Although EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is still the most commonly used technology for b2b data transactions in the retail and supply chain landscape, it has many drawbacks and limitations, often causing inefficiency in data management and trading partner communications. To overcome these issues, modern companies like Handy prefer using Application Programming Interface (API) as an advanced alternative to EDI.
As a result, to exchange transactions such as EDI 850 (purchase order), EDI 810 (invoice), EDI 856 (advance shipping notice), and EDI 860 (order change request) with business partners, which often are the biggest US retailers, Handy has to connect partners' EDI feeds with its API.
Given that each party has its own twist on EDI messages, and those messages can be transferred over various transport protocols (e.g., AS2, SFTP, FTP, or even VAN networks), building API-EDI connectivity is a daunting task for the company. Such a task often implies starting from scratch each time when Handy needs to add a new retailer to its system.
Having hundreds of partners(retailers) to be integrated and unscalability of the current integration process, the API-EDI connectivity challenge has become a massive headache for the company.
To tackle the API-EDI connectivity challenge, the company had these options:
Developing solutions in-house always means a substantial investment of time and money to get work done, not to mention a high cost to run integrations smoothly afterward.
Understanding the complexity of EDI as well as the workload and the number of resources and knowledge needed for this task, Handy decided to go with the option implying partnership with an integration vendor.
Although the company shortlisted several vendors providing data connectivity solutions as the preferred option for this case, Handy's management has chosen the fully managed service from Youredi. The main reason behind the choice was that the rest of the list would involve Handy's own engineering team somehow engaged in building the integration.
For this case, Youredi provided Handy with universal data integration solutions built on top of Youredi Integration Platform-as-a-Service (iPaaS) - a cloud-based integration platform designed for reliable information exchange between different business systems located on-premise or in the cloud regardless of interfaces and data formats in use.
The solution plays the role of an integration layer sitting between Handy's digital platform and their retail partner network, enabling automation and scaling for Handy when connecting targeted retailers for specific processes.
"We provide our unified EDI and API supply chain data connectivity platform and service to handy. We are confident that Youredi's capabilities in transforming potentially complex data and transmitting it through any protocol and network will help Handy scale fast and grow their business. This cooperation is a perfect example of industry digitalization where parties have their own expertise areas and proven track records. Together, our expertise will sum up to huge results and end customer satisfaction. Consumers will be very happy getting their 80 Inch TVs mounted as part of the online order experience", said Jaakko Elovaara, CEO, Youredi.
Leveraging Youredi’s vast experience in harmonizing supply chain and logistics messaging, Handy tackled its EDI to API connectivity challenge and enabled automation and scaling when connecting targeted retailers for specific processes.
Since the solution is fully managed, partnering with Youredi, Handy can focus its internal resources on developing its own platform and growing its business, while the Youredi team handles all the integration work.
Also, compared with possible alternatives, the solution requires a significantly smaller up-front investment and has a monthly subscription fee, making budget planning and allocation more predictable when the company grows.
Additional feedback from a Senior Product Manager at Handy: "We are lucky to have Youredi, with their reputation for great customer experience, providing us with their data connectivity platform as a service. It's been a pleasure working with Youredi since our first conversation. Everything has happened quickly, directly and professionally. Youredi has all the structures, processes, and a proven platform in place and their experience with complex API – EDI use cases is top-notch. It's a solution that we have leveraged quickly and cost-efficiently. Handy can focus on our strengths, and Youredi can be our catalyst for scaling and executing our automation strategy."
Founded in 2012, Handy is changing the way that people book and provide household services. From home cleaning to TV mounting, smart home setup to furniture assembly, customers turn to Handy for a seamless, fast and top-quality experience that provides them with access to the home services they need, wherever they are, whenever they want them. For professionals, the Handy platform makes it possible to maintain a flexible schedule with meaningful income opportunities. Handy is trusted by the world’s top retail brands and is available nationwide. The company is based in New York City and is an operating business of Angi Inc., formerly ANGI Homeservices, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANGI).
For more information, visit www.handy.com
Youredi is the leading provider of fully managed data integration services and solutions for logistics and the global supply chain.
Youredi enables customers' business scaling and automation through its unified and modern platform for API and EDI transactions. Besides technology, we understand your business.
Youredi's solutions are versatile, secure, reliable, and provided as a fully managed integration service. Youredi enables quick data connectivity and process integration between trading partners of any size. Integrating with ecosystems, carriers, shippers, consignees, and the systems they use, Youredi provides global scale, speed, and agility. A seamless and timely flow of 100% accurate data provides organizations with the ability to analyze and optimize all their supply chain processes.
Youredi operates globally from Helsinki, Finland, and New York City, USA.
For more information, please visit www.youredi.com
