PRISM-WebConnect · Portal automation
Stop copying orders and invoices between portals and your ERP
Some of your largest customers will not send EDI. They require suppliers to log in to a procurement or supplier portal to collect orders and submit invoices, and someone on your team does it screen by screen. PRISM-WebConnect is ECOM's product for automating trading partner portals and workflows, connecting that portal work to your ERP and the rest of PRISM.
At a glance
- Portal order retrieval
- Invoice and document submission
- Named portals
- Exception handling
- Monitoring in PRISM
What is portal automation with RPA?
Robotic process automation (RPA) uses software bots to carry out repetitive tasks in user interfaces the way a person would, such as signing in to a website, reading new orders and entering invoice data. In B2B integration, RPA connects trading partners that only offer a web portal, turning manual portal work into an automated, monitored data flow.
Why it matters
Business benefits
Portal work off your team's desk
Repetitive portal sessions for order pickup and invoice submission are handled by automation, freeing staff for customer work.
Invoices submitted when shipments are confirmed
Invoices can be entered as soon as the shipment is confirmed in your ERP, instead of waiting for someone to find time for the portal.
Portal data that matches your ERP
Data entered into the portal comes from the ERP, so the portal shows what you actually shipped and billed.
Who it's for
Who uses PRISM-WebConnect
Suppliers to large enterprises
Customers use procurement portals and require suppliers to retrieve orders and submit invoices there, often across several different portals.
Accounts receivable teams
Month-end invoice submission into customer portals creates a backlog that delays payment.
Companies with mixed partner landscapes
Some partners send EDI, some use APIs and some only offer a portal, and all of them should end up in one monitored process.
How it works
How PRISM-WebConnect works, step by step
- 01
Each portal process is mapped
The steps a person takes in a given portal, such as sign-in, order search and invoice entry, are documented and agreed during scoping.
- 02
Orders are retrieved
New orders and changes are collected from the portal and delivered to your ERP in its own format.
- 03
Documents are submitted
Invoices, acknowledgments or ship confirmations are entered into the portal using ERP data.
- 04
Results are checked and reported
Each run is logged; portal errors or rejections are routed to your team with the context needed to act.
How it fits
Where PRISM-WebConnect fits among PRISM's automation approaches
Trading partners connect in different ways. PRISM combines several automation approaches so each partner can be handled in the way that fits, and all of them feed the same integration and visibility layer.
Conceptual architecture, not an application screenshot
- Traditional EDI PRISM-EDI When: Partner has an EDI system. Example: X12 or EDIFACT documents over a partner connection.
- Web-based EDI PRISM-WebEDI When: Partner has no EDI system. Example: Documents viewed and created in a browser.
- Business documents PRISM-SmartConvert When: Partner sends documents. Example: PDF, Excel or email orders and invoices.
- Partner portalsThis product PRISM-WebConnect When: Partner requires its portal. Example: Orders and invoices handled in a web portal.
- APIs and ERP connectivity PRISM-API Gateway When: Partner or system offers APIs. Example: API calls and connections to ERP and business applications.
Integration layer
PRISM-EDI
One place for partner rules, data mapping and routing, whichever way the data arrived
Your systems
ERP, warehouse, transportation, finance and commerce systems
Capabilities
What PRISM-WebConnect does
-
Portal order retrieval
Collect new purchase orders and changes from supported customer portals and deliver them to your ERP.
-
Invoice and document submission
Submit invoices, acknowledgments and ship confirmations into portals using ERP data.
-
Named portals
Work with procurement portals such as SAP Ariba and Coupa, and other portals confirmed during scoping.
-
Exception handling
Detect portal errors or rejections and route them to your team with screenshots and context.
-
Monitoring in PRISM
Track automation runs and outcomes alongside EDI and API transactions.
Inputs, outputs and integration
What PRISM-WebConnect connects
Each portal is assessed individually for access, terms of use and process complexity before automation is agreed.
| Portals | Customer and supplier web portals, for example procurement portals such as SAP Ariba and Coupa, confirmed per project |
|---|---|
| Typical tasks | Order retrieval, invoice submission, acknowledgments and ship confirmations |
| Source and target system | Your ERP, directly or through the PRISM platform |
| Credentials | Stored in a secured vault and used only by the automation |
| Exceptions | Logged with screenshots and context, routed to your team |
| Monitoring | Automation runs visible alongside EDI and API activity in PRISM |
Choosing the right approach
When portal automation is the right answer, and when it is not
Portal automation is valuable, but it is not the first choice for every partner. ECOM recommends the most stable option each partner supports.
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Prefer EDI or an API when offered
If a partner offers EDI or an API, that connection is usually more stable than automating its screens, and PRISM-EDI or PRISM-API Gateway is the better route.
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Automate when the portal is the only way in
Portal automation fits partners who accept orders and invoices only through their portal, especially where volumes make manual work costly.
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Expect portals to change
Portals are redesigned from time to time, which can interrupt an automation. Monitoring and maintenance should be part of the plan from the start.
Workflow orchestration
Portal steps driven by your business events
Portal work is rarely a single task. Orders must be picked up on time, and invoices submitted once goods have shipped. Automation is most useful when portal steps follow your business events rather than someone's calendar.
