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In what areas must partners be congruent in order to have a successful EDI partnership
Thursday, April 12, 2012, 8:00 AM
There are various areas in which a congruent partnership is necessary for the manifestation of a viable EDI campaign. The level of interdependence required to manifest stated goals between firms plays a crucial aspect in the depth of the divisibility that can be present without detriment to the project. Such matters have been analyzed by various sources, formulating a blueprint for the foundations of a successful EDI partnership.
The relation of the support base as well as upper management form the groundwork for the most basic of the critical factors which must be carefully arranged. Considerations of the firms overall direction, anticipatory plans and stated goals for the future and general vision stand at the forefront. There will be considerable reengineering correlated to the EDI network, upper management support and commitment to project goals and willingness to embrace and implement innovative technologies is imperative. Overall, the flexibility of the trading partners themselves, including an inclination toward open minded risk taking and adaptation is required as the partial or complete reengineering of the firms business process may be necessary so that the goals of the EDI network can be reached.
In regard to the communications and influence patterns of the trading partners, there must be an elevated plane of implementation for supply chains. Such mediums, which should not neglect the utilization of varied technology, not excluding EDI, are heavily dependent on full transparency of all parties within the partnership. Within context, the ability to engage in honest information exchange of data required to complete transactions alongside data sharing that includes information required to complete joint applications defines transparency in this realm. Trust must be mutual as well as an understanding that risks will be shared as well. The chain of communication must remain consistent and frequent lest the optimal level of relationship stability be neglected and as such the partnership fail to thrive. In this spirit there must be a mutual ability to jointly tackle problematic situations and varied exceptions, as they will, undoubtedly, arise.
Moreover, perhaps the most important aspect of a successful partnership is the clear setting of boundaries and adequate mechanisms to ensure they are respected. Such mediums have the potential to solidify and stabilize the relationship of trading partners. Terms must serve a functionality that is dual in nature, imploring teams to conduct all projects and correspondence within firmly laid boundaries. In doing so an atmosphere of joint coordinating, development and implementation will be the standard expectation whenever team development is required for a project or must be maintained for extensive time-frames. Engagement in a participative dialogue while refraining from authoritative decision making and management serves to better ensure positive longstanding communications. The mindset should be inclined maintaining long-term relationships, including aid when needed.
Finally, within EDI there may be network performance issues. Hardware, software, technical expertise, and the ability to run EDI systems and adequately respond to crucial EDI-related initiatives should be regarded closely when critiquing a trading partner. The ability to maintain all aspects affecting bids and overall customer service are key as the components made industry standards by top firms are now customer expectations. Such expectations lend to the need for a trading partner to not be adverse to the meeting performance expectations. Enlisting a statistical based system to measure performance will allow for the productive and positive growth of trusting mutually beneficial partnerships.
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