Kleinschmidt
Enabling Supply Chain Integrated Messaging

Kleinschmidt began business data integration by providing car location data for the rail industry and quickly evolved to include purchasing, warehousing, retail and logistics. Today, the company is recognized for its EDI and API integration solutions that enable organizations of all sizes to build seamless supply chains through integration with any trading partner.

“Helping customers utilize new integrations quickly and reliably is in our DNA. We believe that it is our responsibility to keep the busy data highway up and running as trading partners evolve their internal systems,” says Dan Heinen, the CEO of Kleinschmidt.

While the business problems in this technology space are specification-driven, the company always emphasizes the human element. Clients are on a first-name basis with the technical team at Kleinschmidt. The deep technical expertise and availability of the analysts and developers helps establish a trust that integrations will go smoothly and continue uninterrupted. Kleinschmidt has support staff monitoring every transaction—24/7/365—analyzing messages that may need a little care or answering the call if needed.

“We make integrations as easy as possible for our customers, by assessing their technical abilities and building a solution that meets their trading partner’s defined API with as little impact to their internal processes as possible,” says Heinen.

Kleinschmidt understands that clients often delay an integration as there is a concern that there will be too much disruption as they move through the project. To this end, the company encourages clients to discuss a project early in the planning. This is crucial to lay out a plan to minimize the stress on the client’s technical team. Kleinschmidt does the heavy lifting of data transformation between the legacy system and the newer technologies rather than making seismic changes within the systems themselves.

When it comes to simple API integrations, there are solutions in the marketplace that certainly address mapping. But most companies soon find that the 80-20 percent rule applies; any high-volume business is going to encounter those 20 percent cases where the integration requires a little finesse. Kleinschmidt, as a full-service solution provider, handles everything from the simple to the difficult. Every implementation involves analysis, development, implementation, and testing. It also includes round-the-clock monitoring, and updates when data or connectivity specifications change.

As an example, Kleinschmidt has a client that was utilizing X12-based EDI messaging for their trucking company for some time. When they had an opportunity to work with Tesla, Tesla required API integration with a JSON payload. Kleinschmidt enabled that transformation between the two companies. As a result, the client did not have to change their message format specifications in order to work together. Everything went so smoothly that Tesla has recommended Kleinschmidt as they expand their carrier pool.

Kleinschmidt provides all solutions in network such that customers do not need to purchase software or hire employees, as all of the mapping and data manipulation software is managed by their staff. The in-house mix of youthful enthusiasm with a high degree of technical competence is quite unique. Therefore, it’s understandable that much of Kleinschmidt’s business comes from referrals, as they make people happy enough that they recommend the company to a colleague or endorse them when they move to a new employer.