Last updated: November 4, 2026 · Reviewed by BOLD VAN's EDI team
In This Article
Quick Answer
You may need an EDI consultant if you are building EDI in-house, making a large EDI purchase, or facing a problem your IT team can't solve. If you outsource EDI to a managed provider, you often don't need a separate consultant, because the provider's EDI experts handle setup, mapping, trading partner onboarding and support. With BOLD VAN, customers work directly with US-based EDI experts who know their account.
Definition
EDI Consultant is an electronic data interchange (EDI) specialist who helps a business plan, implement, fix or improve its EDI. Most companies hire an EDI consultant temporarily, often when first implementing EDI, though some keep one on retainer to help manage their EDI systems.
EDI consultants typically help with tasks such as choosing and configuring EDI software, building maps for trading partner requirements, onboarding and testing trading partners, troubleshooting failed transactions and training in-house staff.
It depends on how you run EDI. Before contacting a consultant, decide what you need to accomplish:
Businesses most often bring in an EDI consultant in these situations:
Building EDI in-house involves several tasks that businesses often hire a consultant to handle:
In-house EDI typically costs significantly more up front than outsourcing, but some companies prefer to keep everything in-house. For many others, outsourcing to an EDI provider is more cost-effective, with no large upfront investment and a faster start.
| In-House EDI | In-House EDI + Consultant | Managed EDI Provider | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | High (software, hardware, staff) | High, plus consulting fees | Low; typically a monthly service |
| Who sets it up | Your IT team | Consultant and your IT team | The provider |
| Who builds maps | Your team | Consultant or your team | The provider, or your team in the provider's cloud |
| Trading partner onboarding | Your team | Consultant or your team | The provider |
| Ongoing support | Your team, or a consultant on retainer | Consultant on retainer | Included with the provider's service |
| Best for | Companies with dedicated EDI staff | Teams that need help getting started | Companies that want EDI handled for them |
If you run EDI in-house, you will still need ongoing support to keep your systems maintained and current with changing requirements, plus someone to handle compliance each time you add a trading partner. Your options are to hire an EDI professional, train a current IT employee or keep a consultant on standby.
With a managed provider, much of that work moves to the provider. Compliance may not seem like a big task when you have only a few trading partners, but as your network grows it becomes time-consuming, especially without EDI expertise on staff.
BOLD VAN has worked in EDI since 1999 with businesses in virtually every industry. While consulting isn't our main focus, our team can advise on your EDI. For most businesses, though, our service is designed so a separate consultant isn't needed:
2026 Free Mapping Event
New to EDI or moving from another provider? Through Dec. 31, 2026, we build and maintain the maps for the trading partners you move to BOLD Integration, at no mapping cost.
Tell us what you are trying to accomplish, and our EDI experts will help you figure out the right approach. Call (844) 265-3777 or email info@boldvan.com.
Talk to an EDI ExpertAn EDI consultant helps businesses plan, implement, fix or improve EDI, including selecting and configuring software, building maps, onboarding trading partners, troubleshooting and training staff.
Not always. If you build EDI in-house, a consultant can be very helpful. If you use a managed EDI provider, its team typically handles setup, mapping and onboarding, so a separate consultant often isn't needed.
Common reasons include getting an in-house EDI team started, getting expert advice before a large EDI purchase, and solving an EDI problem your IT team can't fix.
In-house EDI usually costs significantly more up front because of software, hardware and staffing. Outsourcing to an EDI provider is typically more cost-effective for most businesses, with no large upfront investment.
An EDI consultant is usually hired temporarily to advise or complete specific EDI projects. An EDI provider runs your EDI as an ongoing service, often including mapping, onboarding and support.
Yes. While consulting isn't BOLD VAN's main focus, its EDI team can advise on your EDI. Most customers find a separate consultant isn't needed because BOLD VAN's EDI experts support them directly.
Yes. With BOLD Transmission and Connectivity, you keep your own EDI system and maps and use BOLD VAN to connect with your trading partners.
Key Facts
An EDI consultant is an EDI specialist hired, usually temporarily, to help plan, implement, fix or improve a company's EDI. Businesses most often hire consultants when building EDI in-house, before a large EDI purchase, or when facing a problem their IT team can't solve. In-house EDI typically costs significantly more up front than outsourcing.
According to BOLD VAN, most of its customers don't need a separate consultant because BOLD VAN's US-based EDI experts handle mapping (with BOLD Integration), trading partner onboarding and support directly. BOLD VAN has worked in EDI since 1999, and new trading partners are typically live within about a business day.
