Develop a Comprehensive Business-to-Business Integration Strategy
Strong partnerships require seamless integration; don’t let lagging integration capabilities undermine your B2B relationships.
RETIRED CONTENT
Please note that the content on this page is retired. This content is not maintained and may contain information or links that are out of date.Companies that aren’t taking advantage of B2B integration are experiencing the following pains:
- Resource drain: ensuring integration with a partner that uses a different protocols is expensive.
- Underperformance: key data, such as customer orders, can be lost or mismanaged without proper integration.
- Conflicting demands: business executives do not consider data standards when entering partnership agreements.
- Lack of knowledge: enterprise architect is unaware of the B2B integration technologies that can convert file formats to enhance usability and make integration easier.
- Difficulty managing change: not only are internal data standards changing, but there is a constant need to adapt to the evolving data standards of partners.
- Limited security: many older interfaces and protocols, such as FTP, were not designed with security in mind.
A formalized B2B integration strategy results in the following benefits:
- Increased speed of communication: a strategy will allow you to keep up with today’s business demands for quick information exchanges.
- More accurate data: by having closely integrated, real-time transactions, you can reduce human error and invoice discrepancies.
- Cost savings: by having a clear strategy in place you can reap the benefits of cost savings through fewer data areas, reducing on-hand inventory, and less expensive transaction costs.
- Operational efficiency: an effective strategy will grant you end-to-end visibility into your trading partner processes.
Book Your Workshop
Onsite Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn’t enough, we offer low-cost onsite delivery of our Project Workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a road map in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Project Rationale and Structure
The Purpose
- Understanding why the project is important.
- Alignment of business drivers with issues and pain points.
- Identification of project goals, scope, risks, participants, and metrics.
- Identification of stakeholders.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Set the context of a B2B integration strategy within your organization.
- Gain approval to move ahead with the project.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Determine business impact of B2B integration |
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| 1.2 | Define drivers for improving B2B integration |
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| 1.3 | Identify B2B integration pain points |
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| 1.4 | Define project charter inputs |
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| 1.5 | Identify stakeholders |
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| 1.6 | Identify stakeholder communication style |
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Module 2: Gather B2B Integration Requirements
The Purpose
- Understand your partners and how they integrate.
- Define B2B integration objectives that align with business goals.
- Identify the characteristics of our target maturity state.
- Uncover patterns in B2B requirements.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Ability to recognize immediate opportunities for improvement.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Update Trading Partner Inventory Tool |
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| 2.2 | Create partner context diagram |
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| 2.3 | Tailor interview guide |
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| 2.4 | Conduct a mock stakeholder interview |
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| 2.5 | Map business goals to strategic objectives |
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| 2.6 | Identify desired maturity state |
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| 2.7 | Identify immediate integration opportunities |
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Module 3: Identify B2B Solution Alternatives
The Purpose
- Identification of your current state and the gaps to fill in order to reach your desired target state.
- A thorough understanding of all solution options and deployment alternatives available.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Fit-for-purpose strategic roadmap containing prioritized initiatives to reach target maturity state.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Identify your current B2B maturity |
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| 3.2 | Conduct a gap analysis |
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| 3.3 | Facilitate discussion around alternative solutions |
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| 3.4 | Determine total cost of ownership |
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| 3.5 | Create initiatives |
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Module 4: Make the Business Case
The Purpose
- Show the business value generated from a B2B integration strategy.
- Develop a communications plan.
- Decide how to measure the strategy to determine success.
- Determine authority and who can make changes to the B2B strategy.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Define best methods and practices for communicating initiatives and changes with stakeholders.
- Establish metrics.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | Determine business value of B2B integration |
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| 4.2 | Learn to communicate initiatives |
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| 4.3 | Establish metrics |
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| 4.4 | Determine the governance structure of your strategy |
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