SPS Commerce & Trilogy: A Network Success Story

Choosing a Better EDI Path

When Trilogy initially engaged with SPS Commerce they were not new to EDI however what they didn’t realise is how easy EDI could be. Leys said, “SPS has simplified our processes and has made EDI really easy. It was a nightmare to do manually, but we’ve automated the process so the same tasks are handled in seconds. I don’t have to think about it, it just works!”

Prior to engaging with SPS Commerce, Trilogy used several EDI providers, none of which was fully integrated into their ERP solution, NetSuite. Thus, the order fulfillment process was very manual and time intensive for the technology and sales teams at Trilogy. Their staff needed specific knowledge of all the different systems and there was a high risk of error with numerous places in the process where a mistake could occur. Additionally, it was very expensive for them to run.

Decreasing manual entry, increasing efficiencies, saving time and cost reduction were the key pain points leading to the switch to SPS Commerce Fulfillment and its system automation with NetSuite.

Onboarding with Retailers Made Easy

Trilogy’s first EDI retailer in Australia was Australian department store retailer, David Jones. SPS setup the connection and integrated the process with Trilogy’s NetSuite solution. Leys shared, “No matter what came up the SPS project team was really responsive, they got on it, went through and sorted it out. I was under pressure to deliver the solution and the experts at SPS were so easy to deal with and provided a service level that is rarely seen in the industry. EDI was a must for us to expand into Australia and they made it happen.”

Experiencing the Freedom of Using a Full-Service Provider

SPS Commerce Fulfillment is a full-service EDI offering that offers a cloud-based solution and associated staffing resources that customize, optimize and operate the technology. SPS carries out a complete business function on behalf of the customer.

As their SPS partnership evolved, additional complexities in their supply chain emerged and were ripe for automation. It was at this time when Leys experienced the advantage of having a full-service EDI provider. One of the first issues was how to integrate multiple logistics partners (3PLs) into the EDI-enabled fulfillment process. Leys commented, “There were a lot of complex moving parts and SPS made what could have been a very complicated integration process simple for us.”

Next, they signed with a second retailer in Australia, Myer, and wished to comply with their requirements with minimal effort. Leys was confident in the SPS team’s abilities, stating “The EDI requirements were greater at Myer, but we were compliant within in a short period of time thanks to SPS.”

Delivering Single Click Order Approval and Fulfillment

The Trilogy team has really found value in utilising SPS as a full-service EDI provider to tackle new business challenges. The order approval and fulfilment processes are now streamlined so orders are fulfilled with just a single click from their sales teams. Then, the order is automatically picked and packed, and shipped with an accurate barcode label to the retailer. “The process went from a nightmare to really easy thanks to the integration between SPS and NetSuite,” said Leys. Not only has it saved the sales team time it has decreased Leys own amount of manual entry as he no longer has to go through the lengthy process of manually importing order files into NetSuite twice a week.

The SPS Commerce solution and its integration with NetSuite has led to significant cost savings for the company. Leys mentions, “It’s quite easy to go to your CFO and get approval for something that is cost effective and works. This is true of SPS.” He goes on to say, “SPS is more cost effective, the service more stable and tested by more companies, and support is really good. I couldn’t say the same of our previous EDI provider.”

It’s the People

During this time, Leys discovered that he wanted more than robust EDI technology, he needed a knowledgeable team that he could access at any time to manage any EDI-related request or issue. He found this with SPS. “The SPS team is easy to deal with and that’s a big thing for me. I don’t sing people’s praises unless they have earned it and SPS has earned it”. Trilogy have confidence that SPS will confidently handle any EDI requirements and any changes that David Jones and Myer make. Looking into the future, Trilogy is confident in bringing more retailers onboard as they have SPS on their side.