{"id":902,"date":"2021-03-25T09:00:09","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T16:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paladinpointofsale.com\/retailscience\/?p=902"},"modified":"2025-09-22T15:15:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T22:15:02","slug":"edi-for-retail-why-you-need-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paladinpointofsale.com\/retailscience\/home\/edi-for-retail-why-you-need-it\/","title":{"rendered":"EDI for Retail: What It Is and Why You Need It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_fullwidth_post_title meta=&#8221;off&#8221; featured_placement=&#8221;background&#8221; text_color=&#8221;light&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; title_text_align=&#8221;center&#8221; background_color=&#8221;rgba(255,255,255,0)&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_center&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; min_height=&#8221;331px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;0px||||false|false&#8221; parallax_effect=&#8221;off&#8221; module_bg_color=&#8221;rgba(255,255,255,0)&#8221; use_border_color=&#8221;off&#8221; border_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_fullwidth_post_title][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;section&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;How Do You Stock Your Store?&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; use_border_color=&#8221;off&#8221; border_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">First published: June 30, 2017<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Updated: April 5, 2021 <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How Do You Stock Your Store?<\/h2>\n<p>Creating and sending orders is a time-consuming, but essential, part of any retail business. Even though we have technology that speeds communication around the globe, many people still dial up their sales rep to do their weekly orders over the phone. It\u2019s nice to talk to a real human, especially someone you\u2019ve been doing business with for years. Unfortunately, ordering over the phone creates a lot of opportunities for miscommunication.<\/p>\n<p>More progressive retailers have embraced newer technology (much of it popularized in the 1970\u2019s) by typing orders into a computer, printing it out, and faxing it to their supplier. Email will sometimes take the place of the printer and fax machine. This is faster, but it still takes a long time to create the order and produces multiple opportunities to transpose numbers, order wrong items or incorrect quantities, etc.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on the supplier, some retailers order through a \u201cdealers only\u201d area of their supplier\u2019s website. This method requires searching through hundreds or thousands of products to order the items they need.<\/p>\n<p>No matter which method is used, the people doing the work are paid for their time, patience, and attention to detail. Adding those wages into the equation magnifies how expensive and time-consuming these methods are.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;There has GOT to be a better way!&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; use_border_color=&#8221;off&#8221; border_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>There is a Better Way!<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW3293922 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW3293922 BCX0\">It is possible to bypass the hours it takes to create and receive your orders. A\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW3293922 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW3293922 BCX0\">retail management<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW3293922 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW3293922 BCX0\">\u00a0system equipped with EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) sends your order directly from your point of sale to your supplier\u2019s computer. Once you enter the quantities of the products you need and hit the \u201csend\u201d button, EDI for retail does the rest. This is a system many Paladin users have come to depend<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW3293922 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW3293922 BCX0\">\u00a0on<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW3293922 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW3293922 BCX0\">\u00a0for\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW3293922 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW3293922 BCX0\">decade<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW3293922 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW3293922 BCX0\">s to keep their hardware store shelves stocked.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW3293922 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Speed<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW205770719 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW205770719 BCX0\">EDI\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW205770719 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW205770719 BCX0\">for retail\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW205770719 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW205770719 BCX0\">reduces the time it takes to put together an order by eliminating most of the steps. The amount of time spent creating a single order is reduced from several hours to less than one. If you order twice a week, how much time would you save?<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW205770719 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Lowered Expenses<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW79225405 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW79225405 BCX0\">If you\u2019re entering information into your computer so you can print and fax your order, EDI dramatically reduces wear and tear on your office machines. You\u2019ll be buying a lot less toner and paper. With fewer paper documents, you\u2019ll also have fewer costs related to storage and filing.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW79225405 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Greater Accuracy<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\">When you order through EDI, part numbers and related item info in\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\">your\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2 SCXW61704341 BCX0\">point of sale<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\">system<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\">are\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW61704341 BCX0\">used to create your order. This dramatically reduces the possibility of missing or transposed numbers or letters, and other errors caused by even the most careful humans. Your staff won\u2019t have to wrestle with suppliers over shipments that were filled or ordered incorrectly.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW61704341 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Higher Efficiency<\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Thanks to EDI for retail, employees who used to spend hours creating orders are now available for higher value tasks, like improving customer service or keeping your inventory counts correct.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">EDI shortens the fulfillment process for your supplier, too. Without all that paper to deal with, the items you order will be on their way to you sooner. Shortening the entire ordering process results in fewer out-of-stock situations and canceled orders.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Now that order processing and delivery times are reduced, sellers can lower inventory levels, improve cash flow, and turn merchandise faster.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Ross Martin, who\u00a0owns\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/caledoniaace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Caledonia Village Ace Hardware<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0in Caledonia, Michigan, uses Paladin Data Corporation\u2019s retail technology to keep the right mix and optimum quantities of products in stock. One of the system\u2019s features, Suggested Ordering, uses sale transaction data and analytic algorithms to eliminate hours of price shopping and automatically generate inventory orders to maintain the ideal amount of stock on hand. Using it has helped the store achieve an in-stock percentage of approximately 98%, which Ross says helped him earn Ace Pinnacle status as a top-performing store two years in a row.