Food Service Sector

Are you being asked by the likes of Compass Group to implement OFSCI ?

Implement OFSCI on an affordable scale.

OFSCI and XML are ready to shrink your supply chain.

OFSCI - Optimum Foodservice Supply Chain Initiative.

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF), the Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD) and a group of leading operators have come together under the OFSCI banner to develop a number of major initiatives that will provide the platform for all partners in the Foodservice supply chain to benefit by improving supply chain operational efficiencies. The key to these is the use of UK and global standards, specifically XML and EDIINT AS2.

Entity Group is an OFSCI Solution Provider member.

Optimisation of the supply chain

For more than 15 years Entity has worked to help customers remove paper and the related administration costs due to errors, reduce working capital tied up in stock and to increase their responsiveness to customer needs. Nothing has changed. Those same business drivers continue to be the focus, today, with the same objectives to remove time and cost from the supply chain, but even more so these days with the increased competition. The Foodservice industry is now facing a concerted drive from the big players behind the OFSCI initiative based on XML messages and EDIINT AS2.

EDIINT AS2 connectivity is provided by the Drummond approved Cyclone Activator.

Entity has practical experience of implementing OFSCI on an affordable scale.

Entity is a Solution Provider and System Integrator

Entity can provide:

tools and components
overall project management
analysis of requirements for creating the necessary integration with back office systems
implementation
testing
continuing support

Entity’s tools and components are built around the Entity PRISM Message Management software. This software can manage XML and also your legacy EDI messages.

Using a user friendly GUI (Graphical User Interface), the tool is designed to allow the user to specify the following:

connection method, in this case the method will be EDIINT AS2
trading partners
trading partners details, e.g. AS2 address and/or EDI mailboxes, etc
messages – sending, including parameters
messages – receiving, including parameters

PRISM uses a Windows Explorer style hierarchy of folders to manage the set up and operate the trading relationships. It manages the messages and the translation of messages to and from your trading partner according to the installed message maps. It supports OFSCI XML standards as well as EDI standards.

The PRISM Message Management software does not include the function to create message translation maps. Most businesses do not want the ability to create these maps, and prefer to use specialist to undertake this infrequent activity (only required when introducing a new message type). The message map can either be purchased off the shelf as a pre-existing map, or produced externally as a specialist, time and materials task.

An audit trail is maintained with parameter settings to adjust the level to suit the activity. For example, during the testing, a high level of audit may be desirable, but for subsequent operational use you may select a lower level.