Your questions
- What kind of interfaces do you provide?
- What internet protocols do you support?
- How do you charge for your services?
- Am I tied into an exclusive arrangement?
- OrderPartner is on the public internet, so how is my data safe?
- Can you provide 24 x 365 availability for my business?
- How do I start to use your service?
- Is OrderPartner similar to EDI?
- Can OrderPartner apply my business logic?
Our answers
What kind of interfaces do you provide?
There are no restrictions on the numbers or types of interfaces that we can provide.
We implement interfaces to suppliers using web service calls, FTP file transfers, emails
and other transports, and then request that the customer provides us with the minimal data
for enabling transactions to take place in a format that is convenient for them. Our systems
convert the customer data into the format accepted by the supplier and perform transactions
on the customer's behalf.
What internet protocols do you support?
SOAP/HTTP or HTTPS for web services, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Secure File Transfer Protocol
(SFTP), Secure Copy (SCP), modem calls and proprietory protocols using low-level socket interfaces. We
will consider each request on its merits provided it does not compromise the security of our
operation in any way.
How do you charge for your services?
For suppliers we may make a one-off charge to implement the interface and the client data conversion
processes to allow your customers to communicate with you. We aim to cover our operating costs with a
small charge per transaction, calculted on your usage of the service. For most trading interfaces, the
customers are not charged to use the service.
Am I tied into an exclusive arrangement?
Absolutely not. All users have the option to stop using their account at any time and no
further charges will accrue. If a customer or a supplier want to move their services away
from OrderPartner.com then we will provide every assistance in a professional and courteous
manner and hope that you will return to us again in the future.
OrderPartner is on the public internet so is my data safe?
Our systems are configured such that only your account can transfer data to or from our site
or manage your interfaces online. Where it is practical to do so we will also use our firewall
to block anyone who is not in the list of locations you specify. We also encourage the use of
secure protocols for transferring data (VPN, SFTP, SCP or HTTPS), which encrypt the
content as it is transferred across public networks.
Can you provide 24 x 365 availability for my business?
Yes. Our services are provided on a range of physical servers, divided into virtual servers, and these
can be migrated around the available hardware without interrupting the applications. It is therefore
a resilient hardware platform that does not need to be shutdown for maintenance or repair.
How do I start to use OrderPartner.com?
You will either be a supplier with electronic trading interfaces or a customer who would like to trade
electronically with a supplier. Download either the supplier or customer information sheets which
contain the instructions necessary to start trading with us.
Is OrderPartner similar to EDI?
No. EDI is a complex, standards-based method of exchanging data over private value-added
networks provided by large corporations. The cost of implementation is a barrier to entry
for smaller businesses and the high per-message costs levied by the value added networks (VAN's)
mean that it is no longer preferred for modern interfaces. There is no need for VAN's now as
the Internet is a complete replacement, with open, standardised messaging available to all.
OrderPartner will provide a translation service between EDI and other messaging formats in the
near future to assist with the migration away from EDI.
Can OrderPartner apply my business logic?
Yes. We can pre-process orders and apply business rules where these are clearly defined by the
supplier. You will need to supply the product data, rules and any supporting information to enable
OrderPartner to provide the required business logic.