Streamlining Order Management With MuleSoft Accelerator for Salesforce OMS

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) remains a cornerstone for businesses, providing robust automation benefits and accounting for a significant portion of B2B electronic sales.

However, managing orders across various channels, from traditional EDI to modern eCommerce platforms, demands a centralized approach.

This is why businesses turn to Salesforce Order Management System (OMS) for a unified platform to handle order capture, fulfillment, payment processing, and post-purchase services.

Salesforce OMS seamlessly integrates with backend systems like Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), and Transportation Management Systems (TMS), ensuring smooth order fulfillment, billing, and payments.

Yet, achieving a unified view of all orders and streamlining the processing workflow across platforms requires integration of both the platforms (EDI and Salesforce OMS). However, this integration is no simple task!

That’s where MuleSoft Accelerator for Salesforce OMS comes into play!

MuleSoft Accelerator for Salesforce OMS simplifies the process with pre-built connectors and tools for EDI data handling and integration with Salesforce OMS, helping you to:

• Fasten order processing
• Reduce errors
• Improve efficiency
• Foster scalability

In this blog post, we’ll explore why businesses need to integrate Salesforce OMS and EDI and how MuleSoft Accelerator for Salesforce OMS can help you streamline your order processing by integrating both platforms.

Why There’s a Need to Integrate EDI & Salesforce OMS?

When EDI and Salesforce OMS work together, their combined impact is exponentially great!

Their integration creates a powerful synergy that delivers significant advantages. Seamless data exchange through EDI ensures accurate order details flow into Salesforce OMS, optimizing fulfillment and reducing errors.

Additionally, this integration provides a unified view of everything – orders, inventory, and communication with partners – across the entire order lifecycle.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of integrating both the platforms (EDI & Salesforce OMS).

• Frictionless Order Fulfillment: EDI facilitates seamless data exchange with customers, ensuring accurate order details flow directly into Salesforce OMS. This streamlined process optimizes order fulfillment times and reduces the risk of errors.
• Comprehensive Visibility: It provides a unified view of orders, inventory, and communication with trading partners, encompassing the entire order lifecycle. This enhanced visibility empowers businesses to make informed decisions, anticipate challenges, and proactively address any potential issues.
• Cost Savings Through Automation: Automating data exchange and order processing through EDI and Salesforce OMS integration minimizes manual errors, rework, and associated costs. Businesses can leverage these savings to invest in other growth opportunities.
• Secure Data Handling: Ensures sensitive data is securely transmitted and stored in accordance with industry standards and regulations.
• Access Control: Provides tools to manage access to integration endpoints and data, ensuring that only authorized users and systems can access critical information.

MuleSoft Accelerator for Salesforce OMS

According to a MuleSoft study, the primary challenge to digital transformation include the integration of isolated applications and data (38%) as well as managing risks and compliance (37%). Notably, 88% of respondents indicated that integration challenges are still hindering their digital transformation efforts⁽ⁱ⁾.

Businesses often struggle with integrating different systems and technologies, especially in sectors like retail, manufacturing, and healthcare. The majority of B2B digital sales rely on EDI, needing specific solutions for smooth operations.

That’s why Salesforce has introduced the following tools to help businesses manage orders more efficiently.

• MuleSoft’s Anypoint Partner Manager with Intelligent Document Processing (IDP)
• MuleSoft Accelerator for Salesforce Order Management

These tools connect various systems and streamline processes. They use AI to gather data from multiple sources, giving clear order views, boosting productivity and improving customer satisfaction.

Anypoint Partner Manager with IDP is a user-friendly integration platform that helps onboard partners to manage transactions, from purchase orders to invoices, via traditional EDI standards and modern API communications, efficiently and quickly. It uses AI to understand data from documents like invoices, making integration simpler.

MuleSoft Accelerator for Salesforce OMS makes it easier to track orders across all channels. It comes with ready-made tools to connect different order systems, saving time and effort. The new version of MuleSoft Accelerator for Salesforce OMS can connect MuleSoft’s Anypoint Partner Manager with Salesforce OMS.

Now, B2B enterprises can easily import EDI orders using Anypoint Partner Manager. Moreover, they can automate the transfer of order data directly into Salesforce OMS, streamlining the management of bidirectional EDI transactions as orders progress through fulfillment stages.

This integration fosters a consolidated view of orders originating from diverse digital channels. With EDI order details seamlessly accessible within the Salesforce Customer 360 platform, B2B merchants can deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences, irrespective of the channel utilized for order placement.

What Does the Accelerator Include?

The MuleSoft Accelerator for Salesforce OMS offers a package of essential tools for swift deployment and handling of EDI orders.

Here’s what’s included:

• Pre-built APIs and Connectors for various EDI X12 transactions like inbound Purchase Orders, outbound Purchase Order acknowledgments, Advance Shipment Notices, Invoices, and inbound payment/remittance advice.
• Templates for both EDI and Salesforce data formats, along with examples.
• A configuration utility for setting up B2B configurations in Anypoint Partner Manager through API calls.
• Templates for Process and System APIs that manage the entire order lifecycle within Salesforce OMS, from order ingestion to processing throughout the fulfillment process.
• Comprehensive end-to-end sequence diagrams for better visualization of the process flow.

What’s Next for MuleSoft Accelerator for Salesforce OMS?

In the near future, MuleSoft will expand the MuleSoft Accelerator for Salesforce OMS with new features.

• These additions will include resources tailored for EDI tasks, providing ready-made mappings for EDIFACT standard and purchase order messages. These messages can be received in PDF or image formats from customers and processed using MuleSoft’s Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) solution.
• MuleSoft will introduce functionalities to connect Salesforce Order Management with popular Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems like SAP and Oracle. This integration will create a seamless experience throughout the entire order fulfillment process, from start to finish.

Industry Use Cases of MuleSoft Accelerator for Salesforce OMS

Retail: Managing orders from multiple sales channels can be tricky for retailers. The MuleSoft Accelerator for Salesforce OMS helps by connecting eCommerce, point-of-sale, and inventory systems. This integration ensures smooth order processing and precise tracking, ensuring accuracy, quicker order processing, and increased customer satisfaction with real-time updates.

Consumer Goods: Businesses operating within the Consumer Packaged Goods sector recognize the importance of maintaining comprehensive visibility into their order processes to ensure timely fulfillment and adequate stocking of retail shelves. By harnessing the capabilities of Anypoint Partner Manager, they can establish seamless connections between incoming orders and Salesforce OMS, enabling centralized order management and enhancing overall operational efficiency.

Conclusion

MuleSoft Accelerator for Salesforce OMS revolutionizes EDI transactions, turning what was once a complex process into a streamlined order intake channel. This enhancement translates directly into quicker order fulfillment and a superior customer service experience. But its advantages extend far beyond mere transactions.

MuleSoft’s unwavering commitment to innovation ensures ongoing support for a wide array of EDI standards and ERP integrations, empowering businesses to expand their B2B ecosystem in tandem with their growth trajectory. This accelerator isn’t just about immediate gains; it’s about long-term scalability and efficiency.

By seamlessly integrating Salesforce OMS and EDI capabilities, it empowers businesses to unify their B2B order processing across channels, thereby enhancing omni-channel order management, accelerating time to market, and providing end-to-end traceability.

Statistics Reference:

⁽ⁱ⁾ Salesforce