EDI Education Seminar - EDI "101"

Designed for Everyone

Session One: Overview of EDI
This session introduces the basic ideas and definitions of EDI, and the major advances in business process redesign made by leading firms and industries around the world. The session also describes how EDI is recognized as an enabling capability for current business trends. The historical roots of EDI around the world are reviewed and future trends identified.

Session Two: Introduction to ASC X12 Standards
The ASC standards for EDI transactions are described and discussed in detail, with emphasis on understanding the transaction structure, ASC documentation, and putting the standards to use in business applications of EDI. Similarities and differences between ASC and EDIFACT are identified along with the development organizations supporting each standard.

Session Three: Components of EDI -- Value Added Networks
This session explores the capabilities and products of Value-Added Netowks (VANs). It shows the services that VANs provide EDI users for worldwide implementations of successful EDI programs. Participants will receive an understanding of the major players in communications and the key role that VANs provide in facilitating communications between EDI users.

Session Four: Components of EDI -- Hardware and Software
The technology options for various hardware platforms and software are described. A focus of this presentation is putting technology in perspective - how its used, advantages and disadvantages of the alternative implementations, and ways to narrow the choices. The focus is on the entire spectrum of user software and includes, translation, mapping, quality control and EDI-ready application software.

Session Five: EDI User Profiles and Key Barriers
This session looks at a typical EDI user profile. How the user changes over time with particular emphasis on identification of the user, what are the EDI services that are important, what is the level of investment, what are the anticipated benefits and what are realistic timelines required to achieve objectives. This session also reviews keys organization barriers to EDI. The final topic is a short review of EDI activity around the world.