7 Ways Application Infrastructure and Middleware will drive growth

Barry Sponsler Solution Consultant

Growth-based B2B ecommerce challenges

• What B2B ecommerce challenges do growing companies face?

B2B ecommerce challenges

• Medical

– Standards and regulation compliance

– Transaction status visibility and traceability

• Transportation / Logistics

– Onboarding of new shippers, carriers, service providers

– Integration with less technically sophisticated partners

B2B ecommerce challenges

• Consumer Goods

– Implementation of demand-driven replenishment

– Expose data to partners securely and on-demand

• Distribution

– Synchronization of product catalog data

– Reduce chargebacks and improved vendor scorecard

B2B ecommerce challenges

• Retail

– Data delivery for business intelligence applications

– Faster integration with new vendors / service providers

• Manufacturing

– Connect internal processes with industry hubs

– Integration with less technical offshore partners

Negative effects

• What are the negative effects on the business if these challenges are not met effectively?

Negative effects

• Increased time to revenue

• Higher operating costs

• Decreased competitive advantage

• Slow response to new mandates / regs

• Poor quality information delivery

• “Hit or miss” decision making

• Lower management team confidence

What can be done?

• The business is growing / not addressing the challenges effectively / experiencing one or more of the negative effects – what can be done?

• Development / deployment of a comprehensive Application Infrastructure and Middleware strategy

Application Infrastructure and Middleware (AIM)

• Application Infrastructure = enterprise level hardware and software application environments

• Middleware = Software “glue” that enables independently designed applications, software components and/or services to work together.

• Significant CAGR predicted for the purchase of AIM products & services by SMB’s (LT 1000 employees) thru 2017 – WHY???

Application Infrastructure and Middleware (AIM)

• Growing SMB’s understand the need to increase B2B ecommerce capabilities to support expansion / remain competitive

• BUT…most SMB’s are resource-constrained ($ & staff); difficult to develop a larger B2B ecommerce footprint

B2B Hyperconnectivity

• A larger B2B ecommerce footprint supports the concept of B2B Hyperconnectivity

• B2B Hyperconnectivity = the ability to easily integrate with multiple data sources and services using a variety of B2B communications protocols in a cost effective, rapidly deployable, secure and scalable manner.

Personal Hyperconnectivity

B2B Hyperconnectivity

AIM software & services System Monitor

B2B Hyperconnectivity: Approaches

• Tactical

– Short term; point solution; lower initial deployment cost; higher ongoing maintenance

• Strategic

– Long term view; comprehensive solution; higher initial deployment cost; lower ongoing maintenance

B2B Hyperconnectivity: Tactical

Multiple Divisions & Remote Locations Customers Warehouse & Distribution

Cloud Based Applications & Hubs

External Locations, Partners, & Services

EDI

XML

Spreadsheets

Flat Files

Web Services

Application- Specific

Documents

Databases

ERP CRM SCM WMS/TMS Database Business

Intelligence & Reporting

On-Premise Applications, Services, & Data

B2B Hyperconnectivity: Strategic

Integration Middleware

Communications: AS2 / FTP / VAN / Web Services

Cloud-based applications

Web Services

Trading Partners

Dashboard

Strategic Solution: Attributes

• “Integrated” solution:

– Complete solution with no third-party prerequisites

– Uniform & consistent user experience

– Meet multiple business integration requirements with a single platform and skillset

– Supports any trading partner data format: EDI, XML, flat file, spreadsheet

– Embedded B2B communications support

Strategic Solution: Attributes

• “Efficient” solution

– Wizard-based user interface

– Smart mapping

– Reusable integration models/objects

– Automated exception notification

– Auditing and browser-based Dashboard

Strategic Solution: Attributes

• “Complete” solution

– No custom programming for standard integrations

– Team development / repository support

– Scalable for your growth – not a point solution that you will outgrow

– “Single throat to choke”; 1 call gets a USA-based technical support team 24/7

– Experienced Services team for critical projects / staff augmentation

7 ways AIM drives growth

• Reduced time to revenue

• Lower operating costs

• Increased competitive advantage

• Rapid response to new mandates / regs

• Higher quality information delivery

• Better decision making

• Enhanced management team confidence

Barry Sponsler Solution Consultant

p: 570-621-7881 e: bsponsler@extol.com