You rolled out a web EDI portal. So why are you still drowning in PDFs? That’s not how it was supposed to go.

Despite introducing a web EDI portal to streamline supplier onboarding and reduce manual entry, many teams find themselves still resolving formatting issues, checking shared inboxes, and wondering why so few suppliers are actually using the portal months after launch.

In this article we’ll explore why… and what you can do about it.

TL;DR summary

• Most web EDI portals fail because suppliers avoid them and keep sending PDFs.
• The core problem isn’t access but adoption. If suppliers don’t use the tool, manual work remains.
• From the supplier side, multiple confusing portals make email the easier choice.
• ecosio’s Flow solves this by making EDI simple and streamlined for suppliers.
• The impact: faster onboarding, fewer errors, and supplier connectivity that actually works.

The truth no one tells you about supplier portals

Most web EDI tools look good in theory. They offer a simple login, structured fields, and a central place to manage transactions.

However, most portals still rely on suppliers to adapt to unfamiliar systems, formats, and processes. In practice, many suppliers avoid using them altogether.

Because if the portal feels like more work than sending an email or PDF, guess what they’ll choose?

So you’re stuck in limbo. Half your suppliers are outside the system, the other half use it inconsistently, and your team is left plugging the gaps.

Common approaches and their limitations

Many businesses already use a web EDI portal or some form of self-service tool for longtail supplier connectivity. The problem is the execution.

Self-service portals sound great… until suppliers avoid them
These tools promise low effort, but in reality adoption is often poor. Suppliers get confused by unclear steps or unresponsive systems.

Email and PDF onboarding still dominate, but come at a cost
You might still get the document, but it’s unstructured, prone to errors and requires manual re-entry. 

OCR tools can extract data, but only for narrow use cases
Scanning invoices doesn’t solve order confirmations or delivery notes. 

SRM platforms are powerful, but complicated
They’re bulky, expensive and built for strategic partners, not quick longtail onboarding. 

It’s not just about access, it’s about adoption

The companies we speak to aren’t after just another platform. They’re asking:

• “Why does it still take three people to onboard one small supplier?”
• “Why do I have to explain the same thing over and over again?”
• “Why does my ERP still show missing or mismatched documents?”

What they want is something that fits into how they already work, not a workaround. Ultimately, if a system isn’t fully adopted, manual effort will still be involved.

What it feels like from the supplier’s side

Imagine you’re a supplier. You don’t have a dedicated electronic data interchange team. You’re not familiar with XML. You’ve got five customers, each with a different portal, and you’re trying to get orders out the door.

One of them sends you a link to a new web EDI tool. There’s no login information, and when you do get in, it’s unclear what’s required or how to respond.

So you do what most people do: you reply to the email with a PDF. Then the burden shifts back to your customer.

This is the reality many suppliers face, and it’s exactly why adoption fails.

What to look for in a web EDI portal

If you’re considering options, or wondering why your current portal underperforms, the following are good questions to ask:

• Can suppliers use it with zero setup or training?
• Will it integrate directly with our ERP, with no manual handling?
• Can we customise document flows to reflect real processes?
• Can we monitor adoption, usage and exceptions?
• Is this tool made for the way we work, or just a generic add-on?

Introducing Flow: web EDI that fits your process, not the other way around

ecosio’s Flow isn’t just another tool; it’s a smarter way to bring longtail suppliers into your existing systems.

The process is frictionless – not only for you, but for your suppliers too:

• Suppliers log in directly via any browser
• They’re guided step by step through each document (what’s needed, when it’s due, etc.)
• They don’t even need to enter information manually for common responses like delivery notes and invoices, as details are pre-filled
• Meanwhile, every message lands in your ERP in the same structure as your electronic data interchange traffic, with zero reformatting required

In short, Flow fits seamlessly into your existing processes while making exchanges quick and easy for your partners too.

What makes Flow so unique?

Plenty. But the following features in particular are likely to make a real difference for your team:

• Real-time activity tracking. No more wondering whether your supplier received your order.
• One-click supplier invites and user management. Manage access and export user lists in seconds.
• Automatic document conversion. Flow transforms every supplier message into structured, ERP-ready data.
• Adjustable document flows. You can optimise document settings for your most common scenarios, from orders to invoices to delivery forecasts.
• Adaptable process steps. Every step of the supplier journey can be configured, including validations, fields and business logic.
• Full traceability. You can see exactly where and why something failed, and fix it fast.

Flow doesn’t just send messages. It helps you manage the whole exchange, from invite to invoice. It’s still web EDI, only this time, it works as intended.

What impact can a good web EDI portal actually have?

Here are just some of the results we’ve seen when companies roll out Flow:

• Support tickets drop
• Onboarding times shrink from weeks to days
• Internal teams stop firefighting and start optimising
• Suppliers stop asking “Where do I log in?” and start sending accurate documents

The result? Faster, more consistent supplier onboarding and longtail supplier connectivity that actually works.

Want more information about Flow? 

Get in touch! Our EDI experts would be more than happy to answer any questions you have. 

Want someone to manage both traditional EDI and web EDI for you?

Flow gives you a powerful web EDI portal for connecting non-integrated suppliers. But if you’re looking for a complete, fully managed solution, one that supports all your suppliers across all formats, that’s where ecosio’s Supplier Activation solution comes in.

It includes Flow, but goes much further.

With Supplier Activation, ecosio handles the entire process: onboarding, document exchange, monitoring and support. Whether suppliers use classic EDI or web EDI, your team gets automation and visibility without the manual coordination.