A Connected Enterprise

The "connected enterprise" is a business organization that experiences reduced costs, improved efficiencies and enhanced customer relationships as a result of effectively leveraging the Internet and private IP networks to exchange business data, securely, reliably, and auditably between internal operations and B2B processes.

Achieving the "connected enterprise" is an evolutionary process necessary to be competitive. By using the Internet to integrate your value chain and share information beyond the edge of the enterprise with global offices, customers, suppliers and other value chain partners, you have the potential to significantly reduce costs, increase efficiencies, and enhance customer relationships.¹

EDI: Five Main Implementation Processes

• Extracting data from a computer system

• Translating the data into a transmittable format

• Transmitting the message

• Translating/interpreting the message at the receiving end

• Downloading the data in the receiving computer application

Strategic Benefits

• Faster manufacturing and trading cycle

• Ability to adopt new business processes such as Just-in-Time manufacturing techniques

• Ability to win new business or retain existing customers leading to improvements in business efficiency

• Ability to respond to highly competitive new market entrants

Operational Benefits

• Reduced costs

• Improved cash flow

• Security and error reduction

• Acknowledged receipt

Opportunity Benefits

• Enhanced image

• Competitive edge

• Improved manufacturing, trading and banking relationships