Affordable EDI connection to Amazon’s Vendor Central

Amazon is leading the way in the quest to end paper documentation. Online retail giant Amazon is now requiring suppliers to pay high processing fees if they continue to send their invoices by post. For many companies, this stipulation would decrease margins to such an extent that the transaction itself would be hardly worthwhile. The answer to this problem is an EDI solution that provides a direct connection from the supplier to the Amazon Vendor Central supplier platform. The CS.Line EDI communications platform from Berlin-based EDI specialist Mercoline enables suppliers to exchange all documentation with Amazon electronically.

 “If we had to pay high fees for every paper invoice, it would significantly reduce our margin”, says Angelika Sohst from Pelikan Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG. Pelikan supplies some 1,500 products to Amazon including writing utensils, folders, schoolbags, shipping materials and office supplies. Pelikan’s sales through Amazon are booming, making it crucial for Pelikan to resolve the problem of expensive paper invoices.

Fully automated EDI data transfer using the Mercoline EDI hub

Pelikan found the solution with Mercoline. In mid-March of 2013, Pelikan began using Mercoline’s CS.Line EDI communications platform to transfer all of its orders, order confirmations and invoices electronically with Amazon. CS.Line makes it possible to use EDI for the fully automated electronic transfer of data for a wide variety of company processes such as ordering and invoicing, payment transactions and logistics. Mercoline customers can communicate with Amazon Vendor Central (AVC) directly from their ERP system. The CS.Line EDI services act as a “hub” for this data, automatically converting it into a format which can be processed by Amazon’s Vendor Central. Ms Sohst explains, “We went with the Mercoline solution because of the very good experience we’ve had with the CS.Line EDI platform in the past, where we were able to transfer data electronically with our customers REWE, Edeka and Metro. Our Amazon connection now runs more smoothly and has made our work much easier”. Ms Sohst also noted that Pelikan has now achieved “Platinum Status” as an Amazon supplier. This is Amazon’s way of honouring above-average growth, successful products, reliable business cooperation, a long business relationship and an efficient EDI connection. Toy manufacturer Artsana Germany GmbH also selected CS.Line to handle its electronic exchange of some 130 orders and 160 invoices per month with Amazon’s Vendor Central. According to Steliana Ermurache from Artsana, “CS.Line greatly reduces our workload with order processing. We’ve connected other customers to our SAP system via EDI in the past. Mercoline provides reliable services at very affordable rates. The exceptional value, combined with recommendations from other users, convinced us to go with Mercoline”. The connection with the Amazon platform has run smoothly since May of this year. In a few months, Artsana will begin transferring delivery notes with Amazon via CS.Line in addition to its orders and invoices. Pelikan and Artsana are just some of the many companies interested in the Mercoline solution. Falko Richter from Mercoline reports, “We're seeing an increasing number of inquiries from our customers about an EDI connection to Amazon’s Vendor Central. Every day, new suppliers are using CS.Line to link up with Amazon and other sales platforms. In the meantime, we’ve connected thousands of our partners”. Smaller companies can also use Mercoline’s EDI services to quickly and easily exchange data with Amazon and other online retailers. CS.Line supports all of Amazon’s EDIFACT reports, including inventory information and sales data. Mr Richter summarizes, “CS.Line also enables smaller suppliers to communicate with their customers with the same level of professionalism that large companies enjoy”.