EDITEL Journal EN 2/2021

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EDITORIAL

© Petra Spiola

VIENNA

EDI is all the rage!

© PG Studios

Digitalization and sustainability are two of the significant current megatrends. What strikes me is that a technology like EDI that has been around for 40 years exempliGerd Marlovits fies both these tendencies. After CEO all, sustainability is intrinsically linked to digitalization in the sense that any interconnected and automated technology effectively prevents the waste of time and valuable resources. For a powerful illustration of how these two megatrends overlap, please read our latest lead article about a Web EDI solution recently developed at SPAR designed to allow for shorter and easier communication processes with regional suppliers.

Our successful projects for GoodMills (page 2), Fellhof (page 3) and PGV Austria (page 4) are testament to the fact that these trends are gaining traction even among long-established companies with traditional products such as flour, sheepskin slippers, and the good old newspaper.

AN EDI PORTAL FOR ­REGIONAL SPAR SUPPLIERS A Web EDI solution developed specifically for the needs of small suppliers helps improve processes for serving SPAR Austria.

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oday‘s consumers have increasingly high expectations regarding produce, which creates major challenges for retailers and their business partners. Clients want their fruit and vegetables to be fresh off the fields, they expect top-notch quality as well as the perfect degree of ripeness and they want sufficient amounts, too. In addition, they prefer regional and sustainably grown products. To meet these demands, suppliers need to scrutinize and optimize their logistics processes on a constant basis, even if these have worked well in the past.

Effortless communication presupposes easy processes SPAR has always made regional products and close collaboration with local partners a priority. Many business processes are now increasingly handled electronically, which opens up a lot of opportunities regarding communication with regional suppliers while making previous communication processes obsolete.

“That is why EDITEL, our EDI partner of many years, and SPAR ICS, the IT service company of

IN BRIEF How to become the perfect e-commerce business partner www.editel.eu/using-edi-for-e-commerce

EDI mapping as a success factor: why this process is so important www.editel.eu/edi-mapping-as-a-success-factor-why-­ this-process-is-so-important/

10 tips: how to avoid mistakes when using EDI www.editel.eu/10-tips-how-to-avoid-mistakes-whenusing-edi/

Climate check: find out how environmentally friendly EDI is www.editel.eu/fit-for-the-future-with-edienvironmentally-friendly-of-course/

Follow us!

In view of this development, we as an international EDI service provider believe that our main task is to provide the very best support to our clients for the implemen­ tation of their digital business models and to assist them now and in the future. To us, this is definitely the most important trend of all!

Happy reading!

Gerd Marlovits PS: Have you seen our EDI Blog? Please visit www.editel.eu/edi-blog for periodic information and interesting news from the world of EDI.

ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE DI portal for SPAR 1 EServing the needs of small suppliers n brief IOther news from the EDITEL Group DI portal for SPAR – continued 2 EServing the needs of small suppliers always matters Speed Implementation of SAP and EDI at GoodMills meets innovation...

3 Tatradition the sheepskin retailer Fellhof Fortius...

Conlyitius,withAltius, EDI positive shock 4 AMigration at PGV Austria László Légrádi WNewelcome Managing Director at EDITEL Hungary

The EDITEL JOURNAL is published as a supplement to GS1 Information in a total of 13,000 copies. It is available in German, English as well as in Czech, Slovak, Hungarian and Croatian for our international clients. To download the Journal as an epaper, please visit www.editel.eu/ editel-journal. If you have any suggestions, please contact us at info@editel.at

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editelJOURNAL Corporate Magazine of the EDITEL Group

Web EDI as a “small-scale ERP system”

© EDITEL

Hermann Hadner, the EDI applications manager at SPAR, likes to call this solution a “small-scale ERP system that includes the main components of ­ EDI-supported communication processes.” As planned, this successfully created an additional service for suppliers as an “out-of-the-box” solution for a swift and efficient connection to EDI. the SPAR Austria Group, teamed up in 2020 to develop a custom-fit solution,” said Michaela Eder, the EDI coordinator of SPAR Austria. “The introduction of such a system allowed us to simplify our procedures and improve communication processes with our suppliers.”

