PacStream EDI

PacStream is an electronic service that enables booksellers and distributors to electronically purchase order stock directly from participating suppliers (typically covers more tham 95% of typical bookshop's suppliers). It greatly reduces errors due to rekeying and lost or misplaced communications, providing a direct link between purchase ordering in Bookmine and the suppliers order system. This ensures that orders sent from Bookmine are processed by the supplier.

Once the order is received most of the suppliers have the capability to electronically send back detailed supply status of every line item ordered, providing availability, publishing and shipping status that is incorporated into Bookmines supply and order records (see list of participating suppliers here). This is an invaluable service especially for bookshops and mail order houses that process special orders. Using email or fax to send orders results in orders going missing and customers being disappointed when the promised delivery date arrives and it transpires the supplier has no record of the order. Pacstream greatly reduces the possibility of this ever happening, reducing data entry errors as the order goes directly from Bookmine, via Pacstream's relay server, to the supplier's ordering system.

Bookmine is fully compatible with PacStream. To participate you require a license for Pacstream via Thorpe Bowker and a license from InfoMining. See here for details on how to sign up to Pacstream. Please contact InfoMining if you would like to subscribe to this invaluable service.

Once you configure the connection and setup the suppliers you wish to deal with you can start sending your orders directly and get detailed feedback on the supply status of individual items that is automatically incorporated into your Bookmine supply records.

EDI via Pacstream in Bookmine:

1. In Bookmine you create your purchase orders as you normally would. Once completed and ready for sending instead of printing and sending or emailing them to the supplier, the orders are automatically sent to the supplier via the PacStream EDI Service and fully tracked within Bookmine.

2. When the order is received by PacStream an email notification is returned to you for each order placed. This confirms that PacStream has received your order(s) and lets you know if there were any problems with them, such as missing product codes or malformed messages. The PacStream email notifications are generated and returned within minutes of the order being received at PacStream. It is in your interest to check they received your orders via this preliminary notification email and to check there are no errors, especially if the order contains urgent orders.

3. The order(s) are relayed immediately by Pacstream to the relevant supplier(s) and incorporated into the supplier's ordering system.

4. When the orders are processed (picked and packed), most of the participating suppliers (see list here) return a detailed Purchase Order Acknowledgment (POA) to you.  BookMine downloads and imports these and use them to update the order status of each line  item ordered. The Purchase Order Acknowledgment provides updated availability, reprinting and order status. This information  enables you to provide the next level of customer service to your customers in advance of the stock arriving.

5. A growing number of suppliers can now also send the Electronic Invoice that reduces data entry requirements. This service attracts a small fee per invoice, payable to PacStream.