This guide provides a step-by-step description of what your company needs to do to start trading electronically with your business partners using ESAP business processes.
Getting started with electronic commerce for large companies
Buyers and seller can both save time and money when business processes, from contract to invoice, are carried out electronically according to agreed rules.
1. Choose the business process
Choose a business process depending on who you will receive information from and who you will send it to:
- Call-off from frame contracts is common for companies that do business with the public sector and also within the construction industry.
- Retail supply chain is a general business process for goods flow in general and specialist retail.
- Periodic invoicing is used for billing electricity, water or telephony services as well as credit card usage.
Read the guideline and specifications for the business process you have chosen so that you can implement the process correctly.
2. Adapt your organisation
When a company starts to do business electronically, the organisation and operations will often need to be reviewed. Fewer resources will be needed to check invoices while new tasks can arise, such as checking that product range and prices are aligned with contracts. In addition routines will be needed for linking up new business partners and closing down terminated relationships. Once the organisation has been adapted, electronic commerce provides significant gains through more efficient processes.
3. Implement a system for electronic commerce
Depending on your requirements and the capabilities of your existing business system, you can choose different types of solutions for electronic commerce:
- Your business system already includes the functionality needed for electronic commerce for your chosen business process. Contact your business system supplier for more information.
- Develop your own e-commerce solution using the guideline and specifications for your chosen business process.
Sending business information over a network requires a file transfer protocol. Check with your business partner how data communication will be handled.
4. Decide who to do business with
Find out which of your suppliers or customers already do business electronically and which can start to do so using the business process you have chosen.
5. Subscribe to a GS1 Company Prefix
In order for your business partner to see who the business messages have come from, your company needs to identify with a GLN (GS1 location number). Similarly, your business partners identify themselves so that you know who you’ve received the information from. In order to send and receive electronic business information according to GS1 Sweden’s business processes for electronic commerce, the business parties must identify with GLN. GLN is included when ordering a GS1 Company Prefix.
Fees for GS1 Company Prefix
Order GS1 Company Prefix
6. Prepare for electronic commerce
Send and receive master data about parties, delivery points, products, and so on by exchanging party information, price lists and trade item information. Your business partner might have several delivery points each of which is identified with a GLN, so you will need to set up a database with party information.
Remember that master data must not be accidentally updated since it includes such things as account numbers for payments. Consider locking the information against unauthorised access.
7. Sign an interchange agreement
Sign an interchange agreement with every business partner. This agreement assigns responsibility to the parties for the exchange and logging of business information carried in the electronic business messages.
8. Start trading electronically
When the master data is in place, your company is ready to do business in a new way by sending or receiving electronic call-offs or orders as well as information on deliveries and invoices.