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From The CEO

Collaborative features to spread the benefits of EDI across the supply chain

EDI is associated with reduced order lead times, higher service levels, better accuracy in ordering, shipping and receiving. In logistics, EDI equals increased efficiency and accuracy, less paper work, reduced transaction time - bottom line: ship faster, cheaper, more accurately.

The primary benefits of EDI result from replacing manual with electronic communication (e.g., fewer errors, re-keying costs). We realize at DiCentral the importance of communication among business partners in order to spread the benefits of EDI across the supply chain. Our EDI services include many features that aim at enhancing our customers' collaboration with their business partners.

Thuy Mai, CEO

February 2006 Newsletter

Product Focus:

Third Party Logistics Favorites

DiCentral Forward functionality

Creating a correctly formatted Advance Shipping Notice in a timely manner is crucial. An incorrect ASN may induce extra handling and processing costs for a retailer who in return may “charge back” his supplier. Suppliers who use the services of a warehouse or 3PL may want to let his warehouse or third party logistics partner print the labels themselves and or create the ASN on their own.

DiCentral’s forward document functionality enables suppliers to forward their Purchase Orders, Purchase Order Changes and other documents to trading partners (3PLs) quickly and efficiently. The level of data disclosed to the receiver is customizable. The supplier can choose to hide part of the information included in the EDI document; DiCentral will customize the settings as required.

How it works:

You choose the business partners with whom you want to forward EDI documents as well as the level of information you want them to receive.

From your DiCentral account, you can select the documents you want to forward and hit the “Forward Transaction” button. A window listing the business partners to whom you can automatically forward transactions appears. You can then select the business partner(s) to whom you want to forward your EDI document(s) and hit the “submit” button.

Restricted account

DiCentral’s Read only account enables our customers to grant their business partners access to their EDI account, and helps make their business partnership more efficient without jeopardizing data such as pricing, or other data considered sensitive.

The security level is customizable. If you decide to grant you third party logistics provider access to your DiCentral EDI account, you can for example allow them to only read the documents, or hide the data you do not want to disclose.

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Customer Story:

DiCentral Flexibility Helps Changes, Inc. Grow Faster

Changes, Inc. a warehouse, a full service fulfillment center (3PL) based in Hialeah Gardens, FL, they offer warehousing and fulfillment services to American and international suppliers.

“We are a full service facility, in addition to the warehousing services, Changes provides fulfillment and distribution services including the processing and shipment of goods. Our customers come to us for the comprehensive service we offer. We have the capacity to repackage the merchandise if necessary; and can process their whole shipment, store, and fulfill their orders” says Furrokh Irani, President of Changes.

Shortly before they contacted DiCentral, Changes realized they needed to add EDI to their range of services in order to grow.

“EDI is a crucial factor in the fulfillment process, and as a full service warehouse, integrating it (EDI) to our range of services has really given us a competitive advantage” comments Irani.

DiCentral was recommended by one of the fulfillment center’s customers. After comparing several EDI providers, DiCentral’s ease of use, global visibility, flexibility and the many extra features seduced Laura McCarthy, the company’s distribution manager.

Some of Changes’ suppliers use the forward feature included in DiCentral’s web EDI. This enables them to handle their customers’ EDI and forward the processed documents (with just a couple of mouse clicks) to their 3PL. This enables the supplier if they choose, to further control how they pack and utilize 3rd-party packaging services.

The supplier handles low-volume accounts in their own system while processing EDI documents using DiCentral's web-based tools, then forwards the orders they wish their fulfillment and packaging partner (Changes, Inc.) to process directly from their DiCentral web-account-- enabling them to control their business flow and shipping process completely. The warehouse in turn, uses their DiCentral web-account to process these specific EDI orders forwarded to them by the customer. This maximizes their efficiency and helps reduce expenses.

Even though Laura McCarthy can forward EDI documents to any EDI account, she recommends DiCentral to her customers. DiCentral has developed a wide array of hosted and integrated solutions to help logistics companies and their clients manage EDI data.

Customer Story:

W&K's effective collaboration thanks to DiCentral's forward functionaality

Wachsmuth & Krogmann Inc, famous for its children’s themed adorable humidifiers marketed under Crane brand also distributes home and kitchen appliances across all main retail channels in the US.

The manufacturer, which offers a network of distribution facilities throughout the US as well as a centralized warehouse in the Chicago area, started outsourcing its EDI to DiCentral in August 2005.

DiCentral’s web based EDI services enable W&K to not only exchange EDI documents with their retailers but also work more efficiently with Dart Warehouse, their Third party logistics in completing their orders.

W&K granted Dart Warehouse access to their DiCentral account. When W&K receives an order, Dart Warehouse can log into W&K’s DiCentral account and download ASCII purchase order data. They use these files to create pick lists that they transmit to the warehouse personnel to pick the items for packing.

In the meantime, Annie Meyer, W&K EDI coordinator, creates electronic Advance Shipment Notices (ASNs). Once the ASNs and their corresponding UCC 128 labels are completed, Meyer notifies Dart Warehouse who can then print the labels locally, attach them to the cartons that have been packed at the Warehouse and ship them to the retailer.