Posting an update so others can learn. RE: EDI to API for Salesforce consumption.
A freight broker of ours uses a software called PCSSoft for freight orders and tracking, and we wanted to integrate with their system to consume real-time updates as we do with UPS. About a month ago I commenced a trial deployment to explore the costs of EDI data transmission (characters) and the accuracy of the data. It would be 1 document (214) with a limited set of statuses (1650/1651).
We contracted PCSSoft partner Kleinschmidt for the job, and I put my developer on the task of setting up a sandbox and the appropriate structure to receive and map the data out correctly.
As of this week, we've decided to defer the project for the following reasons:
- Massive costs. Remember, this was a trial/test run. Understanding EDI to assist our partner with the documentation consumed many hours, and we’re behind several weeks. For many EDI partners, API integration is new – specifically, pushing to Salesforce.
- Our freight broker is manually updating status in PCSSoft. It’s not automated where the trucks check-in automatically with scans or a geolocation service (think UPS). Considering the costs, if the data isn’t automated, it’s of limited value.
I expect to integrate at some point in the future, most likely using KS (they were courteous, seemingly competent) and I’ve also started the conversation with our freight broker to encourage them to up their game and move to a proper database with the appropriate technology to automate check-ins and status updates.
There's of course lots of information I've left out of the picture, if you've got questions, please feel free to ask.
