EDI integration is the process of connecting your ERP to an EDI network so that documents — purchase orders, dispatch notes, invoices, acknowledgements — move automatically between you and your trading partners. The goal is not a „digital PDF“ but structured data that lands directly in the partner’s accounting system, without rekeying.
This article walks through a typical implementation: what it takes, how long it lasts, where things usually stall and what to expect from a serious EDI provider.
Typical architecture
In its simplest form, the document path looks like this: your ERP exports a document in its internal format (XML, CSV, IDoc, JSON) to the REDOK gateway. The gateway translates it into the standard EDI format the partner uses (EDIFACT D96A, UBL 2.1, Peppol BIS, ANSI X12). The partner’s ERP receives the document in a format it understands and posts it automatically.
The part that gets routinely underestimated is mapping. Every ERP-to-partner pair has its own field set and transformation rules — which fields map where, which code lists are translated, how exceptions are handled (unknown article code, customer without a tax ID, decimal currencies).
What a typical project covers
- Analysis and mapping: list of in-scope documents (e.g. ORDERS, DESADV, INVOIC), fields, code lists (articles, partners, units of measure).
- Technical interface: how the ERP sends and receives messages to/from REDOK — sFTP, AS2, REST API, a file-drop folder or a packaged connector.
- Test phase: exchange of test documents with selected partners in a sandbox, fixes to mapping and edge cases.
- Go-live: partner-by-partner switch to production, run in parallel with the old process for the first 1–2 weeks.
- Operations: message monitoring, retry on communication errors, quarterly volume and incident review.
How long does implementation take
For a typical mid-sized company with one ERP and 5–15 partners, budget 4–8 weeks from contract to go-live. With an off-the-shelf ERP (SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, Pantheon, Megatrend) and partners already on the REDOK network, projects can be done in 3–4 weeks. If the ERP is custom-built or partners are not yet on EDI, expect 10–12 weeks.
The main cause of delay is rarely the technology — it is the availability of people on the customer and partner sides to confirm test documents. The earlier those slots are booked, the safer the timeline.
What to look for in an EDI provider
Three things separate a serious EDI provider from a „PDF reseller“: proven integrations with your ERP (a reference list, not a marketing slide), certifications for the relevant standards (Peppol Access Point, GS1, ISO 27001) and an operational SLA you can actually rely on. REDOK ticks all three boxes with ~30 years of EDI experience and as a founding member of the EEDIN network.
Next step
If you are considering EDI integration, the simplest first conversation is a scoping call: which documents you want to digitise, with which partners and on which ERP. A 30-minute call is enough to get a realistic estimate of time and cost. Reach out through the contact form and we will schedule one.