News | October 31, 2008

Advanced Data Exchange Announces General Availability Of SaaS-Based Service That Makes Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) As Easy As Email

Advanced Data Exchange (ADX), innovative specialists in building electronic trading communities, recently announced the general availability of CommerceMail, the industry's first supplier relationship management solution that enables enterprises to use the simplicity of an email-based workflow to manage 100 percent of their trading partners quickly, efficiently, and accurately.

Connecting with thousands of suppliers electronically has been a challenge for supply chain integration for decades. Many suppliers resisted the cost and complexity of electronic commerce and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) initiatives of their larger customers. The only way to exchange orders and invoices with small, non-technical or occasional suppliers has been through the phone, fax, postal service or more recently, portals. In fact, survey results from KPMG Consulting report that 79% of businesses still use fax for supply chain operations.

CommerceMail from ADX changes everything. Now buyers send orders directly from their ERP system, while suppliers receive and return business documents directly through their e-mail system. The entire workflow from both parties is integrated, managed, secured and EDI compliant. Because it is SaaS-based, CommerceMail eliminates EDI complexity, the need for technical resources and slashes the cost to participate for millions of businesses new to EDI.

"We developed CommerceMail to help companies connect with the millions of businesses around the world who don't have the time or resources to support complex e-commerce technologies," said Dave Parker, CEO of ADX. "Faxing has been the backbone of supply chain connectivity but it has reached its end of life. In today's business climate, email is the killer app for supplier relationship management – it opens up EDI to 20 million more businesses in the US alone."

Delivered via a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, CommerceMail is completely automated and eliminates the need for customers to buy or install any software on their premises. CommerceMail allows enterprises, using their existing business systems, to quickly and economically send purchase orders to thousands of suppliers. Suppliers return electronic acknowledgements and invoices directly back using their existing email service.

"For Bucyrus, CommerceMail is a more cost-effective means to exchange electronic business documents like purchase orders and invoices with our suppliers," said Robert Grumski, General Manager Global Strategic Sourcing of Bucyrus. "It seems to work with everyone's e-mail system and more importantly, it streamlines the purchase order to pay process while eliminating data mistakes reducing our overall cost."

For more information about CommerceMail visit http://www.adx.com/CommerceMail.

About ADX
Headquartered in Fremont, CA, Advanced Data Exchange (ADX) specializes in supply chain integration and e-commerce management. Our people build and manage electronic trading communities and our services automate and manage supply chain processes helping companies improve relationships with their customers and their suppliers. ADX's technology solutions which include CommerceMail, CommerceNet and CommerceView; provide a comprehensive suite of supply chain e-commerce services compatible with any ERP system allowing trading partners to effectively exchange and integrate electronic business documents and data.

SOURCE: Advanced Data Exchange