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cOur store uses Suggested Ordering 100%. Ace considers 95% really good and we\u2019re always above that,\u201d he says.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Better for Business<\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s easier to make decisions when you have good information about the status of your orders. EDI for retail makes you more agile and better able to respond to customer needs or changes in your market. This flexibility opens the door to adopting a more proactive, market-driven business model.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cYou have to let technology work for you rather than you\u202f<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">working<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202ffor it,\u201d says Dan Nesmith, owner, president and chief technical officer of\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/paladinpointofsale.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Paladin Data Corporation<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, a leading provider of retail management technology<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. \u201cAllow technology\u2019s use of sophisticated forecasting models to automatically tailor your inventory to meet your customers\u2019 expectations.\u201d\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Benefits Beyond Ordering&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; use_border_color=&#8221;off&#8221; border_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Benefits Beyond Ordering<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Once your order shows up at your door, you need to receive it. Time to figure out which items have been shipped to you and which ones haven\u2019t. Crack open those boxes, count each item, and see if the number of items in each box matches the packing slip that came in the box, then match the packing slips to the original purchase order to figure out if the supplier missed anything and determine if some of your items were back ordered. Once you\u2019ve figured out what was\u00a0actually in\u00a0your shipment, it\u2019s time to hunker down, grab a cup of coffee and manually update all your inventory quantities for each item received. Good times!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Retailers who use EDI will receive an electronic document from their supplier when their order leaves the warehouse. This document shows which items are on their way to you. When the shipment arrives,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">this document is used to automatically update inventory counts in your\u00a0point of sale\u00a0system. You can spot check if you want, but it\u2019s likely all you really need to do is get this stuff on the shelf.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Dave Billman simplified his life in his store,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clintonhardware.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Clinton Hardware<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0in Clinton, Ma<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ryland<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, just by using retail technology he researched and purchased from\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Paladin Data Corporation<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. He says mapping his store with location codes and trusting his Suggested Ordering reports has allowed him to eliminate inventory that doesn\u2019t sell and replace them with items that do. It also lets him to track his departments and easily reorganize when he adds new products.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201c<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">W<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ith my old system, you had to be a computer genius to do anything in it. With the system I have now, Paladin, I can do by myself<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u201d\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Billman<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0says<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">of his in-store retail technology<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0with EDI and Paladin\u2019s Market Driven Inventory Management<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#x2122;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201c<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I have full confidence in it keeping my store stocked but not overstocked. I love it<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;section&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_4,3_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_testimonial author=&#8221;Heraclitus of Ephesus&#8221; quote_icon_color=&#8221;#cc6633&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun  BCX0 SCXW60526797\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun  BCX0 SCXW60526797\">The only thing that is constant is change.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_testimonial][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;3_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Maintenance Files<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Who would have thought a Greek philosopher walking around in 500 BC would know so much about retail?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Prices are always changing. As a rule, they only go in one direction. Knowing when they change, and by how much, has a direct influence your profits. Continually comparing your current costs against the amount your supplier is charging is tedious, time-consuming, and totally impractical.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW210442725 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW210442725 BCX0\">Suppliers who support EDI for retail will periodically send a maintenance file to your\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2 SCXW210442725 BCX0\">point of sale<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW210442725 BCX0\">\u00a0system to keep your information current. Maintenance files contain updated information about price changes and product descriptions, along with updates to several other categories. A single click revises each category in seconds.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW210442725 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;section&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;EDI for Retail Just Makes Sense&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; use_border_color=&#8221;off&#8221; border_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>EDI for Retail Just Makes Sense<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW172028674 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW172028674 BCX0\">A\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW172028674 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2 SCXW172028674 BCX0\">point of sale<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW172028674 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW172028674 BCX0\">\u00a0system with EDI capability will save you money by reducing the number of steps, the time, and the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW172028674 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW172028674 BCX0\">amount\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW172028674 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW172028674 BCX0\">of people involved in the ordering process. EDI reduces human error to improve accuracy and efficiency. The time it takes to receive a shipment of merchandise is shortened by eliminating most of the paperwork and by updating stock totals automatically. 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