EDI reimagined: automation for 430 documents per day at Bort Medical

EDI, or Electronic Data Interchange, is a helpful tool: It simplifies data exchange, connects external partners, and automates workflows that would otherwise have to be handled manually. That was precisely the wish of BORT, a specialist for orthopedic aids and medical compression stockings. The company’s mission of helping people also applies to its own employees. When it became clear that the previously used EDI solution was costing a great deal of effort, time, and nerves, it was clear: A new system was needed.

Of course, switching to a new software partner also entails risks. Will the collaboration run as planned? Does the product match its description? Are the effort and costs worth the result? Samuel Erz, Head of BORT IT Services, therefore asked himself which criterion, in addition to the advantages of the solution and the rapport with the consultants, would be the decisive argument.

“An extra benefit at your side.” BORT not only advertises with this slogan but also lives by the idea: The company develops, produces, and distributes high-quality medical products with the aim of providing people with aids that truly convince. The core competence lies in supports and orthoses in the orthopedics business segment. Recently, the product range has been expanded to include a comprehensive line of compression stockings. In everything BORT does, people are at the center: Values such as quality, reliability, and fair customer relationships shape the company philosophy. The company has been on the market for more than 35 years and remains family-run to this day.

BORT has been running its software projects satisfactorily and pleasantly with the provider Konica Minolta, a reseller of the Yaveon solution. So why look for another partner at all? “We were no longer satisfied with our old EDI solution from a third provider. Our main partner Konica Minolta then established the contact with Yaveon,” recalls Samuel Erz. The range of EDI solutions is large, but the decision for Yaveon was easy, Mr. Erz explains: “Many of our customers work very successfully with Yaveon, and what better argument could there be than a personal recommendation?” To gain final confirmation, the BORT team participated in a webcast presentation as well as a training session at the Yaveon site in Würzburg. The presentation of the EDI solution and the first contacts went just as expected. An additional plus point: Yaveon and Konica Minolta are established software partners who jointly approach projects with customers, so the decision was quickly made. For Mr. Erz, it was important that there was a strong connection between the partners, and there was no doubt: Konica Minolta supported the project from the very beginning, while Yaveon took on the actual implementation of the EDI project.

From the very beginning, BORT noticed: Collaboration with Yaveon works, and the EDI solution delivers what it promises. “It was important to us that BORT finally receive a solution that truly makes their workflow easier. Mr. Erz and his team should be able to work more flexibly and more happily with EDI,” reports Fabian Herrmann, consultant and software developer at Yaveon.

Even before the project began, it was clear that most requirements could be met within the EDI standard. Individual requests were addressed separately, analyzed, and implemented.

• Integration of business partners and suppliers
• Simplified and automated exchange of data
• Use of standard-compliant barcode labels and shipping documents

• Invoice export
• Order import (receiving digital orders)
• The system reads both EDIFACT files and freely defined formats (XML custom formats)

Today, BORT uses a system that runs smoothly and moves the company forward: Invoices are sent automatically, and incoming orders are processed. On average, this means about 350 exported and 80 imported documents per day. The company now has a solution fully integrated into its own ERP system Microsoft Dynamics NAV and no longer has to rely on isolated solutions. Another advantage: Because the system runs almost error-free, users barely notice it. If a deviation does occur, BORT’s own IT department can quickly handle it—no external assistance is needed. Even after the implementation phase, the strong connection remained and entered a new chapter: A new colleague at BORT was immediately fully integrated. “It has created a real sense of community,” says Samuel Erz.

Was it the right decision to tackle the project with partners Yaveon and Konica Minolta? “Absolutely,” Samuel Erz is convinced. Recommendations and references can indeed be trusted.