Integrated Supply Network successfully shifts after a disappointing start to EDI outsourcing

Photo courtesy of isnweb.com.

“Partnership is the key. They are responsive to our needs, do not over promise and have been flexible in working with the myriad nuances inherent in our industry.” ~ Samantha Mangione, Director of Commercial Systems

Executive Summary: Integrated Supply Network EDI Case Study

Integrated Supply Network (ISN), the nation’s largest independent automotive wholesaler of automotive tools and equipment, made a strategic decision around the time of the Pandemic to outsource their EDI operations. Initially signing on with a large mid-Atlantic based EDI provider, three years later they realized this provider had bitten off more than they could chew. Having worked with GraceBlood briefly in the past, ISN knew the team was already familiar with ISN’s business model. In addition, GraceBlood could handle EDI integrations as well as the marketplace integrations, which had proven challenging for the initially selected EDI provider. With ISN’s EDI contract coming up for renewal, it was the right time for GraceBlood to step in.

Challenges

ISN needed to migrate hundreds of partners and required a very specific integration process with their legacy system. Their new EDI provider not only did not understand their business model, but they also opted to outsource their marketplace integration to a third party since they didn’t have that skillset in-house. This was not in ISN’s best interest, as ISN preferred to keep everything under one umbrella. The final straw was the fact that only a handful of partners had actually been migrated in three years’ time.

How VelociLink™ Helped

At ISN’s request, GraceBlood sat down with them to assess the current and future landscape. It was determined that with the previous contract expiring and GraceBlood’s unique experience managing similar projects, Project Phoenix would be a “go.” The Phoenix symbolizes the idea of rising from the ashes, stronger than before. In fifteen months’ time, GraceBlood has been able to migrate the vast majority of ISN’s customer trading partners and is now processing hundreds of thousands of documents on their VelociLink™ Enterprise platform. “GraceBlood has proven to be the ideal partner,” said Samantha Mangione, Director of Commercial Systems at ISN. “Partnership is the key. They are responsive to our needs, do not overpromise and have been flexible inworking with the myriad nuances inherent in our industry.”

Results

With virtually all of ISN’s customer trading partners migrated, and the rest slated for go-live by the end of 2024, Project Phoenix has been a mind-blowing success. Whereas previously, even before the unfortunate three year experiment, partners were sometimes backlogged for months, they are now able to get them onboarded in a fraction of the time. With Project Phoenix still on track, ISN is targeting to begin migrating their supplier community to EDI automation in 2025. In addition, they also have ambitious plans surrounding data syndication. GraceBlood sincerely appreciates ISN’s collaborative approach to partner relationships and the confidence they have placed in our development and support teams.