While deciding on the type of Electronic Data Exchange or EDI can be a daunting task, it’s nearly as difficult to decide which EDI service provider will work for you. While there are several factors to consider, it is important to shortlist an EDI service provider based on your organization’s requirements and priorities.
At To-Increase, we have to keep a track of the competition in order to stay on top of our game. Therefore, this blog is an honest list of the best EDI vendors in the business that give our EDI Solutions tough competition.
We have put together a list of the best EDI Service Providers based on industry research (reviews from Gartner, G2, GetApp, Capterra, PeerSpot, Software Advice, and Software Suggest*). We have compiled this Top EDI Vendors list by evaluating most of the factors in our previous blog.
Disclaimer: The information on the competition is based solely on customer reviews, the company website, and other sources listed above*. None of the information in this blog is an expressed view or opinion of the author or To-Increase.
1. Data Masons (Vantage Point) from SPS Commerce
What are their strengths and weaknesses?
Data Masons is a renowned company acquired by SPS Commerce. Their solution earlier known as Vantage Point and now rebranded to Fulfillment EDI is built outside of Microsoft Dynamics 365 but provides several message translation options for different standards. The EDI solution uses SQL views to retrieve data from the ERP and uses ports to send data back and forth. The team offers customizations in certain cases so that the software is not a one-size-fits-all but adapts to the business. The maintenance of systems is extremely low once trading partners are set up.
Data Masons is based in the US and through the merger with SPS Commerce’s network, they have a prominent presence in Europe as well. However, they are focused on specific industries only. There is also a lack of flexibility to change the EDI broker as this service is offered by SPS Commerce which can be a disadvantage for organizations that need the flexibility to change their EDI broker or use multiple EDI brokers.
Cost and pricing models
Data Masons offers quote-based pricing plans. Please contact the vendor for more information.
Type of EDI solutions offered
SPS Commerce offers Cloud, SaaS, and web-based EDI Solutions. Data Masons EDI is a Microsoft Dynamics Certified provider and offers Cloud, and on-premise deployment. Additionally, SPS can integrate with various ERPs, (including Microsoft, SAP, Oracle+Netsuite) and other platforms such as Order Management System (OMS), Warehouse Management System (WMS), and more.
Do they have an industry specialty?
SPS Commerce specializes in the retail industry.
Do they only offer EDI or any other add-on services?
SPS Commerce does specialize in EDI but also offers SPS Analytics for retailers. They also have a DevCenter that offers API Development and access to existing APIs such as Shipping Label APIs, Packing Slip APIs & Transaction APIs.
EDI Offerings
The solution includes pre-built EDI maps, so mapping and reporting for trading partners, and customers becomes easy. They offer partner-specific error detection. Vantage Point or Fulfillment EDI has a graphical workflow interface with notifications and alerts for data coming in and out of the system.
Connectivity to EDI networks and their VAN networks
SPS has a wide network of connections in the retail industry and offers a VAN service. SPS' network includes more than 95,000 trading partners in over 80 countries.
Implementation time and process
The ease of EDI Mapping reduces the implementation time, but some customers have mentioned the managing of exceptions to be challenging for the first few months post-go-live.
Scalability
The solution is capable of handling high-volume customer and vendor transactions.
Downtime and support
They have email, phone, and live 24/7 reps supporting customer queries and issues. Customers have reported positive reviews on the skillset and experience of the Data Masons team mentioning good response times and quick resolutions to any issues or queries. Training and implementation assistance is provided to the customers during the onboarding process.
Changes or corrections to the solution could take some time as some customers mention that they have a protocol to reach out to the level 2 support team for more critical issues.
2. TrueCommerce
What are their strengths and weaknesses?
TrueCommerce offers a simple and user-friendly EDI platform that can easily be customized by the end-user for changes to certain data items. The solution can simplify business communications with software such as Quickbooks and UPS/Fedex that ease logistics and supply chain management. The solution also has some useful features that are popular with customers such as Transaction Manager and the ability to search for specific orders.
While True Commerce offers to export many uncommon EDI transactions via FTP as flat files to your ERP, the mapping for those transactions needs to be customized by their support team at an extra cost. Customers have reported certain cases of mismatch of expectations from assigned partners in a few reviews.
Cost and pricing models
The pricing structure might seem cost-effective as it doesn't involve monthly fees per trading partner. However, they do have hidden costs such as add-ons for features such as EDI mapping customization which one would expect to be included as part of the package offering.
Type of EDI solutions offered
They offer a cloud-based EDI solution that can integrate with several ERP systems including Microsoft 365 Operations & SCM, NetSuite, Oracle, and others. In addition to ERP integrations, TrueCommerce offers integrations with specialty business systems such as Acctivate, AccountMate, Fishbowl, Spire, and more.
