Automation has transformed nearly every aspect of B2B operations, with data exchange being a prime example.
Most businesses use automation to streamline their B2B data exchange — but often only partially and not as effectively as they could. Automating select processes while leaving gaps in others leaves benefits on the table: greater efficiency, fewer errors, and more cost savings, to name a few.
This flyer highlights the value of fully automating your data exchange with concrete steps you can take to see these results.
1. Improved data accuracy
When data is exchanged between parties, it must be translated into an acceptable format so everyone speaks the same language. Does your B2B integration platform enforce these standards automatically? Ideally, that’s the case, creating less room for misinterpretation without the legwork.
Before data is processed or transmitted, there should also be a checkpoint for data accuracy and completeness. Applying automated validation rules within your B2B integration platform makes it easier to flag any discrepancies early.
Do you use different systems for data communication and data transformation? Centralizing this in a single system reduces the risk of errors and ends up being more cost-efficient.
2. Streamlined onboarding
When a manufacturer works with various retail providers — many of whom have thousands of locations — it can mean thousands of hours of onboarding work for the manufacturer. And with the number of partners only growing year over year, creating automated onboarding patterns can save countless hours of manual work and get partners up and running faster.
What if there was a way to cut out the manual work of setting up these patterns? Bringing AI into the fold can further accelerate this process. When developers train AI models to work with users to suggest easier ways to build new data maps, there are chances to simplify and automate the process.
3. Combining traditional and modern integration
EDI remains critical to B2B integration, while APIs have emerged as a key enabler of digital transformation. Automatically integrating EDI and API flows into a single platform allows for streamlined operations with fewer resources.
That’s just the start. EDI and API integration can work hand in hand to solve business problems. Say an EDI team receives pings at all hours of the night to confirm whether orders were received or not. You can automate these conversations with a chatbot by integrating APIs into your B2B integration platform.
4. Enhanced visibility
As B2B transactions flow through your system, tracing every move is critical. Automatically tracking data transactions makes you instantly aware of disruptions so you can respond to issues before they run downstream.
What if you could see all these transactions from a single pane of glass? B2B integration makes it even easier to analyze data and troubleshoot issues. If you receive a purchase order that feeds into your ERP system and the system doesn’t do its job, you can quickly access and analyze relevant event data.
5. Faster time to market
The faster you can connect with trading partners and customers, the sooner you can launch new services and products. Automating the setup of B2B data exchange channels, data format validation, and transaction testing makes it easier to onboard and support this network.
By configuring APIs, you can add another layer of efficiency to this process. Building out tools and capabilities from these models allows you to set up partnerships without being EDI or B2B experts, reducing dependencies on IT teams.
6. Cost savings
Manual processes like partner onboarding are typically time-consuming and labor-intensive for IT teams. The more automation you bring into these processes, the more you can curb costs and give teams time to focus on higher-value activities.
At the same time, these tools help reduce costly delays in B2B data exchange. While allowing for more efficient internal and external transactions, full automation saves the time and costs associated with manual error checks. It becomes all the more effective when IT teams can see data at a glance.
7. Greater scalability
As B2B partner ecosystems continue to grow, so does the complexity of data exchange. To maintain competitiveness, businesses need to create a more open B2B ecosystem to support the dynamics of their partners’ needs.
Expanding the use of automation is also beneficial in this sense. With streamlined processes for data mapping and partner setups, alongside support for various formats and protocols, you can enable hyperconnectivity that drives growth without adding manual overhead.
8. Regulatory compliance
B2B transactions are complex relationships, and part of that relates to the compliance requirements involved. By establishing a standardized process for B2B data exchange, automation helps ensure you meet industry standards.
Regulatory requirements will, of course, continue to evolve. Amid the rollout of new e-invoicing standards, for instance, suppliers and buyers need to ensure they stay compliant — but also take advantage of this requirement to further automate processes. When you can reuse processes and integrations across regions and easily manage exceptions, you’ll streamline operations.
9. Streamlined security
Businesses often rely heavily on IT talent to keep B2B data exchange secure. With centralized and standardized security policies, only a few people need to be trained on common security policy flows. From there, thanks to automation, others within the enterprise can use them.
What if you paired these self-service capabilities with AI-driven threat detection? By analyzing historical data, AI can help you anticipate potential security threats and implement preventive measures to safeguard your data.
10. Non-stop operations
Everything from cyberattacks to hardware failures can disrupt B2B data exchange. When platforms are configured to automatically switch over to backup systems in these cases, businesses can maintain service availability and safeguard operations.
Automation also has a place in load balancing. Businesses can avoid bottlenecks and efficiently handle large transaction volumes by automatically distributing tasks across multiple servers. That’s less downtime without any manual intervention.
Get ready to supercharge your operational efficiency with seamless B2B integration
