From 8 weeks to 2: US Motor Works Slashes EDI Setup Time by 80% and reduces order processing delays by 80-90%
80% faster EDI setup time vs other providers
80-90% reduction in time lost to EDI order processing delays
Operational Efficiency Gain: Cut back-and-forth communication by 60-75%
We took over their trading partner communication and end-to-end project management, freeing up time for operations
Full user enablement in under 5 sessions
Expanded EDI Capabilities
James Gillean
IT Manager, US Motor Works
US Motor Works, LLC started working with EDI Support LLC because our previous EDI supplier was difficult to contact. EDI Support has been readily available to us whenever we needed them. They’ve been very flexible, friendly, and easy to work with.
Our business has been expanding and we’ve had a need for more EDI options like UCC-128 label support and the ability to process electronic orders that were being sent in different formats. EDI Support has been able to accommodate our customers diverse electronic ordering requirements under changing guidelines. Requirements can change very rapidly and they’ve been able to accommodate us along the way. It’s not fun trying to hit a moving target, but they did it.
They’ve guided us from the purchase and setup of the software to the end-user training and best practices. We’ve worked with a lot of companies that do EDI transactions, but EDI Support has been more capable and knowledgeable than any of them.
A lot of other companies have told me something will take 3 weeks or 6 weeks or even 8 weeks to get something set up. It’s hard to describe how nice it is to have support that is actually available to help you and that can get it done quickly.
About US Motor Works
US Motor Works, headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, CA, is a leading manufacturer and distributor of high-quality engine parts for the automotive and heavy-duty industries. Known for precision-engineered water pumps and fan clutches, the company is focused on operational excellence and business scalability.
To support their continued growth that involved acquiring OSC Cooling and expanding trading partner relationships, US Motor Works needed a responsive, flexible, and future-ready EDI solution along with integration into their Sage 100 ERP. They turned to EDI Support LLC for the EDI expertise across different platforms, personalized hand-holding support, and ERP integration experience they couldn’t find elsewhere.
Challenges Faced
US Motor Works was facing several EDI roadblocks:
- Unresponsive EDI Provider: Their previous provider was unresponsive and slow to adapt to evolving business needs, causing delays in system updates and issue resolution.
- Limited Format Support: The EDI system they were using only supported traditional EDI formats, which created significant limitations as their trading partners began requesting support for diverse file formats.
- Stagnant Platform: The platform had no new features or roadmap for innovation, leaving US Motor Works stuck with outdated technology that couldn’t scale with their expanding business.
- ERP Integration & Acquisition: They needed a solution that could integrate EDI documents into Sage 100 ERP while also accommodating OSC Cooling’s XML-based documents from their legacy Legend ERP system as part of a strategic acquisition.
- Scalable EDI for Future Growth: With plans to onboard more trading partners and manage unique file formats and compliance requirements, US Motor Works needed a more flexible, future-proof solution to scale their operations smoothly.
EDI Support LLC’s Solution
EDI Support LLC worked closely with US Motor Works and their Sage 100 consulting partner, Hagenbach Solutions, to architect and implement a robust, end-to-end EDI infrastructure tailored to their immediate challenges and future growth plans.
