Supply chain visibility is the ability to see spend, orders, shipments, invoices, and payment activity across trading partners in real time. In a digital supply chain, that visibility is what transforms disconnected transactions into coordinated performance.

For suppliers and distributors, transparency is no longer optional. It’s foundational to protecting margin, improving service levels, and strengthening trading relationships.

Visibility begins with understanding where money flows.

Seeing Spend Clearly

Distributors need accurate spend data by supplier, branch, contract, and category to negotiate effectively and control rebate leakage. Suppliers need reliable insight into purchasing patterns to forecast demand, plan production, and allocate inventory confidently.

When transaction data moves electronically between systems in a standardized format, both sides gain a shared view of purchasing behavior. That shared view reduces surprises and supports smarter, data-driven decisions.

Seeing Orders Move Through the Lifecycle

True order visibility means tracking the full transaction lifecycle:

• Purchase Order (850)
• Purchase Order Acknowledgment (855)
• Advance Ship Notice (856)
• Invoice (810)
• Payment / Remittance (820)

These documents are designed to work together in sequence, keeping buyers and sellers aligned from order placement through payment.

When this exchange is automated through EDI, information flows directly between systems without manual re-entry, improving speed and accuracy. The result is fewer status inquiries, fewer billing discrepancies, and more predictable operations.

Seeing Issues Before They Escalate

Transparency doesn’t just show what’s working—it reveals friction early.

Backorders, price variances, quantity changes, shipment delays, short-pays, and deductions become visible immediately when documents are standardized and connected. Early exception visibility allows supply chain, procurement, logistics, and finance teams to act quickly—before issues impact customer relationships.

Seeing Opportunities to Improve

When visibility improves, opportunity follows. Root causes are fixed, fill rates improve, invoice disputes are reduced, and the procure-to-pay and order-to-cash cycles are accelerated.

The key is scalable connectivity.

Traditional EDI models require separate integrations and mapping projects for every trading partner, which can slow growth and limit network expansion. A network-based model—such as OneEDI within Supply Cloud—allows organizations to connect once and transact across a broader ecosystem using standardized mappings and centralized management.

That shift reduces operational friction while strengthening supply chain transparency.

In a digital supply chain, visibility isn’t just about tracking transactions. It’s about building trust, acting earlier, and collaborating with confidence.

When suppliers and distributors can see spend, see orders, see issues early, and see opportunity clearly, performance becomes predictable and partnerships become stronger.

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Connecting the Dots

What is supply chain visibility?
Supply chain visibility is the ability to see and track spend, orders, shipments, invoices, and payments across trading partners in real time.

Why is EDI important for supply chain transparency?
EDI enables structured, system-to-system exchange of purchase orders, acknowledgments, shipping notices, invoices, and remittance data—reducing errors and improving alignment.