We regularly engage with companies that indicate they have made thoughtless decisions regarding supply chain integration, particularly in the areas of EDI and e-invoicing, which can severely harm the company instead of transforming it. This often happens because the management team turns to colleagues for what initially seems like a simple integration question or task.

Have you ever considered independent consultants or advisors?

Our independent consultants offer an objective perspective and deep expertise that goes beyond internal knowledge. This helps in identifying the best solutions for your specific integration needs without disrupting your team's daily operations. By utilizing our services, you not only reduce risks but also improve decision-making and increase the chances of a successful integration.

Deficiencies

EDI and e-invoicing need to be used in a standardized format for sending and receiving data (messages) to and from different companies. However, errors can occur for various reasons. These deficiencies always result in delays, can halt production, or even cause unpaid invoices. Therefore, it is crucial that the content of the messages is correct.

Most errors can be resolved by your own staff, as they are generally well-known. However, there are unusual types of errors that can take more time to resolve. It is these unusual errors that can become costly for a company.

Impact of errors

In practice, it appears that deficiencies or lack of knowledge about e-invoicing can cause problems for both the sender and the receiver. Deficiencies can lead to various operational inefficiencies. This leads to disputes between the different parties, wasting time and money.

Business impact of integration errors

Not only do errors cause problems in the chain, but also within the company itself. Below we have outlined one significant impact:

• Increased workload causing daily primary tasks to be neglected.

Employees may work overtime to resolve the problem, costing the company more money. We all know that employee motivation and team cohesion make a dramatic difference to the growth of a company, and more efficient use of personnel reduces the need to recruit in a tight labor market.

How can deficiencies be prevented?

Expert EDI staff are in demand but becoming rare. As a result, companies are often set up with limited internal EDI resources and mainly manage the content, supplementing this with an independent party like Harbe, or they fully outsource to Harbe, which can cover all necessary aspects.

Reducing your overall risk

For companies that do not have internal EDI and e-invoicing resources, we recommend considering external support, which reduces the risk. If you have not yet considered EDI and/or e-invoicing, we recommend contacting our integration consultant who can advise on the best approach for your company. This will not only ensure a successful implementation, reducing risk, but also lower costs and increase efficiency for your company.

If you do not have EDI adoption throughout your entire chain and there are some gaps, this can significantly affect the efficiency of other areas that do use EDI and e-invoicing. Unless these are implemented throughout the entire chain, risks can arise, such as delays and their consequences. In this case, Harbe can perform a quick scan to investigate any gaps, improving the reliability, accuracy, and security of your processes and ensuring smoother transactions and stronger partnerships.

Harbe

We offer strategic, operational, and tactical advice in the field of Electronic Document Interchange (EDI) and e-invoicing to ensure your supply chain integration runs optimally. By utilizing our services, you not only reduce risks but also improve decision-making and increase the chances of a successful integration.

Would you like to know how Harbe can support your company? Book a free one-hour consultation with our experts. Contact us and let's find the best solutions for your supply chain integration challenges together!