Atlas and ASDA AS2                                 

ASDA

ASDA are one of the leading supermarkets in the UK.

ASDA are a leading edge company when it comes to EDI, and Atlas have been involved with enabling their electronic trading community for many many years. ASDA do in fact over 80% of all required messages via EDI, in which time they have learned many lessons and have grown to appreciate and understand the importance of trading electronically. The importance placed by Asda in trading this way has helped develop a closer relationship between ASDA and their suppliers. Atlas have worked closely with ASDA Wal Mart to understand exactly the needs of suppliers both large and small, and once the larger suppliers were enabled it was apparent that a new approach was needed to address some of the smaller suppliers Atlas always offered a fair and real value for money solution to any trading partner however small.

In order to understand and satisfy ASDA's requirements, suppliers need to ensure they have an EDI software solution that encapsulated a variety of messages not just the more common Orders and Invoices. Therefore Atlas's MX solution was tailored to meet the specific needs of the suppliers by understanding their business and getting the solution right first time. The requirements of the suppliers were met in numerous ways and Atlas provided specifics like delivery notes, credit notes, despatch notes just to name a few. All of these message types were designed and developed with the suppliers and whilst Asda were the driving force behind the solution it quickly became obvious to the suppliers that the MX solution can be leveraged across other trading partners.

Over the last 2 yrs ASDA has seen a monumental shift in the usage of EDI, and switching from the 'traditional' EDI Value Added Networks to using AS2, has helped drastically reduced costs for ASDA and their suppliers.

AS2 uses an Internet connection at the supplier (typically via Broadband, ISDN or other leased line) to establish a secure point-to-point link with ASDA and others for exchanging their EDI documents.

AS2 has eliminated traffic costs for ASDA and their suppliers and outperforms the equivalent VAN connection by offering instant delivery and confirmation of receipt of all transmissions.

Atlas's MX support's AS2 transmissions with ASDA as well as the traditional EDI requirements of the rest of the grocery retailers.

Work recently undertaken

API customers have been switched  on to AS2 in response for ASDA’s requirements to move off traditional VAN’s to the Internet.

Over 100 new AS2 installations were completed in just a three month period for ASDA suppliers.

Allan J Gray, Technical Director says “we followed ASDA’s lead by choosing to work Wallmart’s choice of iSoft Corporation’s AS2 software, we then added our own installation wizards.  We have transformed AS2 implementation into a simpler faster process from installation to testing to live in a single day in some cases. We upgraded our MX, EDI, Enterprise, Sage and Masterlink products to work hand in hand with iSoft’s AS2 product enabling the whole process to become as invisible and automatic to the user as any other communications methods with the API product set.

The market began making the migration to AS2 when Asda’s parent company, Wal-Mart moved its systems to AS2 last year. Many of the other UK and European supermarkets have made similar noises about migrating and are set to follow suit within the next few years.

API is one of the first software development companies to have a robust and reliable AS2 solution ready for all companies within the supply chain, whether large or small.

Bunzl noticed an immediate drop in their VAN network charges after API installed AS2. Martin Waudby of Bunzl said: “We noticed the difference in traffic charges in the first monthly bill from our old VAN. AS2 has paid for itself in the first month.”

So whatever sector you operate in, we’ve got something for you.
Just give us a call on 08700 501007.