Quick start: your current onboarding rhythm

• How many new trading partners do you typically onboard in a month? Options: 0, 1-2, 3-5, 6-10, 10+
• Describe the typical steps from receipt of a new partner request to live transactions in your environment
• Which systems hold the canonical product, order, and ASN data in your environment Options: Primary ERP, Warehouse management system, E-commerce platform, Order management system, Master data service, Other
• Walk me through the last onboarding that took longer than expected, what happened and why
• On average, how long does mapping and testing take per partner today Options: <1 week, 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 1-2 months, 2+ months

Where the current setup trips you up

• If one connector failed tomorrow, what would break most for your operations
• Who notices first when an EDI failure happens Options: Operations/warehouse, IT/integration team, Supply chain/planning, Finance, Customer service, Other
• Why do those failures keep recurring despite fixes you've applied
• Estimate the average weekly hours your team spends triaging EDI errors Options: 0-5 hours, 6-15 hours, 16-40 hours, 40+ hours
• What single technical or organizational issue would make you halt adding new trading partners right now

Compliance pain that actually costs you

• When a trading partner rejects a document for non-compliance, what immediate financial impact hits your P&L Options: Chargeback per incident, Operational remediation costs, Penalty accruals, Delayed payment or revenue recognition, Other
• List the document types that trigger the most chargebacks for you Options: Purchase order, Invoice, Advance Ship Notice (ASN), Inventory feed, Warehouse shipping order, Other
• Which partner categories enforce the strictest validation rules today Options: Major retailer, Large distributor, Marketplace channel, Third-party logistics, Government/regulatory, Other
• Tell me about the last compliance dispute that required finance involvement, what changed afterward
• Is there a single partner whose compliance risk would cause you to pause the program Options: Yes, No, Depends, need more info

If onboarding were faster, what would change for you

• If onboarding time dropped to two weeks, how would your priorities or budget change
• Describe what 'success' looks like for a typical pilot with a new trading partner
• Who in your organization must sign off before you accept a pilot result Options: IT lead, Supply chain director, VP operations, Finance/procurement, Legal/compliance, Other
• How many integrations would you expect to reach that state in the first 90 days Options: 1, 2-3, 4-6, 7-10, 10+
• What internal milestone would allow legal or procurement to approve moving to commercial terms within 30 days

Hidden endpoints that surprise projects

• Name any legacy systems or bespoke endpoints that frequently complicate partner onboarding
• Select the communication protocols your partners currently accept Options: AS2, SFTP, API/REST, FTP, Email/XML, Proprietary EDI via VAN
• Do you host any AS2 or SFTP endpoints internally, or are they outsourced Options: Hosted internally, Outsourced to third party, Provided by current integration platform, No hosted endpoint today
• Identify the role that owns API keys, certificates, or SFTP credentials in your organization Options: Integration engineer, IT operations, Security team, Vendor management, Other
• Would you pause onboarding a partner that requires a protocol you currently do not support Options: Yes, No, Depends, need to evaluate

Mapping lines and ownership boundaries

• Point to the person or role who will take final ownership of mapping decisions when line-item logic conflicts with ERP constraints
• List the document types you expect the seller to map and those you expect to map internally
• Specify the ERP category, integration method, and version the deployment must support Options: On-prem ERP via connector, Cloud ERP with native API, Custom or homegrown ERP, E-commerce platform adapter, Other
• When do your internal schemas or master data change in a way that forces remapping Options: Quarterly, Monthly, Ad hoc, 1-2 times per year, Only with major releases, Rarely
• Identify the mapping exception that would force you to ask the seller to take full mapping responsibility

Testing, validation, and early live traffic

• Imagine a failed pre-production test led to a chargeback, who would bear the cost and what change would prevent a repeat
• Provide the core test cases you require for PO, ASN, and Invoice before declaring a partner ready Options: Syntactic validation, Business rule validation, End-to-end ERP update, Acknowledgement receipt testing, Chargeback simulation
• On what schedule can your team provide test windows and realistic data sets for validation Options: Within 1 week, 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, No fixed window
• Tell me about any internal chargeback prevention checks you run before sending documents to partners
• At what rejection rate would you stop onboarding additional partners until root cause is resolved Options: >1%, >3%, >5%, >10%