The new Web EDI portal connects directly to the SPAR supplier portal and allows for fully automated order processes. When SPAR places an order, the information leaves the ­company as an EDIFACT data set (ORDERS) via

the data hub eXite® and reaches the supplier‘s Web EDI portal as a user-­ friendly order. Once the supplier has confirmed the order, an order con­ firmation message is sent back to SPAR and will then be directly integrated into SPAR‘s ERP system as a structured data set (ORDRSP).

One of the main challenges of this ­project was creating an updated data pool that matches SPAR‘s article and customer master data, which is key for Electronic Data Interchange.

Outlook This project has laid the groundwork for the next logical steps, which is the ex­ change of despatch advices (DESADV) and invoices (INVOIC) via the Web EDI portal. This allows SPAR to achieve a consistent process without any system inconsistencies and potential errors, all of which makes life easier and better for all process participants. n

ABOUT SPAR ­AUSTRIA SPAR Austria Group is a privately owned Austrian family business that was established in 1954 in Kufstein (Tyrol). The company started out as a food retailer in Austria and over the past six decades has grown into a highly successful central European retail corporation with commercial activities in food retail, sporting goods retail, shopping centers in Austria and seven other countries. SPAR has a total of 3,250 locations and just under 90,000 employees. In 2020, the total sales of SPAR Austria Group reached EUR 16.6 billion. In Austria, SPAR operates 1,580 food retail stores and has net sales of EUR 8.32 billion.

https://b2b.spar.at

SPEED ALWAYS MATTERS It is particularly important when a company wants to switch its ERP system and update its EDI processes at the very same time. This was successfully done at GoodMills Bulgaria, with hands-on support by EDITEL.

“H

igh-level expertise for all things flour“ is the guiding principle of the GoodMills Group, which provides top-quality foodstuffs to millions of people in central and eastern Europe on a daily basis. This company, which is owned by the Raiffeisen corporation, pairs the benefits of an international network with local expertise

I mplementation of SAP and client-side EDI while replacing both systems during ongoing operations at the same time Specifications-dependent definition of SAP IDoc interfaces Coordination and EDI format testing with the client

ABOUT THE GOODMILLS GROUP With a total of 2.8 billion tons of processed cereals and sales of EUR 870 million (in the 2019/2020 business year), GoodMills Group is the leading milling company in Europe. The holding company, which is headquartered in Vienna, manages seven local subsidiaries with a total of 24 mills. In addition to the local Austrian subsidiary located in nearby Schwechat, the Group has other subsidiaries in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.

© GoodMills Group

IN BRIEF

about specific European markets.

This combination of expertise, experience, and regional roots allows the GoodMills Group to leverage opportunities on local markets.

For instance, Bulgaria, which is home to one of the largest and sophisticated mills in the Balkans, is one of the company‘s major markets. During the company-wide SAP introduction, Bulgaria was also the first country that concurrently had to make major changes to the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system it uses to communicate with its busi-

ness partners. The goal was to ensure the continued smooth exchange of orders, despatch advices, and invoices with major retailers including Billa, Metro, and Kaufland after finalizing the SAP implementation.

Due to the new centralized system environment, this project was not feasible with the previous local EDI provider, which is why EDITEL was selected as a partner for its experience, expertise, and international presence. Clearly focused on the goal and with a non-negotiable deadline for the go-live in mind, SAP was in-

troduced during ongoing operations, interfaces were defined, and the corresponding EDI mappings were prepared and tested together with the client.

The system went live exactly as planned and did not have any negative effect on ongoing operations. “We really appreciated EDITEL‘s topnotch problem-solving skills and flexibility, especially during the critical phase,” said Sharif Issa, the SAP project manager at GoodMills ­ Group, praising the project implementation: “The EDI connection allows for prompt planning and helps us eliminate mistakes. Despatch advices, invoices, and credits always go directly into the corresponding system and the process is fast and always accurate. Finally, we are saving considerable amounts of paper, which is a plus for the environment,” Mr. Sharif added.

While this does not mean that every­ thing happens faster at GoodMills Bulgaria than in other countries, a sophisticated system environment paired with a tried-and-trusted EDI service provider certainly prepare the ground for a successful and digitalized future while saving a lot of time.

