BPL Plasma – EDI for Dynamics NAV

Objective

Save time, reduce errors and eliminate order delays through purchasing transaction automation

Solution

A robust, web-based TrueCommerce EDI purchasing integration with Microsoft Dynamics NAV eliminates manual effort, streamlining the purchasing process

Benefits

• Significantly decreases the time required to place and process orders
• Eliminates errors associated with rekeying data and other manual steps
• Reduces errors and saves time for suppliers, further helping to

“Placing orders using EDI is much easier, much faster and much less error-prone than doing everything by hand.”

Val Gameiro
Senior Nav Analyst
BPL Plasma

Background

This long-time leader in the plasma collection industry uses TrueCommerce EDI to automate the exchange of outbound purchase orders and inbound invoices with its highest-volume vendors.

Part of UK-based Bio Products Laboratory, BPL Plasma has been a global leader in the plasma collection industry for over 25 years, with over 30 plasma collection centers across the US. The high-quality plasma BPL collects is sold to pharmaceutical companies worldwide. From there it is processed into a variety of lifesaving therapies used to treat conditions like hemophilia and immune system deficiencies, as well as aid victims of burns and shock.

Like many forward-looking healthcare suppliers, BPL strives to increase efficiency and reduce costs through automation. Currently, BPL uses TrueCommerce EDI for Microsoft Dynamics NAV to transact business with one of its highest-volume vendors.

Simplifies the Ordering Process

BPL Plasma significantly simplifies and optimizes purchasing process. Val Gameiro, Senior NAV Analyst, joined BPL in February of 2016. Among his first responsibilities was to complete the rollout of integrated TrueCommerce EDI for Microsoft Dynamics NAV, which BPL had already purchased, but had not fully implemented.

“One of our highest-volume vendors is EDI-capable, so to simplify the ordering process we wanted to transact business with them via EDI,” Mr. Gameiro states. “I researched other offerings, but by far the most cost-effective and low-impact option was to go with TrueCommerce EDI.”

Saves Time and Reduces Errors

Integrated EDI eliminates the need to process purchase orders by hand. BPL’s seamless purchasing integration of EDI with Dynamics NAV significantly accelerates purchasing transactions. “Placing orders using EDI is much easier, much faster and much less error-prone than doing everything by hand,” Mr. Gameiro observes.

Without EDI, BPL’s supply chain team would need to save purchase orders created in Dynamics NAV in PDF format, and then email them to the supplier. The manual effort involved increases the potential for error on both ends, since technicians have to reenter the emailed information upon receipt. The same error-prone scenario applies to any document tracking and acknowledgement procedures.

EDI also greatly decreases the time it takes to process orders. “We don’t have to export a PDF file, attach it to an email, address the email and send it out for each individual order,” Mr. Gameiro clarifies. “TrueCommerce EDI just handles all the POs at the same time as a single operation—we upload it and it’s done.”

Makes EDI Simple for Business Users

BPL’s supply chain team can “turn around” POs and invoices with minimal IT involvement. BPL’s purchasing integration is easy for business users to learn and use with minimal training, which reduces demands on IT. Ease-of-use allowed the company to quickly form an effective EDI team.

“We have three or four different people who have learned how to use the EDI system,” continues Mr. Gameiro. “They’ve been able to handle everything themselves without a lot of support from me.”

TrueCommerce EDI offers built-in process controls that validate each EDI document to ensure it is complete and accurate before transmitting it. This helps reduce delays on orders. “If something was missed on export that has to be corrected, that’s also pretty simple,” states Mr. Gameiro.

According to Mr. Gameiro, BPL’s EDI integration has been largely turnkey: “When I was first getting the solution up-and running, I had some questions for TrueCommerce support, and some problems came up that they helped me resolve. But since then, I’ve had no need to contact support at all.”