Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) – a system that allows businesses to exchange documents electronically – is an essential tool for modern housing management. It’s mostly used for streamlining procurement, stock control and supplier coordination.
At ROCC, our supplier EDI solution effortlessly integrates with housing providers’ operations to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
In this article, we explore our solution’s features, benefits and integration capabilities, to highlight the positive impact this can have on housing associations and local authorities’ service delivery.
What is ROCC’s supplier EDI solution?
Our EDI solution is a fully integrated system that automates the exchange of procurement-related information between housing providers and trade merchants and suppliers.
Instead of manual data entry and paper-based processes, organisations can benefit from real-time, structured electronic communication.
Automated jobs include:
- Ordering
- Invoicing
- Stock control
- Job costing
This helps to ensure a smooth and efficient supply chain. Plus, it’s much more cost-effective for housing providers, which is a key consideration given the current market.
ROCC’s EDI supports seamless integration with major suppliers, such as Travis Perkins, Jewson, Wolseley, Edmundsons, and more.
Key features of ROCC’s EDI
- Automated order processing
One of the system’s core functionalities. Automating the ordering system enables real-time stock-level checks before an order is placed and automatic purchase order generation to ensure timely procurement. It also reduces human error, minimising the errors related to duplicate or incorrect orders.
- Seamless supplier integration
Out-of-the-box integration with leading material suppliers facilitates instant order transmission to supplier systems. This allows electronic confirmation of stock availability and expected delivery times, as well as automatic updates on order status and dispatch notifications.
- Electronic invoicing and payment processing
Streamlines the entire invoicing process by auto-matching invoices with purchase orders – reducing manual validation efforts. Plus, invoices are accurate and aligned with agreed prices to minimise disputes. Our EDI solution also facilitates direct integration with financial systems for seamless payment processing.
- Real-time stock and materials management
Stock is managed effectively by tracking material usage in real-time, ensuring operatives have the right resources for repairs. This means van stock is replenished accurately and automatically, reducing downtime for field operatives and eliminating waste. As a result, housing providers can benefit from stock cost savings.
- Job costing and financial control
To ensure financial transparency and efficiency, the EDI system allocates costs per job, providing clear visibility into material expenses. It also supports multiple VAT structures for accurate tax calculations and links directly to financial reporting to improve overall budget management.
- Compliance and security
Finally, ROCC’s EDI facilitates GDPR-compliant data handling, offers an audit trail of transactions to ensure full accountability and automates validation checks to prevent unauthorised purchases.
How does ROCC’s EDI solution benefit housing providers?
So, as a housing provider, what do the features of ROCC’s EDI solution mean for you? Here, we assess the main benefits.
Increased efficiency and reduced administrative work
Procurement processes that rely on manual input are incredibly inefficient. With our EDI system, you no longer have to manually place orders, check stock or process invoices, as all these documents will be handled electronically. This will allow staff to focus on important tenant services, rather than losing hours to admin.
Cost savings
In the current market, housing providers are having to explore cost-saving measures. If you want to reduce costs at your organisation without impacting tenants, our EDI solution is here to help.
You’ll benefit from lower admin costs thanks to reduced procurement errors, optimised stock levels that reduce material waste and automated invoice matching to prevent duplicate payments.
Enhanced supply chain transparency
Your supply chain will become more transparent thanks to real-time updates. This means you can monitor whether deliveries are on time, how many materials operatives have used and supplier performance.
Improved service delivery for tenants
Ultimately, any change you make to your software should benefit tenants and the service they receive. With faster material procurement, operatives can complete repairs more efficiently, reducing tenant wait times. Plus, accurate stock control ensures that materials are available when needed, minimising delays in housing maintenance and repairs.
Integration with housing management and finance systems
As we’ve already mentioned, our supplier EDI solution seamlessly integrates with housing providers’ operations, including financial systems. Here’s how we do it:
- Compatibility with leading HMS and finance solutions: ROCC’s EDI system integrates seamlessly with any existing Housing Management Systems (HMS) and financial solutions through our seamless real-time suite of APIs.
- Mobile workforce integration: ROCC’s mobile solution ensures that field operatives can issue stock from vans using mobile devices, automatically trigger stock replenishment orders and receive real-time updates on material availability.
- Cloud-based scalability: The cloud-based infrastructure ensures that the system scales easily for organisations of different sizes, offers secure data storage and access and requires minimal IT infrastructure.
Looking ahead: Future enhancements and innovations
At ROCC, we continuously look to improve our EDI solution with emerging technologies, so our clients always have access to the best software on the market. Here are some of the key areas we are developing:
- AI-driven predictive procurement: Using historical job data to forecast material demand and prevent stock shortages before they happen.
- IoT integration for smart stock management: RFID-enabled tracking for real-time inventory visibility and automated supplier reordering based on actual material usage.
- Expanding supplier partnerships: Integrating with new suppliers to broaden material availability for housing providers.
We believe our supplier EDI solution is a game-changer for housing providers. By effortlessly integrating with leading suppliers and housing management systems, we offer a future-proof, cost-effective solution that enhances operational efficiency and financial control. This means that tenants will benefit from huge improvements in how repairs and maintenance are delivered.
Looking to transform your housing maintenance and procurement processes? Get in touch with a member of our team to see how ROCC’s EDI solution can work for you.
