We are entering an age when B2B industry organizations are moving their focus from traditional transaction-oriented programs to higher-order, line-of-business challenges.  It is not that EDI and other B2B standards are not important.  They certainly are.  However, the work done over the last 20+ years has yielded many mature B2B programs.  These mature B2B programs enable B2B teams and interested functional staff to explore new, more value-added functionality for their organizations.  It also has helped shift the financial resources from the order-to-settlement and other mature processes to those value-added functions like logistics visibility, score cards, dashboards and more.

Organizations with mature B2B programs now need the same type of industry group focused on their line-of-business problems as emerged in the early days of B2B and addressed the granular details of the order-to-settlement process.  At the same time, companies with less mature programs still need to leverage the work that came before them in order to catch up and benefit from the traditional B2B functionality as well as the new line-of-business value adds.  Where do high-tech companies turn for help whether they are mature programs or new to B2B?

EIDX, the Electronics Industry Data Exchange Association is celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year.  EIDX is part of CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association, and has long been the go-to organization for B2B leadership in the North American high-tech space.   EIDX has lead the high-tech industry through numerous challenges and changes over the years.  And EIDX understood several years ago that a significant shift was beginning to take place in the high-tech B2B space and it has positioned itself to continue its leadership role in the new, line-of-business oriented B2B world. 

EIDX has embraced the Open Applications Group (OAGI) and is a contributor of business best practices.  OAGI will, in turn, leverage these best practices in developing technical solutions for process-based B2B solutions.  In support of this initiative, EIDX has formed work groups to address important and current industry challenges.  EIDX is also working with EDIFICE, its European counterpart, to help the members of both organizations achieve better automation with Asian suppliers.

Linked here is the EIDX homepage where you can find their annual update detailing the EIDX organizations’ success in meeting their 2007 goals.  If your organization is in the high-tech space in North America, you should be working with EIDX.  If you are in Europe, work with EDIFICE.   If you are in Asia, contact either organization as they are both reaching out to Asian companies today to help provide guidance and best practices in integrating into the global high-tech supply chain.

 EDIFICE’s next plenary is hosted by Microsoft in Prague on March 5^th and 6^th.  The focus of the conference is “Distribution Channel Management”.  You can reach their sign-up page here.

EIDX’s upcoming conference will be hosted by TI on April 16^th and 17^th in Dallas.  It will focus, amongst other things, on high-tech’s number one issue right now - Data Quality. You can sign up here. 

If you have questions, feel free to contact me using the information below.

Bryan Scott Larkin, member of the Board of Governors, EIDX

518-882-7176

Bryan.Larkin@gxs.com

Looking to travel to China for the Olympics? Your flights in August might be better than they were last August.  Chinese airlines have been ordered to improve customer service and reduce flight delays before the Olympics.  The Chinese government has also required that overbooking of flights be stopped and that extra aircraft be available at 6 major airports in case of problems.But air travel isn’t the only thing that might need some help when it comes to the Olympics.  Word is that some companies have quietly been told to make sure they stock up before the Olympics because there is no guarantee that Chinese firms will be able to ship during the weeks preceding, during and immediately after the Olympics.  Ugh. Talk about a supply chain hiccup.

Inspired by the radio program, Only a Game, I offer up Supply Chain and B2B Haiku.  The program featured Super Bowl haiku this past weekend and I figured if they could do it for football, why not supply chain and B2B?  The suggestions are supported by recent AMR and Stanford Global Supply Chain Management Forum studies.

B2B brings growth.

Increase revenue today.

Stakeholders go wild!

Lower costs, but how?

Supply Chain Automation.

Why wait? Start today!

Stanford says outsource.

High ROI they did find.

Lower your risks, too!

Now, what type of haiku can you do?  I look forward to your responses.