UK supermarket chain Asda has selected TrueCommerce’s EDI-based supplier enablement solution to manage its supplier communications.

The third-largest supermarket chain in the UK, Asda operates over 600 retail stores. The chain also provides online groceries via Asda.com, which reaches 98% of UK homes. The company has 37 distribution and fulfilment centres and thousands of suppliers throughout the country.

In February 2021, Asda was sold by Walmart to the Issa Brothers and TDR Capital. That sale led the company to choose a new EDI provider that would support its future as a standalone business.

TrueCommerce will implement a supplier enablement platform catering to the needs of the over 2,000 suppliers that make up Asda’s supplier community, with integration into the business’s SAP ERP system.

In addition to supporting EDI transactions, the supplier enablement platform also includes a web-EDI portal for use by non-EDI capable vendors. TrueCommerce’s platform also includes fully managed supplier onboarding and communications management for EDI-related supplier queries.

“TrueCommerce was part of a comprehensive RFP process and was selected on the basis of four key factors: its ability to understand and meet the Asda capability requirements, its confidence in adhering to programme timelines, its deep knowledge and expertise, and its overall commercial competitiveness,” said Jenny Hopkins, Senior Director at Asda.

“By partnering with TrueCommerce, Asda will offer a strong, stable, fully reliable and excellently managed EDI programme to our highly valued Asda suppliers, no matter how big or small they are!” said Ms. Hopkins.

David Grosvenor, Managing Director, TrueCommerce Europe said, “I’d like to thank Jenny and the team at Asda for their cooperation in this process. Our teams at TrueCommerce are delighted to begin working with Asda and help further strengthen their business in the UK retail landscape.”