added feeling of success to our team. Before this wall, new customer processing occurred on paper and behind the scenes with select groups of people at specific points in the process. Now, everyone is privy to this information and is a part of the living, breathing machine that is eBridge Software.

Having a great CRM application or integration is just part of quality customer relationship management.  Does your company do anything beyond typical CRM practices? Do you creatively visualize and display your family of clients? Share your stories and ideas!

…and for anyone that didn’t catch it or hasn’t seen the film, the title was inspired by Avatar.

Kevin Martin
Assistant Marketing Professional

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Good Afternoon,

Despite filling up at both the Chinese New Years lunch and the Valentine’s Potluck lunch this week, the development team still churned out their usual volume of connections! Here is the list of new and updated connections for the week of February 8th, 2010:

• Uniselect 4010
• Von Maur 4010 VICS

• AAFES 4030
• Basics Office Products LTD 4010
• Belks 4010VICS
• Best Buy Dot Com Commerce Hub 4010
• Boscovs 4010 VICS
• CSN Stores 4010
• DH Howden 4010
• DHL 4010
• FleetFarm 4010
• General Maps
• GiantEagle 4010 UCS
• Home Depot Canada 4060
• HY Vee 4010 UCS
• Magento
• Maps
• McLane 5010
• MeijersCom 4010
• National Grocers 4010 VICS
• OfficeDepotVirtualWarehouse 4010
• Party City 4010
• SP Richards 4010
• Steinmart 4010
• Target Corporation 4010
• Uniselect 4010

That’s it for this week.  If you’d like to view our complete list of supported EDI trading partners, click here!

Kevin Martin
Assistant Marketing Professional

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While in university, I was presented with a unique analogy. A marketing professor proposed to us that a thriving B2B relationship shares many characteristics with that of a good marriage. I was skeptical at first, but as he continued it became abundantly clear that we could learn a lot by comparing the two. I mean, consider the usual process of landing a new partner or supplier. It might start with a simple cold call, which leads to a conference call including some upper management. From there, the orders and commitments start small. Through these small orders, each party learns the business practices and rules of the opposite organization. As trust and comfort grows between the parties, the relationship grows and flourishes into a large and long-term business relationship.

Now compare that to the similar process of marriage. You meet someone, and start with small conversation. This leads to dating, meeting the family and becoming immersed in each others lives and practices.  This might be followed later by an escalated commitment such as engagement. And finally, the couple gets married and lives happily ever after.

Ok, we all know that the process for marriage I just described is almost never as smooth and perfect as that. I am not going to pretend that it is, either. What I will offer are 4 elements of a healthy B2B marriage that you should keep in mind when working with your partners, suppliers, and customers:

1) Accountability

In a marriage, there is an unwritten expectation that each party is held accountable to each other. If a husband forgets his wife’s birthday, you can almost guarantee he will be paying for in some way, at some time. The same principle applies to your relations with EDI trading partners. If one of your employees makes an error on a shipping order, the onus is on you to make up for the mistake. Likewise, if your business partner lets you down they should also be held accountable and right the wrong. This ties in nicely with the next element, Interdependence.

2) Interdependence

The bond that is tied through marriage is supposed to be eternal. Supporting each other in good health and in bad. Each partner can depend on the other to provide a helping hand or to pick up the slack. In the B2B world, this is huge. If your EDI trading partner Target unexpectedly runs out of stock of your product and requires a rush shipment to replenish the shelves, they should get it. They should get it as soon as feasibly possible for you to deliver the stock. This type of favour is beneficial to the relationship because not only are you helping them out of a bind, but you are much more likely to receive similar assistance in your time of crisis.

3) Punctuality

Most people – married or not – do not enjoy waiting. This seems to be an underlying characteristic of the human species. This trait is only amplified when one becomes accustomed to routines and schedules commonly found in the lives of married couples. If your spouse has to wait an extra hour to be picked up from work, you can be sure there will be repercussions of some nature. Similarly, business partners hate waiting. This is especially true if waiting translates into a direct loss of sales or increase in storage costs. Staying timely with your obligations to them will force them to do the same in order to maintain the mutually beneficial relationship.

4) Communication

This element is by far the most crucial. In order for the aforementioned concerns to be handled properly, effective communication must be in place. I can attest to this necessity as, I was witness to many communication breakdowns between my parents growing up. Something as simple as a misplaced note or missed phone call could be enough to stir the pot. Similarly if your ASN or 856 Advanced Shipping Notice / Manifest does not reach Wal Mart before your shipment does, it could result in losses for you as well as an unhappy and inconvenienced partner. This type of conundrum can easily be avoided by ensuring that the lines of communication are always open.

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Being aware of these elements is one step to ensuring a prosperous relationship with your partners. However, taking proactive measures to ensure that they are covered is much more desirable. While we may not be able to help you with your personal marriage, you could think of an eBridge solution as your “B2B Marriage Counselor“. Our integration eliminates factors such as late or undelivered documents, manual entry errors, as well as offering many other benefits. If you would like to find out more, contact one of our counsel-errrr-Account Managers to see how we can help.

This list is by no means comprehensive. I encourage you to share any other similarities you can think of between marriage and B2B relationships. Share your stories (good or bad), or feel free to criticize mine; I have never been married after all!

Kevin Martin
Assistant Marketing Professional

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Good Afternoon Everyone,

It must be the warmer weather we’ve been enjoying, as the eBridge team has a long list of updated connections for you this week. Here are the updated connections for the week of January 18th, 2010:

• AAFES 4030
• Belks 4010 VICS
• Bloomingdales 4050
• Bon Ton 4010 VICS
• Cabelas 4030
• Dillards 4030 VICS
• Dot Foods 4010
• eBay Maps
• Factory Card 4010
• Fingerhut 4010
• Harris Teeter 4030 UCS
• Hayneedle 4030
• Home Depot Canada 4060
• National Grocers 4010 VICS
• Overwaitea Food Group 4010 VICS
• Pets Mart 4010
• Pubnet US 3060
• Stage Stores 4010 VICS
• Synnex 4010

That wraps it up for this week. If you would like to find out more about any of these connections or inquire about one that you haven’t seen listed, feel free to Contact Us.

As always, keep watching for our weekly integration updates!

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

Kevin Martin
Assistant Marketing Professional

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