In addition, a solid basis for the introduction of EDI operations in other countries is now available. n goodmills.com

editelJOURNAL Corporate Magazine of the EDITEL Group

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ABOUT FELLHOF ­VERTRIEBSGMBH

© Baloncici – iStockphoto.com

The history of Fellhof goes back to 1955, when it was a small general store in Hof near Salzburg that started selling animal skins. In 1988, Fellhof VertriebsGmbH was established and the company grew steadily. Fellhof‘s range of products includes lambskin footmuffs for strollers as well as gloves, shoes, cowskin rugs, and traditional slippers. The introduction of an online shop in 2010 and the inauguration of the “Fellhof Einkaufswelt“ store at the company‘s headquarters in Hof earlier this year were important corporate milestones.

TRADITION MEETS INNOVATION Fellhof, a specialized Salzburg-based sheepskin retailer, reflects the innovative potential of traditional companies. This was exemplified in the successful integration of EDI into the in-house ERP system Sage 100.

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true passion for the product, a sense of tradition and an open mind for innovation: these are the values that guide Fellhof VertriebsGmbH, a business that over the years has evolved from a small general store to a renowned international corporation.

When it comes to streamlining processes with its sales partners, the company, which is known for its high-quality sheepskin products, has always been highly innovative. Since 2018, Fellhof

has been exchanging invoices (INVOIC) electronically with a renowned Austrian furniture retailer using the EDI platform eXite by EDITEL. Earlier this year, a large international food retail corporation was added as a new sales partner, which required the company to expand its EDI operations to include orders (ORDERS) and despatch advices (DESADV). To reach an even higher degree of automation, this step was implemented along with the

integration of Sage100, which is the ERP system used by Fellhof. This was made possible by a jointly designed EDI interface that allows for direct access to eXite. Klaus Schaffer, Business Development Manager at EDITEL, commented on the project: “Every­ thing happened smoothly and swiftly, which is mostly thanks to Business Software, our Sage partner, and the experience we gained from working with them,” he said. Emre Özkan, the Fell-

fellhof.com

ABOUT SAGE100 Available in Austria through Business Software GmbH, the ERP system Sage 100 is a great choice especially for small and medium-sized companies because it adapts to their needs.

The software can either be used as a desktop version or via the cloud.

business-software.at

hof systems administrator, is also very pleased with the result, especially about the “major time-saving potential.” “We have so many documents that entering them manually would be too much of a workload,” he said. n

CITIUS, ALTIUS, FORTIUS – ONLY WITH EDI The Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius“, meaning “faster, higher, stronger“ has undoubtedly guided OTCF SA, and not just because of its activity in the sports industry. At the organizational level, it strives to make processes faster, give them a strong foundation, and guarantee the highest quality of products and customer service. The use of EDI communication at this company is the next logical step that is also in line with its revised operating philosophy.

OTCF SA is the owner of the 4F, 4F Junior, Outhorn brands, the Sport Style Story multibrand, as well as the official distributor of the American brand Under Armour in Poland. 4F collections include first-rate clothing and sports accessories for sports enthusiasts, amateur athletes, and professionals. The lines stand out for their quality, the use of technology, and cutting-edge design. In 2007, the company launched a collaboration with the Polish Ski Association, and a year later it started designing, producing, and delivering collections for the Polish Olympic Committee.

On 1 January 2021, Robert Lewandowski, the world’s best soccer player, the star of Bayern Munich, and the captain of the Polish national team, became an 4F ambassador. Wilfredo León Venero,

© EDISON

An athletic clothing giant

the world‘s leading volleyball player, is also a brand ambassador.

Introducing EDI In 2004, OTCF SA started working with EDISON SA and has since consistently implemented EDI communi-

cation as the preferred data exchange option with its business partners.

OTCF uses national and international connections, format conversion services (translation maps), and an electronic invoice archive. The “Connector Enterprise” application was used to

incorporate the ERP system into the EDI communication network.

EDISON SA consultants work with several OTCF departments on a regular basis, including IT, wholesale, and export. They keep a close eye on the clothing manufacturer’s current and future EDI needs and offer actionable steps and solutions.

The long-term collaboration between EDISON and OTCF has allowed the company to establish myriad national and international connections with OTFC’s European business partners.

This is testimony to that fact that an EDI module helps automate procurement processes and improves efficiency throughout the company. n

otcf.pl

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editelJOURNAL Corporate Magazine of the EDITEL Group

© Ellica_S – iStockphoto.com

­ DITEL for both data migration and the E implementation and operation of the new cloud solution.

A POSITIVE SHOCK, IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE? It is, and it happened during the successful migration at PGV Austria performed by EDITEL. The client had “shockingly“ little involvement in the process.

