Ever since the coronavirus pandemic, it has been clear that companies whose digital infrastructure was already designed to meet their needs and was reasonably efficient have a clear advantage. The digital management of all business processes ensured that they interlocked smoothly.

The basis for the comprehensive structuring of such processes is a needs-based ERP system. A digital platform that collects data from production, merchandise management, accounting and other areas, thereby enabling efficient planning. Unfortunately, such systems are often poorly maintained or not used consistently. This applies in particular to the exchange of data with business partners and service providers. Especially those who depend on scheduled supply chains should completely digitize and standardize the receipt and dispatch of business messages. Requirement notifications, orders, invoices, delivery bills - with the help of an EDI system connected to the ERP, automatically forwarding them is a simple way to save a lot of time and money. Manual data exchange is not only much more time-consuming in comparison, but also prone to errors. Gaps in communication and input errors can cost the client and contractor dearly.

In industries in which a large number of manufacturers, suppliers and processing companies are linked together, the use of EDI has long been common practice. The automotive industry was even obliged to exchange data electronically years ago. Will smaller medium-sized companies also benefit from such standardization and automation of business messages? Tania Hüngsberg, Managing Director of the EDI software and EDI services provider of the same name, confirms the necessity of digitization from her point of view: "Transmitting orders, delivery and invoice data via EDI without errors and without spending a lot of time saves costs for every company - no matter how large. The ability to do this may still only be a competitive advantage. Soon, clients will insist on automatic data exchange for cost reasons."

As with ERP systems, the choice of EDI software depends on the company's requirements. Founded in 1981, Hüngsberg was one of the first EDI developers and has established itself in the automotive industry with its customizable EDI and CAD solutions. To this day, the company relies on in-house developments in order to be able to offer easy-to-use and technologically leading EDI solutions to medium-sized and smaller companies from industry, logistics and trade. "Smaller companies often don't get on well with 'off-the-shelf' EDI software," explains Tania Hüngsberg, "they don't need a bloated, complex program that can do everything. Their specific communication requirements, or those of their customers, should be solved - no more, no less".

As an easy introduction to the world of EDI, Hüngsberg takes over the transmission of such messages so that no on-premise installation of EDI software is necessary. The EDI specialist has also developed a stand-alone message processing program, logDAX, especially for logistics providers who do not have an ERP system.

The initial embedding of more complex Hüngsberg EDI solutions in the ERP systems of their customers is accompanied by the in-house service team or authorized service partners on site. "Medium-sized companies in particular without a large IT team fear problems with the integration of an EDI system into their ERP," says Hüngsberg's experience, "and this must also always be kept up to date. EDI message formats are constantly changing. Support from service employees who are based somewhere abroad and are not at all familiar with the local system conditions does not help them either." This is why Hüngsberg focuses on services that match its locally installed or cloud-based EDI solutions.