Web EDI

Web EDI, also known as Web-based EDI can be generally defined as the use of Internet communication technology used in the exchange of EDI data between parties.  Web EDI is typically associated wit two forms of EDI; the use of a web-based systems to manage and exchange EDI and the use of the Web to send EDI data that was generated in-house.

Alternatives to Web EDI

While Web EDI is becoming very popular, the most popular means of exchanging EDI data is not Web EDI but rather the Value Added Network or VAN.  This is primarily due to the extra services that VANs typically bundle with basic capabilities that are not always available through Web EDI.  Unlike Web EDI, when EDI communication takes place with a VAN, a bisync modem is often used to establish communication through the VAN. Another non Web EDI option for corresponding electronically between organizations is through direct modem to modem linkage. A final non Web EDI approach is to transmit through the use of a Bulletin Board System (BBS) which is based on user connection/login to a remote system.

Which Web EDI is Right for You?

When considering a switch to Web EDI the first distinction to make is whether you will be using the Web as your primary means of managing your EDI vs. using the Web as the communication channel for your EDI.  In the first case you will essentially be using a "hosted" application that is not owned by you.  This form of Web EDI (also referred to as Web Forms) provides an easy to use and easy to deploy system for getting started with EDI.  The biggest problems with these types of Web EDI services however is their long-term costs as well as their lack of sophisticated features.  This makes this form of Web EDI viable only for the smallest of businesses which have very basic EDI needs.  The second form of Web EDI involves using special software to enable the exchange of EDI data with your partners using the Web. This form of Web EDI is one of the most rapidly growing segments of the EDI sector, spurred in large part by the adoption of this form of Web EDI by large retailers like Wal-Mart.

Implementing Web EDI

Making this change to web EDI requires companies to absorb some of the work that their previous third party service (VAN) was doing- such as depending on inter-company communication to ensure a purchase order is transmitted successfully. There are several Web EDI tools available to make this transition easier and the savings even more substantial.

Web EDI & AS2

The Internet has made communication through Web EDI possible for years, but the trend did not catch on quickly. The change to web EDI used to require installing additional software, a major deterrent for many organizations, especially small businesses. However in the early 2000s, the widespread acceptance and use of AS2 and AS2 products greatly increased Web EDI usage.

AS2 refers to the Electronic Data Interchange Internet Application Applicability Statement 2 protocol, which ensures the authenticity and reliability of an EDI transaction (document) through digital signatures, encryption codes, receipts and data compression. AS2 is the standard for Web EDI communication over the Internet using HTTP. In Web EDI, using AS2 doesn’t require installing extra software at the other end of communication portals (the supplier site) because the supplier communicates using an Internet browser or through AS2-compliant software.

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