Business Objective of Belgrade
Belgrade Insulation is a privately owned specialist distributor of insulation and drywall systems and associated products for all construction industry sectors. Established in 1976, the company has grown significantly, opening multiple branches across the UK. Belgrade’s primary focus is quality and reliability, and it works with leading manufacturers to offer a comprehensive range of products. Their experienced team assists you in providing cost-effective solutions that comply with building regulations and codes for sustainable homes.
Belgrade sought an automated solution to streamline its order processing and scale operations. Manual data transformation caused delays, errors, and inefficiencies. Rockwool, the supplier, required order data in EDIFACT format via AS2, and Belgrade’s raw data didn’t support that format. Overall, the insulation distributor needed a solution that could help them scale and handle increased order volume while maintaining accuracy.
Challenges Faced by Belgrade
As Belgrade Insulation planned to expand their business, they encountered a problem in procurement process, which resulted in the following:
- Purchase Order data was stored in raw database format
- Rockwool required orders in EDIFCAT format via AS2
- Delayed order processing due to manual data transformation
- Increased risk of human error in purchase orders
- Reduced overall efficiency due to additional workload and manual efforts
How does NeosAlpha help?
We implemented an end-to-end automated Boomi solution to address all the challenges of Belgrade Insulation. Our approach was focused on:
1. Automating Purchase Order Processing
Belgrade purchase orders were stored in raw database format, which required manual adjustments to make them compatible with Rockwool’s data standards.
We configured Boomi to fetch purchase order details from Belgrade’s database. Boomi automatically identified the relevant orders under specific conditions, such as orders selected when the supplier was Rockwool, only new orders created on the current data, and line items included when they were pending or partially fulfilled. Automating data extraction reduced the risk of error and accelerated the whole process.
2. Converting Data into EDIFACT Format
Belgrade Insulation’s data format was incompatible with Rockwool’s format, so it relied on manual conversion, which was time-consuming and prone to errors.
We used Boomi EDI to automatically transform the data extracted from Belgrade into Rockwool’s required format. By standardizing the format, we ensured that all the documents were fully compliant, which reduced rejection rates.
3. Securely Sending Purchase Orders via AS2
Rockwool required purchase orders to be sent using a specific protocol (the AS2 protocol) to ensure secure order transmission.
Applicability Statement 2 Electronic Data Interchange (AS2 EDI) is a commonly used protocol to secure business documents (purchase orders, invoices, and shipping notices) between trading partners. AS2 enables point-to-point communication by encrypting and digitally signing EDI messages to ensure data confidentiality and authentication. It eliminates the need for traditional value-added networks to reduce transaction costs while compiling with industry standards.
Our team used an AS2 connector to transform an EDIFACT order. This ensured data encryption and security, compliance with industry standards, and real-time order delivery without manual effort. It eliminated supplier compliance issues and ensured seamless EDI order exchange.
4. Scheduled Synchronization for Continuous Automation
Belgrade’s old processes required manual checks and sending orders, causing delays and inefficiencies.
Our team configured Boomi to run the process automatically every minute, eliminating the need for manual intervention. This solution ensured the new purchase orders were processed and sent to Rockwool in real-time.
Technologies and Tools Used
- Boomi – To handle the data extraction, transformation and transmission.
- AS2 Connector – To securely exchange data between Belgrade Insulation and their supplier.
- Database Connector – To fetch and process purchase order details from Belgrade’s system.
- EDIFACT PO (97A format) – Standardized electronic document format for purchase orders.
Results
Here is how NeosAlpha helped Belgrade Insulation to achieve:
- Elimination of manual processes and errors with the help of automation.
- Quick and automation of purchase order processing by transforming data into a supplier-compatible format.
- Enhanced scalability by streamlining procurement workflow and eliminating data exchange limitations.
