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Summary
Softshare Delta is an EDI integration platform designed to make it easier for organizations to move data received through Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) into other systems, typically back-end systems like ERP, accounting or supply chain management, in an effort to by pass the costly process of manually printing EDI data and re-keying it into target systems. Along with offerings from companies like Inovis, Sterling Commerce and EMANIO, Softshare is a leading provider of EDI solutions and Softshare Delta provides a reasonably stable platform for mid-market companies. While it has advantages in feature set and amount of integration options, it’s pricing structure and complexity often mean that buyers will need to rely on a fair amount of consulting time, training and other costly services in order to get the most from the software.
Strengths
Softshare Delta provides a platform that is reasonably easy to install and set up. Getting operational was not difficult and the included instructions were clear and concise. The capabilities of Softshare Delta are reasonably high and above what most mid-size organizations would ever need. Softshare Delta can translate from EDI to other popular formats including a number of supported database types, flat file, XML and text. The availability of pre-built “starter packs” allows for faster time to development, while core functionality built around EDI make it easier to map EDI data to your in-house systems.
Limitations
While Softshare Delta is a feature-rich and attractive product, it has its limitations. For starters choosing the right solution can be complicated and relatively expensive. While at first blush Softshare Delta’s base price is attractive, adding the requisite add-on packs and additional components and training can quickly make for an expensive product. Managing trading partners is also not very easy while creating automation rules and managing the flow of information often means working in multiple applications at the same time. In Summary, while Softshare delta has its strengths, it’s definitively not for the faint hearted, either in terms of difficulty or in terms of price.
Wish List
In future releases it would be great to see Softshare combine their solutions into fewer options to make both purchasing and managing their system easier and less expensive. An improvement in the management of trading partners is also in order to make it more expedient and less prone to error.
Product Ratings
The product ratings below reflect our evaluation of Softshare Delta with a rating score that ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 equaling “fail” and 5 being an “Excellent”. Our overall score for Softshare Detla is of 3 out of a total possible of 5.
| Product Area |
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| Setup & Installation |
Installation of Softshare Delta was relatively straight forward and easy. The complications started when we realized that we needed other options installed and would need to manage additional add-ons. |
4 |
| Interface |
Softshare Delta has a relatively easy to use interface but requires you to work in multiple applications. In addition the nature of the multi-application and component-based model means that it’s very easy to get lost in the product. |
3 |
| Features |
Softshare Delta is very feature rich but moves those features across multiple applications that are often confusing and difficult to use together. The available starter packages can help in getting your Edi integration project started but often don’t help nearly as much as the price makes you hope they would help. |
3 |
| Ease of use |
Softshare Delta is anything but easy to use. It’s interface is not very streamlined and requires a steep learning curve. While the available add-on components can make life a little easier, the usefulness of them is highly questionable.
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3 |
| Automation Capabilities |
Softshare Delta provides means of automating your flow of data and of notifying you in the event of problems with your setup. Ulitmately the best EDI integration platform should provide for as close to a “hands free” operation as possible. While Softshare Delta has the means of achieving this, getting it done is in fact much harder than it needs to be. |
2 |
| Integration capabilities |
On the plus side Softshare Delta provides a good amount of integration capabilities and supported formats. On the downside, however, mapping EDI data for each trading partner can become a tedious and lengthy operation that can potentially take months to complete. |
2 |
| Performance |
Sotshare worked reasonably well at sending our transactions through to the target system. We were able to process 14,000 records per minute at it’s highest output capability. |
5 |
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Overall Score |
3.00 |
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Our Team
About Team 
The strength of EDI Software Review is the individuals that make up the team. In fact, we believe that our team consists of a group of uniquely talented individuals. Each of the team members is an experienced consultant that is operationally savvy, demonstrating a deep levelof experience. Each member of the team has an intense commitment to board service and to working closely with the management teams of software companies to provide an unbias independant review. |
