MHW Magazine News and stories from the Materials Handling Industry
New business is beating its way to the door of EDI provider First B2B Ltd with Diamond Comics, Warmup PLC and Leathams PLC all signing up for the market leading Software as a Service solution for Electronic Data Interchange.
The range of businesses shows the flexibility of the First B2B solution. Diamond Comics are distributors of American comic magazines to major retail distribution outlets, Warmup PLC are leading underfloor heating suppliers and use EDI for transactions with a range of builders' merchants and DIY outlets, integrating the First B2B EDI with the NetSuite ERP systems.
Leathams are providers of high quality food products for gourmets and utilise EDI to trade with a wide range of suppliers and retail outlets. Previously utilising an EDI solution from Freeway Commerce the ease of use of First B2B proved a major attraction. Leathams' FD Douglas Dunbar says “The First B2B solution doesn't require any additional hardware or software at our sites or at those of our trading partners. Additional partners can be included at no cost extra to contract and is incredibly simple to achieve with the First B2B mapping technology. It's early days for us yet but the First B2B offering looks just what we need.”
The First B2B solution is revolutionary in that it is entirely remote from trading partners, utilising Software as a Service (SaaS) technology. Partners send and receive data using whatever data formats or transport technologies are favoured by their in house ERP systems and the First B2B technology ensures that the messages are appropriately translated for their partners to send and receive as their systems require. First B2B Chairman Richard Ward says “EDI used to be a major headache for companies but the advent of SaaS EDI solutions means that businesses can focus on their core businesses knowing that the EDI solution will operate without needing their intervention. We are seeing a large number of companies coming forward who recognise that real transactions savings can be made without the IT investments which were previously involved in EDI.”