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very year, PGV Austria, a magazine and newspaper distributor, delivers approximately 5,250 publications from 290 different publishers to some 8,400 retailers. To make things even more complex, detailed coordination is key to determine when, where, and how long a certain newspaper or magazine is available at the point of sale (POS). Sophisticated logistics proces-

ses must be in place to achieve that.

For more than 20 years, these have been handled exclusively via Electronic Data Interchange using eXite, the EDI platform by EDITEL. The ­platform still uses the EDI standard (EANCOM) developed by GS1 Austria in 1996, which caters specifically to the needs of newspaper and magazine distributors.

A locally installed converter was used to do the data conversion from the in-house format to the EDIFACT format. The data conversion procedure was overhauled during a process update last year. By switching to a future-proof outsourcing solution, the company wanted to free resources and achieve higher system ­ stability. PGV Austria trusted the expertise of its long-standing EDI partner

© EDITEL

NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR at EDITEL HUNGARY KFT.

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n June 2021, László Légrádi became the new managing director of EDITEL Hungary Kft. His predecessor, the former managing director Tibor Šata, is now in charge of international operations.

Mr. Šata has been working for the EDITEL Group since 2008. He has held various management positions over the past 13 years and since 2015 has been responsible for the company’s strategy and development as the director of international

operations. “In recent years, EDITEL has built a strong position in ­Hungary, which we owe mostly to the professional Hungarian team, the excellent collaboration with our clients and, last but not least, to EDITEL‘s large innovation potential,” he explained. “Mr. Légrádi is a highly experienced leader who has gained extensive experience during his career. I am very happy that he joined us and I wish him all the best in his new position.”

This is no easy feat, partially because the entire migration had to be performed during ongoing operations and EDITEL worked live in the retailer‘s real-time system. In addition, this project involved significant amounts of data, which amounted to almost 500,000 transactions per month. After an in-depth analysis, EDITEL focused on one thing: testing, testing, and more testing, until the final result was a smooth process that worked 100% of the time. EDITEL successfully reached this goal, and the client is very satisfied with the results: “We owe the smooth transition first and foremost to the extraordinary dedication of ­EDITEL and our excellent collaboration with them,” said Gerhard Royer-Binder, the IT director of PGV Austria. It is quite fitting that Andreas Wieder, the EDI manager at PGV Austria, ironically described the entire migration process as a “true positive shock, in the sense that there was ultimately nothing for us to do.” It is safe to assume that no one was particularly upset by this turn of events. n

pgvaustria.at

IMPRINT ISSUE 2/2021

Mr. Légrádi welcomed the new task and the challenge involved. “This position appeals to me for several reasons. One is that I used to work for an American-style, multinational company (Iron Mountain), so I wanted to see what it is like to work in a more familiar, European environment. In addition, I always strive for continuous growth and I feel that EDITEL has all the conditions in place to achieve that. Also, I’ve always been attracted to IT, so I’m glad I now have the opportunity to explore this field.”

The new executive sees many opportunities and challenges for the future. His priorities include developing EDI activities and strengthening the company‘s market position in Hungary. “I see great potential in the region. Technology will make every­ one flock to digital platforms and the question is where EDITEL will come in. Our goal is to present the full range of our EDI solutions, which will ultimately strengthen our position as a digital service provider,” said Mr. Légrádi. n editel.hu

Owner and publisher: EDITEL Austria GmbH, 1040 Vienna, Brahmsplatz 3; T: +43 (0)1/505 86 02; e-mail: info@editel.at www.editel.eu EDITEL Austria GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GS1 Austria GmbH. The corporate objective of EDITEL Austria GmbH is the electronic data exchange between business partners, the sale of the required software and support services.

Management and responsible for the content: Gerd Marlovits Editorial staff: Daniela Paar, Anja Jung Proofreading : Dagmar Jenner, www.texterei.com Translations: English: Dagmar Jenner, www.texterei.com Czech and Slovak: Martina Pokornà, Linda Stanislavová Hungarian: Adrienn Horváth, Bettina ­Hernádi-Szekeres Croatian: Nataša Burič, Marija Lunjek Layout: www.creativedirector.cc Disclosure pursuant to Austrian Media Law as amended in March 2009: the purpose of this newsletter is the promotion and support of ­EDITEL Austria‘s business activities.