July 01, 2026 Industry news
When a growing brand finally gets that email , “We’d like to list your product”, everything stops. It’s the moment you’ve imagined through all the late nights, the prototypes, the pitching. But almost immediately, another message follows: “You’ll need to be EDI‑ready before we can start trading.” For many emerging suppliers, that’s the moment the excitement wobbles a little. EDI? Already? Before the first order has even landed? You’re not alone. This is one of the most common surprises new suppliers face.
Why do retailers ask for EDI from day one? Retailers depend on EDI to keep their supply chains moving. It’s how they send orders, receive invoices and track deliveries without drowning in admin or errors. For suppliers, it means that orders arrive in a consistent format and invoices go through without delays. Despatch information lands exactly where it needs to and you avoid chargebacks and compliance headaches. It’s not optional anymore — it’s simply how retail works. But here’s the part many suppliers don’t realise, being EDI‑ready doesn’t have to mean diving straight into a full ERP integration before you’re ready for it.
And throughout all of this, GS1 standards quietly do the heavy lifting. GTINs identify your products. GLNs identify your locations. Retailers rely on them, and suppliers who use them find onboarding smoother, cleaner and far less stressful. We actively encourage suppliers (and other users) to use the standards as they simplify data transfer so readily.
What smart suppliers do early!
The suppliers who glide through onboarding tend to follow a few simple principles:
- Get clear on the retailer’s requirements early: which documents, which formats, which timelines
- Choose a solution that fits your size today: not the size you hope to be in five years
- Focus on accuracy first: automation can come later
- Pick something that won’t box you in: growth should feel like adding steps, not starting again
You want to grow without over-committing. The biggest trap suppliers fall into is going too big too soon or not preparing at all. A phased approach avoids both extremes. Start with something simple, stay compliant, and build complexity only when your volumes justify it. EDI doesn’t need to be scary and it doesn’t need to be expensive. And it definitely shouldn’t take the shine off your first big retail win.
With the right tools and the right GS1 standards underpinning your data, EDI simply becomes part of how you grow, trade and build strong relationships with retailers.
*Note: As a GS1 UK approved product, Community Web Trader (CWT), for first time/low volume users, has been assessed following a defined and consistent process to ensure conformance to the latest relevant published GS1 standards*.
About the author
Tony Engleman
Director of sales at AdvanceFirst Technologies (email: tengleman@advancefirst.com)
Tony has been with AdvanceFirst Technologies for 14 years and was very much involved in selling the concept of EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) in the early 80’s to major retailers who were early adopters and their trading partners.
Tony has also been instrumental in setting up successful EDI businesses in South Africa, Turkey and Belgium. During that time he has focused on a competing supply chain approach to add value to businesses. His industry knowledge has included DIY, Food, FMCG, Automotive, Pharmaceuticals, Clothing and Insurance to name just a few. Tony gets a lot of satisfaction from seeing the results of his experience coming to fruition for his customers and long-standing clients with whom he regularly keeps in touch.
About AdvanceFirst Technologies
AdvanceFirst Technologies Limited is a leading e-business enabler, systems integration and EDI Managed Services company that brings maximum business process automation to its clients. AdvanceFirst provide first class EDI hosted services, in-house EDI software, including that for the IBM iSeries and full support to around 300 clients in 20 countries.