Competitive landscape and the other paths you are weighing

• Name the vendors and internal options you are actively comparing for EDI and partner onboarding
• Explain what conditions would have to be met for you to keep your current solution rather than switch
• Do any internal teams propose building this capability themselves instead of using a vendor Options: Yes, IT builds it, Yes, supply chain builds it, No internal plan, Under consideration
• Estimate the headcount and timeline for the internal proposal that would replace an outside vendor Options: 1-2 FTEs, 3-6 months, 3-5 FTEs, 6-12 months, 6+ FTEs, 12+ months, Not estimated yet
• Point to the single capability we must demonstrate to change your recommendation even if price and timeline match the incumbent

Operational readiness and gating constraints

• Declare the one access or prerequisite you cannot provide within the next 14 days
• Confirm whether you have a named technical owner who can provision credentials and respond to configuration questions during deployment Options: Yes, named and available, Yes, named but limited availability, No, not yet assigned
• Are APIs to your ERP and storefront available, and who owns them Options: APIs available and owned internally, APIs available and owned by a vendor, APIs not available, but alternative integration exists, No APIs available
• Can your security or compliance team complete an external vendor review within 10 business days Options: Yes, No, Maybe, with prioritization
• Share the planned headcount allocation for onboarding and the first 30 days of stabilization
• Would the project be paused if sandbox data or a test environment is not available within the target window Options: Yes, pause, No, proceed with limitations, Depends on alternative tests

Decision criteria and next steps

• Why would you delay a decision even if the pilot proves the numbers quickly
• Walk me through the exact approvals and signatures required to finalize a contract, including typical review times
• Are there financial thresholds or procurement rules that would force additional board or finance review Options: Yes, requires board review, Yes, requires finance committee, No, standard procurement process
• Confirm the target commercial terms and SLA levels that will be non-negotiable for your team
• Select the timeline you realistically need from pilot completion to contract signature Options: Immediately (within 7 days), 1-2 weeks, 3-4 weeks, More than 4 weeks
• At what point should we stop preparing resources if internal approvals have not started, and who will make that call

• Solution Experience Session

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm the demonstrated end-to-end flow eliminates the translation and routing errors that are causing chargebacks and rework.
• Provide three representative live test files (PO, ASN, Invoice) and the corresponding trading-partner rule documents for each partner you want validated.
• You agree the proposed mapping responsibility split and acceptance criteria are sufficient to begin configuration work.
• Run live scenario — purchase order to ASN
• Deliver translated sample files and a proposed routing and validation plan for the provided scenarios within five business days.
• You commit to providing the live test files and a technical validation window needed for a pilot configuration.
• Show compliance validation and exception workflow
• Schedule a two-hour technical validation window with your ERP and operations owners within the next two weeks.
• Walk the mapping and responsibility split
• Confirm the mapping responsibility matrix and acceptance criteria in a follow-up document after this session.
• Validate that this matches your need

• Solution Experience Session
• Solution Experience Deck
• Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Provision trading partner connection
• Deploy pre-built retailer and distributor connectors
• Map and translate document schemas (PO/INV/ASN/etc.)
• Configure communication protocol endpoints (AS2/SFTP/API)
• Set up EDI acknowledgment processing
• Enable compliance validation and rule enforcement
• Activate error alerting and resolution workflows
• Integrate with ERP order and invoice interfaces
• Deploy advance ship notice (ASN) automation
• Configure inventory and availability feed integration
• Implement invoice and remittance processing
• Provide managed EDI operations and monitoring
• Migrate existing EDI connections and perform cutover
• Enable transaction monitoring and analytics dashboard

Provision trading partner connection

• Which trading partner endpoints do you need connected first? Options: Retailer channel, Distributor network, Marketplace channel, Logistics provider, Other
• How many partner connections are required in the initial phase? Options: 1-5, 6-25, 26-100, 100+
• Which EDI standards must each partner support (ANSI X12, EDIFACT, XML)? Options: ANSI X12, EDIFACT, XML, Other
• Identify required communication protocols for each partner (AS2, SFTP, API). Options: AS2, SFTP, API, FTP, Other
• Provide expected average and peak documents per day by partner for PO, ASN, and INV.
• Name the owner on your team who will supply partner configuration access and approvals.

Deploy pre-built retailer and distributor connectors

• Which connector categories do you require (large retailer spec, distributor profile, marketplace)? Options: Large retailer spec, Distributor profile, Marketplace channel, Logistics/E-commerce connector
• Do you need connector activation only or partner-specific customization? Options: Activation only, Activation with customization
• How many connectors require template updates for your item and location identifiers? Options: None, 1-5, 6-25, 26+
• Select your preferred mapping ownership model: you supply samples, we update templates, or collaborative. Options: You supply samples and own mapping, We update templates, Collaborative ownership
• List partner test scenarios that must be included in connector validation (PO creation, ASN, invoice).
• When are your available test windows and who will provide test data for connector validation?

