The WIT buying group recently selected the ASA Center for Advancing Technology's TransLink EDI solution from its partner MISG to provide a community-wide EDI enablement program. The program provides for the transaction of electronic business documents between WIT headquarters, its owner distributors and its 300-plus supplier community.

MISG's EDI enablement program for WIT will provide the buying group and its suppliers with a cost-effective Internet-based EDI solution that supports industry-developed EDI standard guidelines and simplified document translation. TransLink® allows WIT members to exchange business documents without complicated programming and mapping by translating data to a standard format, using CAT's EDI Express guidelines. The guidelines facilitate quick, cost-effective EDI implementation throughout the plumbing and HVAC industries.

TransLink's on-network translation feature eliminates the requirement for in-house translation software. This will enable WIT members to transact EDI without the need to purchase and maintain separate EDI translation software. Furthermore, TransLink® is integrated into several industry warehouse management systems, including Eclipse, Mincron, Prelude and Prophet 21, providing additional benefits to the WIT community.

MISG has extensive experience providing EDI services to the plumbing and HVAC industries. As a partner of the ASA Center for Advancing Technology for more than seven years, MISG supplies integrated EDI technologies to the plumbing industry, including Value Added Network (VAN), Internet and Web EDI solutions. In 2004, MISG joined forces with the HARDI Center for Advancing Technology to provide similar services and solutions in the HVACR community.