"With many B2B integration solutions simply reselling traditional software in disguise or hosted as a managed service, identifying a true multi-tenant solution can be daunting for CPG suppliers," commented Jim Frome at SPS Commerce. "This whitepaper explores the benefits of the new B2Bi model, Trading Partner Integration Centers, provided by organizations including SPS Commerce, E2Open, Redtail, EZcom, and DICentral and how to recognize them. With B2B expected to grow by 200% or more in the next five years, organizations need a better way to communicate with their trading partners across the globe, such as sourcing agents, 3PLs, and freight forwarders. The traditional EDI software model cannot succeed in that environment; Trading Partner Integration Centers are the only answer."

The whitepaper offers CPG manufacturers a checklist and description of the key criteria for Trading Partner Integration Centers (TPIC), the SaaS EDI model, including the following TPIC criteria:

1.   Support All Transactions, Data Formats, and Workflow
2.   Provide a Comprehensive Outsourced Solution
3.   Use a Multi-Tenant Application Architecture
4.   Be Easy to Access and Integrate
5.   Offer Role-Based, Secure User Accounts
6.   Allow Migration without Interrupting Existing Systems
7.   Offer Related Trading Partner Products

SPS Commerce's white paper can be downloaded here. More information about the growth in B2B integration and multi-tenant EDI outsourcing, attend the webcast Outsourcing and SaaS: Changing the Landscape of Business-to-Business Integration on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 1:00 pm Central featuring industry experts from Gartner, Bel Brands and SPS Commerce.

About SPS Commerce
SPS Commerce is the leader in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) B2B integration, connecting every partner in the supply chain. Retailers, manufacturers and 3PLs have selected SPS Commerce as their outsourced provider to automate and integrate their trading relationships. Using the SaaS model, SPS Commerce dramatically lowers setup and on-going costs, along with the time and risks of traditional EDI software by outsourcing the entire B2B communication process. The company's offerings leverage its multi-tenant architecture, multi-party sharing, comprehensive knowledge of thousands of retailer's business processes and specifications and integration expertise with a variety of systems for accounting (Great Plains, Quickbooks, MAS series), ERP (Oracle, NetSuite, SAP), packing and shipping (Agile, InSite, Scancode), and WMS (HighJump, Infor, Manhattan Associates). SPS Commerce is the recognized SaaS leader in B2B integration with more than 12,000 customers, pre-built integrations spanning 2,700 unique fulfillment workflows across 1,200 retailers, grocers and distributors, a customer satisfaction rate of 93% and the most comprehensive SaaS product suite available. SPS Commerce is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

SPS Commerce is a registered trademark of SPS Commerce Inc. SPSCommerce.net and the SPS Commerce logo are the property of SPS Commerce, Inc. All other names and trademarks are the property of their respective holders.