Managing Your Trading Partner EDIINT Migration Project
4 Critical Issues in Converting Trading Partners from VANs and Legacy Protocols to Private Hubs
Why Trading Partner Conversion Is Key to Successful Internet EDI
Major companies – eager to reduce or eliminate the high cost of value-added network (VAN) connections for themselves and their suppliers – are rapidly moving from legacy asynchronous and bisynchronous protocols to Internet EDI communications.
Two developments, in particular, have worked to accelerate the acceptance of Internet EDI. One is Wal-Mart's adoption of AS2, the Electronic Data Interchange Internet (EDIINT) Application Statement 2 protocol. The second is eBusinessReady Interoperability testing of AS2 products, sponsored by the Uniform Council Code, Inc. and performed by the Drummond Group, Inc.
AS2 has, in fact, emerged as the new de facto standard for retail EDI communications. In September 2002, Wal-Mart – the world’s largest retailer – announced its switch from a mainframe-based legacy EDI system with traditional bisynchronous supplier-to-host connections to an Internet server requiring AS2-compliant clients. With Wal-Mart’s stamp of approval, the retail industry at large has gained confidence that AS2 will deliver the needed levels of capability and security for effective Internet EDI.
Now, as more companies move to implement their own AS2-based EDI hubs, much is being written about the technology’s challenges from the server side of the equation. However, there has been little focus, to date, on another equally important phase of the AS2 shift for retail EDI. And that is: the difficult process of converting the retailer’s trading partners to the new communications method.
Companies must understand the critical issues associated with converting suppliers from traditional VAN connections to today’s Internet-based EDI links. Cleo has outlined the steps for managing this trading partner conversion, and a list of the key attributes of a communications partner qualified to assist in the task.