| 1. | Selected the Right Tools for Scalability and Flexibility After carefully evaluating their existing environment and growth needs, EDI Support recommended a dual-software solution using OpenText ECS/Delta for communication and transformation, and SPS Commerce’s Mapadoc for seamless integration into Sage 100. This tech stack allowed for:
|
| 2. | Enabled Real-Time Integration for Acquired Company (OSC Cooling) A key priority was ensuring that orders from OSC Cooling’s trading partners continued to flow without interruption during the ERP transition. EDI Support maintained support for existing XML order formats from OSC Cooling’s legacy Legend ERP, while simultaneously integrating those same partners into Sage 100.This allowed both ERPs to operate side-by-side temporarily—with no delays or disruptions in order processing—a major win during a high-stakes acquisition period. |
| 3. | Eliminated Limitations of Previous EDI Provider Unlike the former provider, who restricted US Motor Works to standard EDI formats and had slow response times, EDI Support enabled:
|
| 4. | Empowered Client’s Internal Team Rather than keeping processes hidden, EDI Support provided hands-on training in EDI mapping best practices and system workflows. This transparency slashed wait times for updates and gave US Motor Works clear visibility into their EDI operations. |
Results
| 1. | 80% Faster Implementation Times Where previous EDI setups took 6–8 weeks, EDI Support completed integration in just 2 weeks. This was possible due to deep familiarity with both Sage 100 and various EDI tools like OpenText ECS/Delta and SPS Mapadoc, along with direct collaboration with US Motor Works’ Sage consultant. This speed allowed them to support ongoing growth and acquisitions without slowing operations. |
| 2. | 80% Reduction in Order Processing Delays By enabling real-time flow of electronic orders including XML documents from the acquired OSC Cooling’s legacy ERP, US Motor Works eliminated the backlogs and latency they experienced with their prior provider. EDI Support’s responsiveness ensured that changing partner requirements didn’t stall fulfillment or revenue. |
| 3. | Strong Trading Partner Relationships By adapting quickly to 5–10 different trading partner formats and compliance changes, US Motor Works positioned itself as a reliable and flexible vendor, enhancing its reputation and reducing friction in the supply chain collaboration. |
| 4. | 60–75% Reduction in Back and Forth Communication By managing all trading partner communication and end-to-end project tasks, we reduced back-and-forth coordination between multiple stakeholders by 60–75%. This gave the US Motor Works team more time to focus on core operations and not having to worry about compliance changes and missing critical information from their trading partners. |
| 5. | Zero Downtime During ERP Migration EDI Support ensured that incoming orders from OSC Cooling partners continued uninterrupted as the company transitioned from its legacy Legend ERP system to Sage 100. This eliminated the risk of lost orders or customer dissatisfaction during the acquisition process. |
| 6. | Support for All File Types Unlike their previous provider, who only handled traditional EDI formats, EDI Support enabled US Motor Works to process and exchange any file type—from flat files to XML, unlocking broader compatibility with current and future trading partners. |
- 80% Faster Implementation Times
Where previous EDI setups took 6-8 weeks, EDI Support completed integration in just 2 weeks. This was possible due to deep familiarity with both Sage 100 and various EDI tools like OpenText ECS/Delta and SPS Mapadoc, along with direct collaboration with US Motor Works’ Sage consultant. This speed allowed them to support ongoing growth and acquisitions without slowing operations.
- 80% Reduction in Order Processing Delays
By enabling real-time flow of electronic orders including XML documents from the acquired OSC Cooling’s legacy ERP, US Motor Works eliminated the backlogs and latency they experienced with their prior provider. EDI Support’s responsiveness ensured that changing partner requirements didn’t stall fulfillment or revenue.
- Strong Trading Partner Relationships
By adapting quickly to 5-10 different trading partner formats and compliance changes, US Motor Works positioned itself as a reliable and flexible vendor, enhancing its reputation and reducing friction in the supply chain collaboration.
- 60-75% Reduction in Back and Forth Communication
- Zero Downtime During ERP Migration
- Support for All File Types
Unlike their previous provider, who only handled traditional EDI formats, EDI Support enabled US Motor Works to process and exchange any file type-from flat files to XML, unlocking broader compatibility with current and future trading partners.
Lessons Learned
| 1. | Choosing the right EDI partner dramatically impacts your ability to grow, stay compliant, and meet customer expectations. A knowledgeable EDI partner can deliver speed, flexibility, and hands-on support that larger providers often lack. The right solution doesn’t just maintain, it enables growth by adapting to your business, not the other way around. |
| 2. | Responsiveness and expertise matters – more than just software features, the ability to adapt quickly can make or break a supply chain. |
| 3. | End-to-end support is essential when working with complex, evolving EDI ecosystems especially for growing manufacturers with a variety of trading partners. |
| 4. | System interoperability and the ability to process multiple file types is key when scaling through acquisitions. |
| 5. | Having internal control over mapping means faster execution and less reliance on third parties. |
Ready to Streamline Your EDI and Drive Growth?
matter how complex your workflows are.
