Johannesburg, 29 Apr 2013
In today's digital age, interactions between businesses are more than likely electronic. While many companies communicate electronically with their partners, many more don't, resulting in a duplication of work and a waste of time and manpower.
The solution is business-to-business integration. "Some say communication is the lifeblood of the organisation, and others say information is the lifeblood of the organisation. Business-to-business integration encompasses both, and offers more to the organisation," says Etienne du Toit, manager for the Integration Business Unit at Westrocon.
"It is the most efficient channel with which to communicate with customers and suppliers because it is fast, efficient, accurate and consistent, and is especially relevant in the manufacturing, retail, and obviously, logistics industries."
Business-to-business integration covers all areas of electronic commerce, including orders, invoices, notifications and confirmations sent electronically between organisations, allowing companies to liaise directly and efficiently with customers and suppliers. It also allows businesses to cope with high volumes and peak times by automating processes and making communication between companies more efficient.
Du Toit says many companies stick with what they know using channels such as faxes, telephone calls and e-mail because of an incorrect perception that integration is complex and expensive. "SMEs especially shy away from or postpone integration due to the belief that it is complex and expensive, but they regularly have issues with the traditional channels, such as illegible faxes, incorrect orders, misunderstanding of communications, or lost communications in some cases. It is quite alarming to see how many companies are not seeing the benefits of integration."
He explains this situation is not sustainable, as processes get digitised and many larger companies insist on integration from their suppliers. "In some cases, they will cut ties with suppliers if integration is not in place, especially if there are alternative suppliers," says Du Toit. "But, in addition to keeping partners happy, companies should look at the other advantages of business-to-business integration, of which there are many."
Business-to-business integration can free up valuable resources, since senior and middle managers no longer have to spend time managing the administrative processes, but can rather spend time on strategy and growth. It also offers supply chain visibility and improved control, as well as facilitating easy measurement of supply chain processes. "Business-to-business integration not only simplifies business processes, but can make companies more competitive by speeding up time to market of new products to existing customers, and allowing businesses to adapt quickly to competitive environments such as price changes, campaigns, promotions, etc," Du Toit points out.
"Large organisations have the capital to invest in integration, but many of these advantages are even more beneficial to those SMEs that incorrectly believe the solution isn't right for them, or too expensive for them. That's why we assist companies to demystify integration in an affordable way, ensuring that companies of all sizes can get the full benefits."
Westrocon provides business-to-business integration development and implementation, integration hosting services, monitoring and support services, and highly skilled consultants with many years' experience in the IT industry, all within affordable pricing structures and aggressive timelines. "We agree with Michael Cunningham, a leading expert in business-to-business strategy and technology, that 'the competitive edge will go to those who exploit these technologies and change their business processes and practices to leverage them in the marketplace'. This is why we have ensured that all of our solutions can meet the needs of businesses of all sizes," Du Toit says.
He explains that the kind of expertise the company provides is essential, as business-to-business integration places unique demands on an organisation. Since automated processes are always heavily reliant on technology, monitoring is essential because infrastructure does fail on occasion. "Integration is normally as stable as the infrastructure of the organisation, so processes must be well-established, master data and data mapping must be 100%, and these require constant maintenance. Westrocon is a GS1 accredited EDI service provider, a SAP value-added reseller and a Software AG reseller. Our extensive experience in the sector ensures that we can help customers of all sizes achieve the benefits business-to-business integration offers," Du Toit concludes.
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