Electronic data interchange (EDI) has long played a critical role in the integration of external B2B systems and platforms. Application programming interfaces (APIs), meanwhile, have grown as a means to permit real-time sharing of data directly into applications and simplified integration with back-end business systems.
In conversations around these two ways of sharing data, the focus tends to be on EDI-to-API migration: many predicted that EDI and the integrations used to move these document exchanges between businesses would be obsolete by now. So why is it that they are still thriving? Here’s why the better bet is to find a way to let EDI and API work together.
The continued importance of EDI
Today, electronic data interchanges continue to enable connections — and with those connections intact, EDI remains a viable option. For some Axway customers, EDI handles up to 85% of revenue. In fact, there are even markets where EDI is expected to grow in the coming years. Case in point: the EDI market in healthcare is expected to reach over $9 billion by 2030.
From a sustained presence to new growth, several factors support the use of B2B EDI:
- EDI is proven and reliable technology
- Once past the initial setup, EDI is easy to keep running
- EDI industry processes — such as order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, and others — are standardized, globally known, and well documented
B2B integration platform: the smarter alternative
To summarize, you don’t need to undertake a wholesale EDI-to-API migration, as EDI continues to play an important role in B2B communication. At the same time, there is a growing need at almost every B2B enterprise to enable modern API-driven business use cases in a time-effective and affordable manner.
That’s where a modern B2B integration platform comes into the picture. Low risk and high reward, a B2B platform brings EDI and API together in a single place. It serves as a bridge between legacy systems and new cloud-driven SaaS systems, without any disruption to operations. With more connection options, you now have more agility to meet new industry protocols and formats, embrace innovation, and differentiate your business with new integrations.
Some of the advantages of this integrated approach include:
- Interact across your business, supply chain, and partner ecosystem with one B2B integration solution
- Automate time-consuming, error-prone processes and speed responses with DevOps-friendly configuration and operational APIs
- Integrate cloud apps with low-code/no-code integrations into your B2B processes
- Streamline onboarding and create opportunities for expansion into new markets
Platform benefits:
Launchpad for innovation. Leverage a comprehensive library of modern APIs for operation, configuration, and transactions, along with iPaaS connectors to complement your modern EDI capability.
Operational efficiency. Rely on a single point of management for a great variety of EDI protocols, modern APIs, and API-driven VAN, B2B and B2G e-invoicing, and PEPPOL networks, Odette, Catena-X and other industry standards and processes, and ICS2, CESOP, DSCSA and other market regulations.
Unbeaten productivity. Get the best of competitive solution architecture, compliance, security, certifications, and value-driven cloud services.
Right offer for you. Gain flexibility with customer-managed or Axway-managed deployment, as software or in the cloud via MS Azure or AWS, or move forward with a progressive hybrid deployment to explore the benefits of the cloud.
Ready to get the best of EDI and API?
