How it works
From first call to live retailer EDI in about four weeks
Onboarding is a sequence we have run many times. You bring the retailer contacts and the product data; we bring the templates, the connections and the patience to chase the retailer's EDI team.
Timeline
Six steps, one shared checklist
- Week 1 1
Week 1
Kick-off
A 45-minute call. We list your retailers, depots, warehouses and systems, agree who signs off what, and set a target go-live date. You get a shared checklist the same day.
- Week 1 2
Week 1
Retailer templates
We switch on the template for each retailer, fill in your GLNs, supplier codes and depot mappings, and complete the retailer connectivity forms with you. AS2 certificates and VAN mailboxes are ours to manage.
- Week 2 3
Week 2
Connect systems
Clarus connects the same day. For other WMS and ERP systems we agree file or API formats, build the mapping and load your product master and price data.
- Weeks 2 to 3 4
Weeks 2 to 3
Test documents
Real orders from the last few months are replayed through the platform into your test environment. Despatches, ASNs, labels and invoices come back and we check them against the retailer rules together.
- Week 3 5
Week 3
Retailer sign-off
Test messages are exchanged with the retailer's EDI team and label specimens are submitted where required. We handle the back and forth and tell you when they have said yes.
- Week 4 6
Week 4
Go live and monitoring
Test mode is switched off for the retailer and live documents start flowing. Every acknowledgement is watched, alerts are routed to your team and we review the first week with you.
What we need from you
Seven things, most of which you already have
We send the checklist after kick-off and tick items off together. Nothing here needs a developer.
- A list of the retailers and depots you supply, with your supplier codes
- Your GS1 company prefix and GLNs
- A contact at each retailer's EDI or supplier onboarding team
- Product master data: GTINs, descriptions, case sizes, shelf life
- Access to a test environment for your WMS or ERP, or the person who runs it
- Someone who can approve label specimens and delivery note layouts
- Who should receive alerts, and for what
Test to live
Test mode holds documents until you flip the switch
Every retailer connection starts in test mode. Inbound test orders are processed exactly as live ones would be: translated, checked, delivered to your warehouse test environment. Outbound ASNs, labels and invoices are built, checked and then held in the portal instead of being sent.
You see what would have gone to the retailer, the rule results it would have received and the acknowledgement it would be waiting for. When the retailer's EDI team confirms their side, one setting per retailer moves the connection to live. Held documents can be released or discarded; nothing is sent by accident.
The same switch works in reverse. If a retailer changes a specification or you migrate your WMS, a connection can go back to test mode while live traffic continues through the others.
Monitoring and support
- Platform monitored around the clock with public status page
- Acknowledgement windows enforced per retailer, alerts within minutes of a miss
- UK support on working days by email and phone, named contact on every account
- Retailer specification changes applied to templates for you
- 99.9% platform availability target, with credits on Growth and Scale plans
Questions
Onboarding questions
How long does onboarding take?
Three to four weeks for a first retailer with a Clarus warehouse, most of which is waiting for the retailer's EDI team. Adding a second retailer to a live account usually takes a week. Complex ERP integrations add time, and we tell you how much at kick-off.
Will my existing EDI keep working while we migrate?
Yes. FTP EDI runs in test mode alongside your current provider until the retailer confirms the switch. Documents are held rather than sent, so nothing is duplicated.
What does the retailer need to do?
Approve the connection, exchange test messages and, for some retailers, approve a label specimen. We prepare everything and chase them; you may need to introduce us to your buyer or supplier onboarding contact.
What support do I get after go-live?
UK-based support by email and phone on working days, with alerting running around the clock. Retailer specification changes are applied to the template for you, and every account has a named contact.
Ready to start the clock?
Tell us who you trade with and what you ship. We'll come back with a plan, a price and a go-live date within one working day.
No software to install. Live in days. UK-based support.