Develop a Comprehensive Business-to-Business Integration Strategy
Strong partnerships require seamless integration; don’t let lagging integration capabilities undermine your B2B relationships.
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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.
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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.
Book NowModule 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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