Curious about EDI for Sage 100? Here’s how SPS Commerce and TrueCommerce compare.
Trading with large retailers requires EDI, but that doesn’t mean you have to build and maintain everything in-house. Two managed options for Sage 100 can take most of the work off your team: SPS Commerce and TrueCommerce.
Here’s what you need to know about EDI and your options for managed EDI.
What Is EDI?
EDI (electronic data interchange) is the automated exchange of business documents, such as purchase orders, invoices, and ship notices, between you and your trading partners (typically the large retailers and suppliers you do business with).
You can handle EDI manually in Sage 100, but it requires a lot of emailing, duplicate data entry, and CSV uploads. New to EDI? Start here.
Why It’s Hard to Run In-House
Every trading partner has their own document formats and requirements. Someone (probably you) has to build and maintain the “maps” that translate between those formats, retest whenever a partner changes specs (which happens often), onboard each new partner and format their documents, and pay close attention to all the details so that errors don’t lead to chargebacks. All that takes expensive specialized expertise that’shard to find.
Managed EDI for Sage 100 Is Headache-Free
As a manufacturer or distributor, EDI can open doors to larger sellers and increase your revenue. You don’t want to write EDI off because it’s too much of a headache.
Fortunately, managed EDI solutions can help you handle EDI processing without hiring an EDI expert or becoming one. There are two top options for managed EDI:
1. SPS Commerce
This one is built on MAPADOC, which has been rocking EDI for Sage since the 80s. Sometimes, it’s also referred to as Fulfillment for Sage 100, but if you call it MAPADOC, everyone will know what you’re talking about.
Fast facts:
- Embedded in Sage 100 (meaning you don’t have to leave Sage 100 to use it)
- Sage-certified, and has been forever
- Fully automated, with no need for order exports or imports
- SPS handles map updates, spec changes, and testing, and says they manage about 9,000 retailer changes a year
- Seamless setup, where they do all the legwork to get your EDI and maps running
- 24/7 support, so you can keep orders moving around the clock
- Supports any trading EDI document for any retailer, large or small (pre-built or just ask them)
- Handles PDF orders, too
2. TrueCommerce
There’s no secret name for this one (as far as I know). TrueCommerce has also been tackling EDI since the 80s, and they support a wide variety of ERPs.
Fast facts:
- Offers a full integration suite to additionally automate your sales, purchasing, and warehouse management
- Also handles implementation, partner onboarding, day-to-day operations, and proactive monitoring for you
- Says they offer nearly 200K pre-configured trading partner connections
- Connects online marketplaces for trading partners to your ERP, so you can expand your reach
- Self-service supplier onboarding portal, to reduce your data-entry tasks
- 24/7 support, so you can keep orders on track
How They Differ
When it comes to EDI for Sage 100, there are fewer differentiators than you would expect. Both handle setup, both offer 24/7 support, and both handle the thankless task that is map maintenance. Companies love them both (though, I admit, I love one more than the other).
The clearest distinctions are: SPS is built natively for Sage 100 and is Sage-certified, so it feels like a built-in part of your Sage ERP. In comparison, TrueCommerce’s Sage 100 integration is listed as neither Certified nor Featured. However, TrueCommerce offers a broader suite of integrated tools.
Ready for More Details?
I know, I know. They sound really similar, and that means choosing the right one for your needs will come down to those tiny, nitty-gritty details unique to you and your company’s workflows. So, the fastest way to figure out which one will work best is to ask an expert your specific questions.
Here at VBCC, we work with a lot of companies that use EDI, so we all have good insight into which solutions work best for certain types of setups. We’re happy to help you sort through your options.
