Frequently Asked Questions

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the trading of business files and documents, for example, Purchase Orders, Invoices, Price Lists, Product Catalogs, between trading partners, in a standardized format, directly from one computer to another.

A Trading Partner is simply a business partner that you exchange files with. Therefore, a Trading Partner (TP) can be either a supplier, a customer, or both. 

You may use our Trading Partner List to find whether we already have a connection with your partner. Don’t worry! If you don’t find your partner’s name, we can certainly contact them to request for EDI integration. 

EDI is utilized in about all major sectors including Pharmaceuticals, Automotive, Retail, Finance, etc. It is viewed as the standard for the electronic trade of documents between organizations worldwide. 

EDI can be implemented almost immediately, contingent upon the type of EDI solution that is chosen. For example, RxVirtual’s EDI Lite ® solution allows you to easily access a simple dashboard and start sending and receiving EDI files.

Other frameworks will need additional software and programming to be introduced on your organization’s system that will at that point permit communication with your back-office frameworks.

VAN is the acronym for “Value Added Network”, which is private network where EDI files are traded securely. Trading Partners may require an account with an EDI VAN which simply acts as an electronic mailbox to both send and receive electronic documents. 

VANs have been around for roughly three decades. However, with the advancement of the Internet, EDI files can now be exchanged in a Cloud (online) environment, with the same, if not greater, level of security. 

The short answer is, NO! RxVirtual’s EDI solutions have been developed to allow small and mid-sized companies to easily implement and start trading EDI files with their respective Trading Partners. 

If your company does not have an ERP system, your best option is most likely our EDI Lite ®. This platform allows you to log-in to a web-based portal and start sending and receiving EDI files immediately!

On a more complex scale, if your business has an ERP solution, such as NetSuite, SAP, Sage, SYSPRO, you may want to consider our EDI Professional Services. This service integrates EDI directly into your ERP solution, allowing you to continue your business as usual, but instead of having to fax, email or call your partner to submit a Purchase Order or Invoice, your ERP system will trigger a call to our EDI solution and automatically send and receive the documents electronically.

The short answer is, NO! EDI solutions are considered universal following a number of guideline standards. 

RxVirtual’s EDI solutions can communicate with basically any system! Therefore, you should be free to choose your EDI partner according to your business profile and needs.

It all depends on whether you choose to outsource or to implement an in-house EDI solution. 

Outsourcing is generally the most cost-efficient choice. It allows you to save on infrastructure, staff training and support. 

If you decide to implement an in-house EDI solution, you may want to consider the cost for software, hardware, and staff. In-house EDI is usually a choice amongst large companies that have the necessary budget and staff to operate and support their EDI needs.