Do they have an industry specialty?
TrueCommerce specializes in EDI for retail and supply chain management.
Do they only offer EDI or any other add-on services?
Besides EDI solutions they offer eCommerce solutions, invoicing, marketplace integration, order fulfillment services, and product information management (PIM) systems.
EDI Offerings
TrueCommerce manages trading partner mappings, compliance, and connectivity requirements. The EDI software allows you to add new fields and additional workflows without any re-programming. However, it is still necessary to check partner information on EDI mapping after the initial onboarding which can be time-consuming.
Connectivity to EDI networks and their VAN networks
They have a wide network of connections with trading partners – over 92,000 pre-connected retailers, distributors, and logistics service providers. Customers have reported quick processing of even large orders.
Implementation time and process
Customers have reported longer times than expected for implementation finalization and go-lives.
Scalability
TrueCommerce boasts of handling more than a hundred million transactions annually so they can scale as you grow. They have the infrastructure and resources to handle multiple deployments for EDI for enterprises.
User friendly and customer-focused
The EDI solution is configurable and adapts to the business process.
Downtime and support
TrueCommerce offers support within the platform for complex EDI workflows. Their support team is US-based and is available for general queries on weekdays between 8am-8pm and provide 24/7 support for emergencies. However, we have seen both positive and negative reviews in this regard.
3. SEEBURGER B2B/EDI Solutions
What are their strengths and weaknesses?
Seeburger offers B2B/EDI as part of their BIS solution through software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications or cloud-based integrations. Enterprises can consider the BIS Solution for hybrid integration needs via a unified and homogeneous middleware stack which reduces the need for any third-party solutions.
This also means EDI is a small part of the larger picture as their focus has been API-led integration, API management, and hybrid integration using SEEBURGER Cloud Services.
Cost and pricing models
They offer a pay-per-user-based pricing model. So, their customers pay for a maximum number of setups, per customer map, and maintenance on each one of those. In addition, you have to pay for each adaptor that you anticipate using. They offer different licensing models for Europe and the USA.
Type of EDI solutions offered
Their solution is available as a cloud-based, web-based, or SaaS offering. Seeburger offers cloud, on-premises, and hybrid deployment options for its customers. Their Business Integration Suite solution includes B2B/EDI, IoT/Ind. 4.0, e-invoicing, Managed File Transfer (MFT), API/EAI management, and integrations to the ERP. They also offer Seeburger Express for EDI/B2B for small and mid-sized businesses.
Do they have an industry specialty?
Seeburger offers EDI services across industries such as Automotive, Healthcare, CPG/Retail, and others.
Do they only offer EDI or any other add-on services?
Seeburger offers a host of software solutions for Business Integration, Engineering and Security. They offer SAP S/4HANA Integration, Data Protection and Compliance, Solution for Engineering (CAD/CAx), and Product Data Exchange API. In addition to the BIS Suite, they offer EAI and EDI Integration and SEEBURGER Connectors for BIS.
EDI Offerings
EDI-specific offerings include EDI integrations, data mappings, EDI translations, business partner and mapping library, and error notifications.
Connectivity to EDI networks and their VAN networks
Seeburger offers a digital integration platform that displaces the need for a VAN network.
Implementation time and process
Deployment of the solution depends on the kind of integrations and the platforms in use for the BIS suite. If there are several integrations and vendors in play, the planning, implementation, and final go-live could take anywhere between 3-6 months (which is usually the average time for implementations).
Scalability
Seeburger’s BIS Suite caters to larger organizations, while the Express B2B/EDI solution caters to small and mid-sized businesses.
User-friendly and customer-focused
SEEBURGER BIS allows customers to string different activities together in their workflows in any order. This adds a high level of flexibility for customers.
Downtime and support
They offer a 24/7 Live Rep and chat service desk for their customers. Their email response times are within 24 hours and the reviews for customer support are positive.
4. Lobster EDI
What are their strengths and weaknesses?
According to the company website, Lobster_Data offers EAI, EDI, MFT, Industry 4.0 & IoT strategies. Their platform runs on an HTML5 interface with no need for scripting post implementation. Lobster offers a modern, user-friendly, intuitive interface as per most customer feedback.
An issue reported in some reviews is the help section within the platform. Some documentation is not available in English and that was inconvenient for certain customers.
Lobster_data offers easy connection and integration between the system and SQL database for a non-technical user. However, customers that didn’t have knowledge of data processes and (SQL) scripting, struggled to make it work.
Cost and pricing models
Lobster offers a monthly and yearly package but please reach out to the vendor directly to verify. Additional modules are chargeable for customers that have a standard license.
Type of EDI solutions offered
Lobster offers on-premise, private cloud and iPaaS models of deployment. Lobster also offers Lobster_Pro which is a higher-end version of Lobster_Data that offers an end-to-end solution.
