How We Helped a Leading Manufacturer ...

Customer Profile

The customer is a leading manufacturer and distributor of consumer products, such as household items, personal care products, food and beverages, etc. They have a global presence and a large customer base. They have hundreds of trading partners and shippers that they need to exchange business documents on a daily basis, such as invoices, purchase orders, shipping notices, etc.

Business Challenge

The customer was using an on-premises EDI software solution that was expensive, complex, and unreliable. They faced several challenges with their existing solution, such as:

• High maintenance costs and licensing fees
• Frequent downtime and performance issues
• Limited scalability and flexibility
• Lack of visibility and monitoring
• Difficulty in adding new trading partners and shippers
• Compliance risks and security vulnerabilities

They wanted to migrate their EDI solution to the cloud and leverage the benefits of cloud computing, such as:

• Lower costs and pay-as-you-go pricing
• Higher availability and reliability
• Greater scalability and elasticity
• Enhanced visibility and monitoring
• Faster time-to-market and innovation
  Improved compliance and security

They approached Enkaytech for help with their cloud migration project. They wanted Enkaytech to design, develop, deploy, and manage a low code/no code B2B EDI solution using Azure Logic Apps.

Solution Overview

Enkaytech proposed a solution that uses Azure Logic Apps and Integration Accounts to implement EDI and AS2 integration for B2B. The solution consists of the following components:

• Integration Account: A resource that stores the artifacts and configurations for EDI and AS2 integration, such as schemas, maps, agreements, certificates, etc.
• Logic App: A workflow that defines the logic and actions for receiving, sending, validating, transforming, and tracking EDI and AS2 messages.
• FTP Connector: A connector that enables the Logic App to receive EDI messages from an FTP server.
• AS2 Connector: A connector that enables the Logic App to send and receive AS2 messages over HTTP.
• Blob Storage Connector: A connector that enables the Logic App to store the EDI messages in an Azure Storage account.
• SQL Database Connector: A connector that enables the Logic App to store the metadata of the EDI messages in an Azure SQL database.

Solution Benefits

The solution delivered several benefits to the customer, such as:

1. Reduced costs: The customer only had to pay for what they used based on a subscription model. There were no software licenses to purchase or software to install in their on-premises infrastructure. This resulted in significant savings in capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX).
2. Increased reliability: The customer experienced higher availability and reliability of their EDI solution. There were no downtime or performance issues due to hardware failures or network disruptions. The solution leveraged the built-in redundancy and fault tolerance of Azure Logic Apps and Integration Accounts.
3. Enhanced scalability: The customer was able to scale their EDI solution up or down as per their business needs. They could easily add new trading partners and shippers without any code changes or configuration changes. The solution leveraged the built-in elasticity and load balancing of Azure Logic Apps and Integration Accounts.
4. Improved visibility: The customer gained better visibility and monitoring of their EDI solution. They could easily track the status and history of their EDI messages using the Azure portal or the Azure Monitor. They could also generate reports and dashboards using the SQL Database and Power BI.
5. Faster time-to-market: The customer was able to deploy their EDI solution in a matter of weeks instead of months. They could use the low code/no code approach of Azure Logic Apps and Integration Accounts to create and modify their workflows without any coding or scripting. They could also use the standard schemas, maps, and connectors provided by Microsoft or create their own custom ones using Visual Studio or another tool.
6. Higher security: The customer ensured the security and compliance of their EDI solution. They could use the encryption and digital signatures features of AS2 to protect their EDI messages from unauthorized access or tampering. They could also use the certificates and policies features of Integration Accounts to manage their identity and access management (IAM).

Business Challenge:

1. High Maintenance Costs and Licensing Fees: The existing on-premises EDI software incurred significant expenses in terms of maintenance and licensing, draining financial resources and impacting the bottom line.
2. Frequent Downtime and Performance Issues: The system suffered from frequent downtimes and performance issues, leading to disruptions in business operations and loss of productivity.
3. Limited Scalability and Flexibility: The on-premises solution lacked the ability to scale seamlessly with the growing demands of the business, hindering expansion opportunities and agility in responding to market changes.
4. Lack of Visibility and Monitoring: There was a dearth of tools and mechanisms to provide comprehensive visibility into EDI transactions, making it challenging to track and manage data flow effectively.
5. Difficulty in Adding New Trading Partners and Shippers: Integrating new trading partners and shippers into the existing system was a cumbersome and time-consuming process, impeding business growth and partnership opportunities.
6. Compliance Risks and Security Vulnerabilities: The on-premises solution posed compliance risks and security vulnerabilities, potentially exposing sensitive data to breaches and regulatory non-compliance issues.

Solution Objectives:

1. Lower Costs and Pay-as-You-Go Pricing: By migrating to the cloud, the customer aimed to reduce costs associated with infrastructure maintenance and adopt a flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model, aligning expenses with actual usage.
2. Higher Availability and Reliability: Leveraging cloud computing, the customer sought to achieve higher levels of system availability and reliability, ensuring uninterrupted business operations and customer satisfaction.
3. Greater Scalability and Elasticity: Transitioning to the cloud would enable the customer to leverage scalable resources and elastic computing power, accommodating fluctuating workloads and business growth seamlessly.
4. Enhanced Visibility and Monitoring: The customer aimed to gain enhanced visibility and monitoring capabilities over their EDI transactions, enabling proactive management and optimization of business processes.
5. Faster Time-to-Market and Innovation: By utilizing cloud-based solutions, the customer anticipated accelerating time-to-market for new products and services, fostering innovation and gaining a competitive edge in the market.
6. Improved Compliance and Security: Migrating to the cloud would allow the customer to enhance compliance measures and strengthen security protocols, mitigating risks and ensuring data protection and regulatory adherence.

Enkaytech’s Solution:

Enkaytech proposed a comprehensive solution leveraging Azure Logic Apps and Integration Accounts to implement EDI and AS2 integration for B2B transactions. Key components of the solution included:

• Integration Account: A centralized repository storing essential artifacts and configurations for EDI and AS2 integration, ensuring streamlined operations.
• Logic App: A dynamic workflow orchestrating the flow of EDI and AS2 messages, encompassing receiving, sending, validating, transforming, and tracking actions.
• FTP Connector: Empowering seamless receipt of EDI messages from FTP servers, eliminating bottlenecks and reducing manual intervention.
• AS2 Connector: Enabling secure transmission of AS2 messages over HTTP, fortifying reliability and compliance with industry standards.
• Blob Storage Connector: Facilitating storage of EDI messages in Azure Storage accounts, ensuring data integrity, accessibility, and scalability.
• SQL Database Connector: Enabling storage of metadata for EDI messages in Azure SQL databases, enhancing visibility, and facilitating informed decision-making.

Customer Testimonial

The customer was very satisfied with the solution and the services provided by Enkaytech. They appreciated the professionalism, expertise, and responsiveness of the Enkaytech team. They also praised the quality, performance, and reliability of the solution. They said:

“We are very happy with the B2B EDI solution that Enkaytech implemented for us using Azure Logic Apps. It has helped us streamline our business processes, improve our customer satisfaction, and reduce our costs. We are impressed by the low code/no code approach that Enkaytech used to create and modify our workflows without any coding or scripting. We are also pleased with the solution’s high availability, scalability, and security. Enkaytech has been a great partner for us in our cloud migration journey. They have delivered on time, on budget, and on quality. We highly recommend them for any cloud integration projects.”