Client Software - Server software

The Manufacturer's View

The manufacturer can view orders, administer EDI participants and read various reports on the 20-20 EDI Manufacturer Services web site.

When the Lotus Notes solution is adopted, from the manufacturer’s viewpoint, all the orders are received through a database in Lotus Notes. The 20-20 EDI System runs on Lotus Notes at the manufacturer site and Lotus Domino on our distribution server. Lotus Notes is a secure and robust collaborative system, designed specifically for workflow applications such as this.

The manufacturer receives one document for each order. Each document contains detailed information on the sender, an itemized view of the order and an EDI X12 file as an attachment. The X12 implementation of the file is customized for each manufacturer since the final release is generated on the distribution server. As a result, the X12 file format can easily be modified for all the dealers at once.

Using an automated process, the manufacturer detaches all the EDI X12 files to a location specified in the configuration of the manufacturer’s database. Therefore, manufacturers can automatically validate, process and register sales on their systems.

At the manufacturer site, the connection between the 20-20 EDI System and the IT systems is usually done in collaboration. If it is necessary, a new interface program is developed to bridge the 20-20 EDI system and the manufacturer’s system.

The 20-20 EDI System can deliver purchase order files to the manufacturer in the following formats:

• An X12 file
• A standard 20-20 Design order file (ORD)
• A standard 20-20 Design file (KIT)
• Any XML scheme
• Any other custom format agreed upon with the manufacturer

For a highly evolved connection with ERP systems, we are planning direct strategic alliances with third party players such as Lotus, Oberon, WebMethods, and Active Software.