Map and translate document schemas (PO/INV/ASN/etc.)

• What document types must be mapped (PO 850/ORDERS, INV 810, ASN 856, inventory feed)? Options: Purchase Order (PO), Invoice (INV), Advance Ship Notice (ASN), Inventory/Availability feed, Remittance/Payment
• Which EDI versions must mappings support for each document type (for example ANSI X12 850, 810, 856)?
• Who owns SKU, unit-of-measure, and location code master data used in mappings? Options: You own master data, We normalize from your feeds, Hybrid ownership
• Specify field-level mapping accuracy acceptance you require for PO/INV/ASN (for example 98% match).
• Provide sample PO, ASN, and INV files and indicate whether item IDs use UPC, GTIN, or internal SKU. Options: UPC/GTIN, Internal SKU, Mixed
• Indicate who will maintain ongoing mapping updates when partner specifications change. Options: You, We, Shared

Configure communication protocol endpoints (AS2/SFTP/API)

• Which endpoint types must be configured for partners (AS2, SFTP, API)? Options: AS2, SFTP, API, Other
• Do you require certificate management for AS2 using your own certificate or platform-managed certificates? Options: Platform-managed certificates, You will provide certificates, Need guidance
• Detail any firewall rules or IP allowlist constraints at your network edge for SFTP/AS2.
• What API authentication methods must be supported for real-time exchanges (OAuth2, API key, mutual TLS)? Options: OAuth2, API key, Mutual TLS, Other
• Please identify who will supply sandbox endpoints and credentials for partner testing.
• State expected latency SLAs for API-based document exchanges (for example <2 seconds per transaction). Options: <1s, <2s, <5s, No SLA

Set up EDI acknowledgment processing

• Which acknowledgment types must be processed (functional 997, 999, CONTRL, application acknowledgments)? Options: 997 functional ACK, 999, CONTRL, Application-level ACK
• What turnaround time for acknowledgments should trigger an alert? Options: Within 1 business hour, Within 4 business hours, End of business day, 48 hours
• Require automated rejection handling and resubmission for failed acknowledgments? Options: Yes, No
• Identify the approver who will authorize changes when an acknowledgment indicates mapping or data errors.
• Outline the escalation path you want for repeated acknowledgment failures that could lead to chargebacks.
• Should acknowledgments be surfaced inside your ERP, the platform dashboard, or both? Options: ERP integration, Platform dashboard only, Both

Enable compliance validation and rule enforcement

• Which compliance rule types must be enforced (segment presence, unit-of-measure validation, ASN packing rules, invoice tolerances)? Options: Segment/qualifier presence, Unit-of-measure validation, ASN packing/carton rules, Invoice tolerance rules
• Are there existing chargeback rules or fine schedules we must prevent for late ASNs or incorrect UPCs? Options: Yes, No
• What tolerance thresholds for invoice price or quantity variance should trigger validation failures? Options: 0%, <=1%, <=5%, Custom
• Who will provide official partner compliance guides, test schemas, or certification documents?
• Require pre-production compliance testing with partner test harnesses? Options: Yes, No
• Select how you want compliance failures reported: real-time alert, daily summary, or weekly report. Options: Real-time alert, Daily summary, Weekly report

Activate error alerting and resolution workflows

• Which channels should receive error alerts (email, SMS, dashboard, webhook)? Options: Email, SMS, Platform dashboard, Webhook
• Define the severity levels needed (informational, warning, critical) and SLA response time for each.
• Require automatic retry rules for transient transport errors (for example retry 3 times over 1 hour)? Options: Yes, No
• Who is the designated incident owner for production transaction failures on your team?
• Should error cases create tickets in your IT system automatically? Options: Yes, No
• Specify the acceptance criteria that confirm an error is resolved and eligible for reprocessing (for example cleared ACK and successful re-ingest).

