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Let’s be honest. EDI is tough.
If you already have a solution, you know it’s challenging to find a services partner who truly supports you with unlimited services for one predictable price.
If you’re putting together an RFP for your first EDI solution, you know how hard it is to understand trading partner requirements and technical jargon. You just don’t know what you don’t know.
Whether you’re looking for a better EDI services partner or starting out fresh, one thing’s for certain: the RFP process is essential to get the solution and services you need.
That’s why you should use our FREE EDI RFP template to put every vendor through their paces. Our template covers:
- Your current EDI landscape (if any)
- Details about your company
- Details for the vendor to fill in
- Your required EDI capabilities (with vendors rating their competency in 27 categories)
- Backend integration(s) required
- Roles and responsibilities
- Required SLA/SLO
- Legal requirements
Download our FREE EDI RFP Template to start evaluating your options.
Why use an RFP template for EDI?
EDI is incredibly complex. Between data standards, protocols, translators, mailboxes, and more, there’s a lot to know. If you’re a career expert in EDI, maybe you’ve got it all down. For the rest of us, an RFP template helps cover all your bases.
Here at Corsica, our RFP template reflects 30+ years in business as a technology company. When it comes to EDI services, we’ve seen it all. We want you to avoid pitfalls like:
Not considering the future state of your EDI program. Are there lucrative trading partners that you don’t even know about? What would it take to meet your needs today while also preparing for your future growth and limiting technical debt?
Going it alone. Many technologies can be “insourced” with staff who handle that technology in addition to other responsibilities. EDI breaks this pattern. It’s simply too complex. As we like to say, EDI is a career, not a skill. Global enterprises can hire EDI staff, but the rest of us need an expert partner managing EDI.
Not understanding the difference between VAN and point-to-point. While this sounds technical, it’s an important distinction that determines how you connect with trading partners. It has all kinds of implications for your support burden, the increasing complexity of your solution, and more. You really want to get it right—not only for today, but for the future. An expert EDI partner can help you with this.
Not accounting for your support needs. Some technologies need very little maintenance, just the occasional update. EDI doesn’t fit this pattern. With data mapping between different trading partners, not to mention integrations to backend systems like ERP, CRM, and SCM, an EDI solution is a living, breathing beast that needs regular care and attention. Any time a field gets updated—or you add a trading partner—you need experts testing the new configuration, addressing any issues, and keeping everything running smoothly. (Hint: This is why our Unlimited Technology Services model makes more sense than a nickel-and-dime approach to billing.)
Using an EDI RFP template to defend your own interests
Not all EDI service providers are created equal. In fact, it’s commonplace for EDI providers to bill for every little interaction with your system.
Adding a new field? That’s an SOW.
Updating some broken mapping? Also an SOW.
Adding a new trading partner? Definitely an SOW.
This model works great for the EDI provider, but it’s not great for the customer. You get unpredictable costs associated with your EDI solution. A technology that’s supposed to “keep the lights on” in terms of document flow becomes a sore point on your P&L.
It shouldn’t be this hard to succeed with EDI. Your provider should act as a true partner, giving you unlimited services for one predictable monthly price. That’s what we do here at Corsica. Your monthly price covers:
- Adding new fields
- Mapping data
- Handling exceptions
- Adding a new trading partner
Will a given vendor nickel-and-dime you? Or will they offer predictable pricing and unlimited service to support your EDI program as it grows? Our RFP template is designed to flush out these details so you can make an informed decision.
Download our template now to start your RFP process.
EDI RFP template details
An RFP is useless if it doesn’t cover all your bases. That’s why our template is incredibly thorough. It covers:
About your organization
- Industry
- Vision and mission
- Ownership and funding
- Applicable regulations (if known)
- Current compliance with applicable regulation (if known)
- What trading partners will interact with your EDI solution?
- Purpose of your EDI RFP
- RFP process and timeline
About the vendor
- Vision and mission
- Ownership and funding
- Capabilities and specializations
- Relevant certifications and partnerships
- Do you have demonstrated success helping companies in our industry grow revenue and cut costs through EDI?
- What sets you apart from other EDI service providers?
- What is your billing model? Do you bill at a granular level (i.e. SOW for any change request), or do you offer unlimited EDI services for one predictable monthly price?
Your EDI landscape (if you have an EDI solution)
- Customers currently in production
- Suppliers currently in production
- What documents do you currently send?
- What documents do you currently receive?
- What countries do you do business in?
- Monthly transaction volume
- Point-to-point connections
- Current EDI services provider
- Your larger EDI opportunity
- EDI data standard in use today (ANSI X12, EDIFACT, etc.)
- Current EDI platform and solution
- Current EDI translator
- Current EDI integrations
- Your ERP system
- Pain points with current solution
Your EDI requirements
- Support for EDI protocol(s) required (AS2, AS3, SFTP, etc.)
- Support for EDI data standards required (ANSI X12, EDIFACT, etc.)
- Point-to-point support required
- Required support for commercial EDI platform(s)
- Mailbox support required
- EDI file support required
- EDI managed services (including billing structure, unlimited services vs. metered services)
- Consulting services required
That’s only the beginning. Download the RFP template now to get the full picture.
Download the template