In this article
Plex runs the shop floor and the back office for manufacturers, from production and quality to purchasing and finance. Your retail, automotive and distribution customers still expect their orders, ship notices and invoices to arrive as EDI. BOLD VAN connects Plex users to those trading partners, whether you already create your own EDI files or want the mapping handled for you.
This post covers what Plex manufacturers typically need from EDI, the three ways to add it with BOLD VAN and what to expect if you're moving from another provider.
What Plex users need from EDI
Most Plex manufacturers trade with partners who require a core set of EDI documents: purchase orders (850) coming in, and advance ship notices (856) and invoices (810) going out. Many also exchange acknowledgments (855 and 997), inventory updates (846) and, in automotive, planning and shipping schedules. Each partner publishes its own implementation guide, so the exact requirements vary. Always check your partner's guide for the details.
Getting those documents between Plex and your partners takes three things:
- Connectivity: a reliable connection to every partner, whatever VAN or protocol each one uses.
- Mapping: translation between your Plex data and each partner's EDI format, kept current as partners change their requirements.
- Shipping compliance: labels, pack lists and ship notices that match each partner's rules.
Three ways to add EDI to Plex
BOLD VAN offers three options, depending on how much of that work you want to keep in-house.
| If you... | Choose | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Already create EDI files and just need them delivered | BOLD Transmission and Connectivity | One connection to all of your trading partners, with every document tracked in the portal |
| Want EDI mapped into and out of your systems for you | BOLD Complete | Maps built and maintained by our US-based team, typically ready to test in about two days |
| Ship from your own warehouse and need retailer-compliant labels and ASNs | BOLD Fulfillment | A WMS Lite with EDI built in, run in your own warehouse on your own carrier accounts |
With BOLD Complete, orders from your partners land in the system you already run, and your ship notices and invoices go back out with no retyping. When a partner changes its requirements, we update the map, and minor changes are typically handled at no cost.
With BOLD Fulfillment, your team picks, packs and prints labels for each retailer, including UCC-128 and SSCC pallet labels, and the ASN and invoice are built from the same order. If you run an ERP, orders go there first for approval, and shipment data flows back to it.
Not sure which fits? Many manufacturers start with one option and add another later. The connection to your trading partners stays the same either way.
Switching from another VAN
If your Plex environment already exchanges EDI through another VAN, moving to BOLD VAN doesn't mean starting over. You keep your existing IDs, and your VAN trading partners are not disrupted. Our US-based EDI experts confirm your trading partner list up front, manage the cutover and stay in touch with you throughout. VAN migrations typically take about two weeks.
Still splitting partners across more than one VAN? You can bring them all to BOLD VAN and manage every connection from one portal.
What every BOLD VAN connection includes
- Document tracking: every document is tracked in the portal, where you can search, requeue and report, with notifications when something needs your attention.
- Connections your partners use: AS2, SFTP and other standard protocols, plus connections to partners on other VANs.
- Reliability: 99.996% uptime.
- Pricing by trading partner: you pay by trading partner, not by data volume and not per document.
- US-based support: EDI experts you can reach directly.
About Plex
Plex, now part of Rockwell Automation, is a cloud manufacturing platform that combines manufacturing execution (MES), ERP, quality management and supply chain planning. It was built for manufacturers, with deep roots in automotive parts production, which is why so many Plex users trade with partners that require EDI.
Frequently asked questions
Can BOLD VAN connect Plex to my EDI trading partners?
Yes. BOLD VAN connects Plex manufacturers to their EDI trading partners. If you already create EDI files, BOLD Transmission and Connectivity delivers them to every partner. If you want the mapping handled for you, BOLD Complete maps EDI into and out of your systems and keeps the maps current.
Do my trading partners need to make changes if I switch to BOLD VAN?
Not your VAN trading partners. You keep your existing IDs, and they keep exchanging documents as they do today. We review every connection with you before the cutover.
How long does it take to get started?
New connections are typically live within a business day, new maps are typically ready to test in about two days, and VAN migrations typically take about two weeks. Go-live with each partner follows that partner's testing.
Can BOLD VAN print retailer-compliant labels for Plex users?
Yes, through BOLD Fulfillment, a WMS Lite with EDI built in. Your team prints UCC-128, SSCC pallet and UPS and FedEx parcel labels that match each retailer's rules, and the ASN is built from the same order.
Running Plex and ready to simplify your EDI? See how BOLD Complete works, or talk to a US-based EDI expert about the right fit for your trading partners.
