Overview:
The EDI Business Operations Specialist is the dedicated operational owner of electronic data interchange ecosystem. This is a hands-on execution role not a development or engineering position. The primary focus during the first 12 months is operational stability, trading partner accountability, and cross-functional coordination: ensuring that EDI transactions flow accurately between client and its retailer, 3PL, and co-manufacturer partners, and that issues are identified and resolved before they become chargebacks, OTIF failures, or stalled orders. This role protects revenue, customer service, and cash flow by ensuring the reliable, accurate, and timely exchange of critical business transactions across EDI ecosystem.
Reporting to the Director of IT, this role sits within the IT organization but operates as a cross-functional hub working daily with Supply Chain, Finance, Operations, and external trading partners. Candidates from supply chain operations, vendor compliance, or retail coordination backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Deep technical coding skills are not required; what matters is operational discipline, partner relationship management, platform proficiency in SPS Commerce, and the ability to independently own operational issues from identification through resolution while coordinating effectively across internal teams and external partners.
Cross-Functional Ownership & Key Interactions:
This role is a cross-functional connector. Below are the primary internal and external relationships this person owns day-to-day:
Supply Chain - PO accuracy, co-man coordination, OTIF tracking
Finance/Accounting - Invoice reconciliation, chargeback exposure reporting
Operations - Warehouse receipt confirmation (943/944), 3PL coordination
IT - SPS Commerce platform oversight
External Partners - Retailers, 3PLs, co-manufacturers, SPS Commerce support
Primary Responsibilities:
Operational stability and partner accountability. The first 12 months are defined by owning active transaction flows, resolving open incidents, onboarding trading partners, and building EDI knowledge foundation.
EDI Transaction Management & Platform Operations
Own the daily health of all EDI transaction flows through SPS Commerce into Acumatica ERP
Monitor, triage, and resolve transaction exceptions across all active document types: 850 (Purchase Order), 855 (PO Acknowledgment), 856 (Advance Ship Notice), 810 (Invoice), 943/944 (Warehouse Transfer/Receipt), and 997 (Functional Acknowledgment)
Manage trading partner profiles, connector configurations, and map versions within SPS Commerce in coordination with SPS Commerce support where applicable
Ensure no open EDI incident ages beyond 48 hours without a documented owner and a resolution path
Perform regular reconciliation between EDI transaction records and Acumatica source data; route discrepancies to Finance or Supply Chain with clear documentation
Trading Partner Relations & Onboarding
Serve as primary EDI point of contact for all trading partners: national retail accounts, 3PL warehouse partners, and co-manufacturers
Coordinate trading partner onboarding end-to-end setup, testing, certification, and go-live working with SPS Commerce and the partner's EDI team
Maintain trading partner compliance records; proactively flag OTIF risk and chargeback exposure driven by EDI errors before they hit Finance
Lead escalation coordination with internal stakeholders (Operations, Finance, Supply Chain) and external contacts when issues are not self-resolving
Co-Manufacturer EDI Automation
Own the operational coordination to bring co-manufacturing partners from manual processes onto the 850/855/856 EDI loop the highest-priority open initiative on the IT roadmap
Facilitate requirements gathering with Supply Chain and Operations; coordinate configuration and testing through SPS Commerce; drive go-live timelines with each partner
This is a coordination and project execution responsibility technical EDI map development is handled in partnership with SPS Commerce, not performed independently
Documentation & Knowledge Management
Build and maintain the EDI SOP library: transaction lifecycle guides, exception handling playbooks, escalation trees, and trading partner onboarding checklists
Maintain a living knowledge base in SharePoint / OneNote covering partner configurations, historical incidents, and process decisions
Produce training materials and facilitate knowledge transfers as the EDI practice matures
Build a complete EDI SOP library within the first 90 days.
Reporting & Continuous Improvement
Stay current on SPS Commerce platform updates, X12 EDI standard changes, and retail compliance requirement changes from key accounts (Costco, Amazon, etc.)
Identify and drive automation opportunities to reduce manual steps across the EDI lifecycle
Collaborate with IT leadership to align EDI initiatives with the broader enterprise technology roadmap
Track core EDI KPI's like open expectations, aging items, chargeback exposure or partner onboarding progress.
Produce weekly EDI exception reports for IT leadership; monthly chargeback exposure summaries for Finance
Supervisory Responsibilities: N/A
Professional Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Information Technology, or equivalent practical experience
35 years of hands-on EDI operations experience in a Client, food & beverage, retail, or supply chain environment
Working experience with SPS Commerce navigating the platform, managing partner profiles, monitoring exceptions, and coordinating with SPS support
Functional knowledge of EDI X12 transaction sets: 850, 855, 856, 810, 943, 944, 997 understanding what they do and how they connect, not programming them
Experience working within a cloud ERP environment; Acumatica experience is a strong differentiator
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple trading partner relationships simultaneously with competing timelines and accountability
Strong communicator able to translate EDI issues clearly for Finance, Supply Chain, and Operations stakeholders who are not EDI-fluent
Proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools SharePoint, Excel, Teams; Power BI experience preferred