Do they have an industry specialty?
Lobster caters to organizations across the spectrum from SMEs and Startups to Large Enterprises.
Do they only offer EDI or any other add-on services?
Their website lists PIM or Production Information Management Software and Logistics Cloud besides the Lobster_Data and Lobster_Pro services.
EDI Offerings
The Lobster_data platform provides AS2 Capability, Data Format Translation, EDI Testing, Reporting/Analytics. The tool is compatible with several applications such as SalesForce, LDAP, SAP, DB, etc. Communication can take place between the systems via HTTP, SQL, SFTP/ FTP, AS2, x400, SalesForce driver, SAP JCo driver, etc. with all common formats design.
Scalability
Lobster_data promises to deliver optimum services on mini servers as well on sophisticated servers within computer clusters.
Security
Lobster boasts of container-compatible server technology and encryptions for security.
User-friendly and customer-focused
There are several features that customers found very useful while using the Lobster-data platform. Some of them are the ease of use for tracking orders, profile creation, the scheduling tool, insights from the monitoring tool, and the integration of sources and target maps. Besides offering a flexible platform, Lobster_data also offers features and tips that the customers found helpful.
Downtime and support
Lobster_data offerS email, phone, 24/7 (live rep) and chat support. They have received some great reviews about their customer service.
Choosing the right EDI service provider for you
We have shared the strengths and weaknesses, solution features, implementation and several other details of the top EDI providers that are some of the most renowned providers in the data integration business. If you’re still unsure about which type of EDI implementation is the right choice for your organization, read our blog on the various EDI Implementation scenarios.
If you are looking for a solution that caters to the retail industry and are okay with using SPS Commerce's network, then Data Masons might work for you. However, if you prefer integrations with specialty business systems, then TrueCommerce will rank higher up your list to consider.
If you think your organization will benefit by using a digital integration platform instead of a VAN network, then Seeburger will be the best option to consider. And if you are looking for a single platform to manage one single tool for EAI, EDI, MFT, Industry 4.0 & IoT strategies, then Lobster_Data would be the best choice for you.
However, if you are looking at an embedded solution within Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations or Supply Chain Management (F&O or SCM), then none of the above solutions in the list will be the best choice.
In that case, we would recommend spending some time on To-increase’s EDI solution—EDI Studio, which is built within Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations (F&O) and Supply Chain Management (SCM).
EDI Studio is an embedded solution
While most of these EDI platforms are platform-agnostic or must be integrated with the ERP, EDI Studio is built within Microsoft Dynamic 365 (MS D365), and that is what differentiates us from the competition.
EDI integrated with your ERP software can help you streamline operations. Without integrated EDI, you have isolated pieces of technology that require human intervention. Therefore, To-Increase’s EDI solution can truly harness the power of Microsoft Dynamic 365 and integrates seamlessly with all your systems. Read our blog to understand the advantages of investing in an Embedded EDI Solution within Dynamics 365 for more information.
To-Increase’s EDI Studio offers all the above benefits of an embedded EDI solution for MS D365. Download the infographic for details.
EDI Studio – offerings
- Manage exceptions without leaving the D365FO environment.
- Benefit from high-performance EDI messaging and integration and coding support.
- Easily track past records of important documents when it is time to analyze ROI.
- Use staging journals as an additional mechanism to validate data and automate processes.
- Startup quickly as EDI Tutorials have been provided within the solution.
- EDI Studio offers multiple EDI formats for different transactions.
- EDI Process support provided for several processes including Order2Cash, Procure2Pay, 3PL, VMI, and Master Data.
Flexibility
Our solution allows you to configure on your own or connect with a value-added network (VAN)/managed service provider (MSP) of your choice, that could translate your messages to the right EDI format per trading partner.
Alternatively, if you are looking at an end-to-end EDI solution, we have an offering in partnership with TIE Kinetix: EDI-2-Flow for Dynamics 365. The solution includes the To-Increase Business Integration Solutions (BIS) suite for integration and easy exception handling inside D365 F&O and the FLOW Partner Automation platform, all in the Azure cloud.
The To-Increase advantage
EDI Studio and Connectivity Studio are a bundled offering, and the later helps simplify the setup and management of integrations between your ERP and other business systems and not just EDI. So if you decide to add on any other solution as your business scales, whether it is Master Data Management or Data Quality Studio at a later date, integration of those solutions to your ERP will be a breeze.
At To-Increase, we can provide the connecting link between your engineering and manufacturing to streamline your supply chain process. Find out how, by downloading the resource below. If you would like to know more about our clients, security, implementation and connectivity, downtime, and support, you can reach out to our experts here.
Khalil Bouzidi
Jim Schwab
Kaustubh Durve
