Integration
Business integration (also known as B2B integration, or just B2Bi) refers to the comprehensive digital strategy that enables the integration, automation and optimization of key business processes that connect an organization with its trading partners – customers, suppliers, logistics companies, and financial institutions. Successful businesses define and implement business integrations with its external partners by defining data, messages and file exchange via inter-company business processes. Business integration requires proper technology architecture to enable collaborative relationships that drives modern supply chain.
A well-designed business integration leads to:
- Data visibility to internal and external stakeholders.
- Visibility to partners, customers and suppliers.
- Save Time, Gains in productivity by reducing errors.
- Better communication and collaboration with trading partners.
- Faster decision making.
- Fuel growth by showing opportunities.
B2B Integration at two levels
BroadSpark will help recommend and implement both forms of B2B Integration using variety of integration tools.
According to a survey of global companies, the average score for B2B maturity was 2.8 on a scale of 5. That represents a great deal of work to be done across organizations to reach the level 5.
Transactional: This stage involves the tactical execution of siloed, reactive processes using manual technology.
Informative: In the next stage, key trading partners engage together in foundational business processes, but with limited digital visibility.
Analytical: Collaborative insight across the supply chain is now possible through the aggregation and analysis of connected digital demand and supply data.
Relational: A responsive B2B integration network enables integration and collaboration with most trading partners across multi-tier demand and supply networks.
Generative: In the final stage, profitable growth cycles are driven by end-to-end digital integration throughout the entire end-to-end value chain.