Integrate with ERP order and invoice interfaces

• Which ERP interfaces must be integrated for orders, invoices, and inventory updates? Options: Order import, Invoice posting, Inventory update, Other
• List required ERP order fields to map (PO number, line item, quantity, ship-to location, promised date).
• Which ERP connectivity methods are available (file drop, API, staging table)? Options: File drop, API, Database staging table, Other
• Describe the end-to-end test you will accept to validate PO-to-invoice processing in your ERP (for example invoice posts automatically and reconciles to PO).
• Who owns business rules in ERP for tax calculation, discounts, and payment terms?
• Are sandbox environments or parallel-run windows available for ERP validation before production cutover? Options: Yes, No

Deploy advance ship notice (ASN) automation

• Which ASN events should be automated from your WMS or TMS (pick, pack, ship, manifest)? Options: Pick, Pack, Ship, Manifest, Other
• Detail partner ASN segment requirements such as packaging codes, serial numbers, or item-level carton details.
• How will carton and pallet-level identifiers (GTIN or SSCC) be provided to the platform? Options: WMS export, API, Manual upload, Other
• What timing SLA for ASN submission relative to physical shipment do partners require? Options: Before pickup, At ship time, Within 24 hours
• Require exception flows for split shipments or partial deliveries? Options: Yes, No
• Who will own reconciliation between ASN, carrier tracking, and invoice on your side?

Configure inventory and availability feed integration

• Which inventory feed frequency do you require (real-time, hourly, nightly)? Options: Real-time, Hourly, Nightly, Other
• List inventory attributes required (on-hand, allocated, available-to-promise, lead time). Options: On-hand, Allocated, Available-to-promise (ATP), Lead time
• Which systems provide inventory (ERP, WMS, marketplace) and who will supply access credentials? Options: ERP, WMS, Marketplace platform, Other
• Describe current inventory accuracy and typical variance during promotions or peak events.
• Select feed type: delta-only, full replace, or both for inventory updates. Options: Delta-only, Full replace, Both
• Should inventory feed errors trigger hold and retry logic before updating downstream systems? Options: Yes, No

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Subscription Agreement / Order Form
• Service Level Agreement (SLA)
• Data Processing Agreement (DPA)
• Regulatory Compliance Addendum (conditional)
• Managed Services & Support Addendum
• Pricing and Payment Schedule
• Onboarding Timeline & Acceptance Plan
• Change Order Agreement
• Termination & Exit Assistance Agreement

• Go-live Health Check
• First Measurement Review
• Acceptance Gate Meeting
• Ongoing Operational Review, Quarterly

• Close resolved tickets and assign owners and new dates for persistent issues requiring further work.
• Restate acceptance criteria and numeric targets
• Produce a documented acceptance decision that records pass/fail for each acceptance criterion listed in Solution Scope.
• For any failed criteria, capture a remediation plan with owners and firm resolution dates.
• Confirm incumbent system decommission or retention status and the data disposition plan.
• Publish the acceptance decision record and attach the evidence used for each criterion.
• If criteria failed, publish the remediation plan with milestones and expected metric impact.
• Capture and publish the incumbent system wind-down status and data archival confirmation.
• Operational metrics review
• Confirm the solution met the integration uptime target and that any deviations have documented remediation plans.
• Confirm monthly chargeback incidents are tracked, with owners and reduction plans for any above-threshold months.
• Ensure the escalation contact list and shared issue channel are current and functioning.
• Publish the quarterly operational metrics snapshot to the shared workspace and flag any out-of-tolerance items.
• Update the escalation contact list and confirm access to the shared issue channel for all named contacts.
• Re-confirm success criteria and ownership
• Confirm there are no high-severity production defects preventing document flow.
• Agree owners and due dates for all critical open issues in the hypercare window.
• Verify that monitoring and alerting access is available to the buyer's operations team.
• Publish the go-live issue log with owners, priority, and due dates to the shared workspace.
• Provide production transaction access and monitoring dashboard links to the buyer's operations contacts.
• Schedule the First Measurement data handoff meeting within the weeks 4-10 window.
• Present first-period metrics
• Verify whether integration uptime is meeting the target recorded in Solution Scope or identify deviation magnitude.
• Verify whether document compliance pass rate is meeting the target recorded in Solution Scope or identify the primary failure modes.
• Agree a corrective action plan with owners and resolution dates to reach the Acceptance Gate.
• Produce a root-cause analysis for the highest-impact failure mode with evidence attached.
• Publish the corrective action plan with owners, milestones, and expected impact on the specified metrics.
• Validate and, if needed, retune monitoring thresholds and alert rules used to report integration uptime and compliance rates.
• Deployment and migration validation
• Incident and ticket burn-down
• Root-cause diagnosis for metric gaps
• Present evidence against each criterion
• Agree corrective actions, owners, and dates
• Document pass or fail per criterion and acceptance decision
• Shared channel and escalation review
• Early adoption signals and usage patterns
• Confirm readiness timeline to the Acceptance Gate
• Blockers and open issues triage
• Agree remediation items and resolution timelines
• Operational adjustments and next steps
• Incumbent system wind-down and data disposition
• Immediate remediation actions and next steps