YAMATO Implements Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
12.27.2021 | Category, Blog
YAMATO recently went through the time and considerable setup costs to implement Electric Data Interchange, or EDI, to its logistics system.
So what does that mean for customers? It means eliminating unnecessary hangups in its supply chain.
First, a brief history of EDI. Electronic data interchange is foremost a set of extremely precise technical standards for digitally communicating information between business partners, replacing the traditional paper trail. In other words, it’s a computer to computer interchange of strictly formatted messages to avoid delays caused by manual entry errors.
EDI is not a new approach, it was first utilized in 1948 during the Berlin Airlift to organize what was at the time vast quantities of data and information about transported goods. For the logistics industry, the application of EDI today has never been more important. The elimination of all paperwork remains the “holy grail” of shipping and customs. The more the supply chain can do without unnecessary human-induced intervention is key to achieving the smoothest and most efficient flow of goods. EDI speeds up any activity that historically requires a lot of human interaction.
Enter YAMATO and its customized implementation of EDI, with precise formatting for its document-intensive services. Customization and implementation is, of course, an ongoing process. The more exact and standard the document, the less chance of a hold-up in the supply chain. Not only is there specific formatting for each and every EDI transaction, even the transmission of the data has standardized protocols. Think of EDI as a blueprint, or mapping between business partners that makes for a more efficient, faster process.