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Triggered by ERP events
An invoice is submitted to the customer's portal when the shipment is confirmed in the ERP, rather than in a weekly batch.
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Scheduled pickups
New orders and changes are collected from each portal on an agreed schedule and delivered to the ERP.
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Multi-step processes
Sequences such as order retrieval, acknowledgment and later invoice submission are handled as one process, with each step recorded.
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Hand-offs to people
When a portal rejects a document or asks for information the automation does not have, the case goes to the responsible person with the context to finish it.
Operational governance
Automating a partner's portal responsibly
An automation acts in your partner's system on your behalf, so security and permissions matter as much as speed.
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Terms of use
Each portal's terms of use and the partner's expectations are reviewed before a process is automated.
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Credential protection
Portal credentials are kept in a secured vault, used only by the automation and reviewed with your security team.
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Monitored and maintained
Failed runs and portal changes are detected, and automations are updated when portals change.
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An audit trail of every run
Each run records what was retrieved or submitted and when, so finance and customer teams can answer questions about portal activity.
Why ECOM
Portal automation as part of your integration, not a separate robot
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Connected to the rest of PRISM
Portal data flows into the same ERP integration and visibility as your EDI, document and API partners, instead of living in a separate tool.
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Maintained by integration specialists
Through EDI Team as a Service or a managed service, ECOM specialists can watch automation runs and keep them working as portals change.
Use cases
Where teams use it
Manufacturing suppliers
Suppliers to large manufacturers retrieve orders and submit invoices in their customers' procurement portals without manual sessions.
Industrial and MRO distribution
Distributors serving enterprise buyers handle portal-based ordering and invoicing alongside their EDI customers.
Services and facilities suppliers
Companies invoicing enterprise clients through supplier portals clear month-end portal invoicing backlogs.
Technology, expertise and operations
Choose how PRISM-WebConnect is run
PRISM is ECOM's own integration technology. The company that builds it also implements, operates and supports enterprise integration platforms, so you can choose how much of the work you keep.
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Run it with your team
Use PRISM-WebConnect on the PRISM platform with your own staff, supported by ECOM.
Platform delivery options -
Share the work
ECOM integration specialists extend your team for mapping, onboarding, monitoring and changes.
EDI Team as a Service -
Hand it over
ECOM operates the integration end to end as a fully managed service, within an agreed scope.
Fully managed EDI
Running IBM Sterling or another integration platform today? ECOM's enterprise integration specialists can help you keep, modernize or migrate it. IBM Sterling services · Migration and modernization
Available delivery options depend on the product and your requirements and are confirmed during scoping. Compare delivery models.
Implementation
How implementing PRISM-WebConnect works
Integration projects move through these five stages. What changes is who does each task, which depends on the delivery model you choose.
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Discover and scope
- ECOM
- Reviews your trading partners' requirements, documents, systems and volumes, and confirms the scope in writing.
- Your team
- Share partner guides or vendor manuals, sample documents, your ERP and version, and your deadlines.
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Design and build
- ECOM
- Designs the flows and builds the maps, rules and connections, or supports your team building them on the platform.
- Your team
- Confirm business rules and field meanings, and provide test data and access to the right people.
-
Test and certify
- ECOM
- Tests each document internally, then completes the partner's testing or certification steps.
- Your team
- Check test results in your own systems and approve them before go-live.
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Transition and go-live
- ECOM
- Plans the cutover, including a move from a current provider or platform, and watches the first live transactions.
- Your team
- Approve the go-live date and coordinate your internal teams and partner dates.
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Support and improve
- ECOM
- Monitors and supports the integration as your delivery model and service agreement define, and handles partner changes in scope.
- Your team
- Tell ECOM about business changes, new partners and priorities.
What affects timing and price
ECOM sends a scoped proposal after reviewing your requirements. These factors make the most difference:
- How many trading partners and document types are in scope
- Each partner's testing and certification process and schedule
- Your ERP or application, and whether a standard connector fits or custom integration is needed
- Custom business rules, data quality and the work needed to map them
- Connection methods (AS2, SFTP, VAN, API) and security requirements
- Delivery model and support coverage, for example 24×7
- Transaction volumes and any migration from an existing platform
Frequently asked questions
Is PRISM-WebConnect the same as RPA?
PRISM-WebConnect uses robotic process automation to work in trading partner portals and related workflows. It is focused on B2B portal work connected to your ERP and PRISM, rather than general-purpose RPA.
Which portals can be automated?
Procurement portals such as SAP Ariba and Coupa are common examples. Support for any specific portal is confirmed during scoping, based on access, terms of use and process complexity.
What happens when a portal changes?
Portal changes can interrupt an automation, so runs are monitored and failures are reported. Where a partner offers EDI or an API, that connection is usually the more stable option.
How are portal credentials protected?
Credentials are stored in a secured vault and used only by the automation. ECOM reviews security controls with your team during setup.
Do we still need EDI if we automate portals?
Usually yes. Most companies have partners of every kind. PRISM handles EDI, documents, portals and APIs side by side, and each partner is connected in the way it supports.
Find out which of your portals can be automated
List the customer portals your team works in and what you do there. We will assess which processes PRISM-WebConnect could take over.