170 suppliers onboarded in one year: Maxima’s EDI expansion

At the start of Maxima Estonia’s onboarding project, around 20 partners were actively exchanging EDI documents via Telema. The rest of the documents were exchanged mostly by email. 

The goal of the onboarding project was to increase structured EDI coverage across the supplier network. With more than 700 suppliers in total and varying levels of EDI readiness, scaling onboarding required a coordinated and structured approach.

A key driver behind the initiative was Maxima’s 4DOC requirement, which introduced specific compliance rules. As a result, every supplier had to be individually tested before going live. In standard onboarding projects, such testing is usually not required.

Prior to the structured project, onboarding had progressed slowly, as suppliers were connected one by one alongside daily operational tasks. Launching a coordinated program was necessary to remove this bottleneck and accelerate EDI expansion.

What followed became a benchmark example of how large-scale supplier onboarding can be executed efficiently and sustainably.

Creating a structured onboarding framework

To accelerate progress, Telema and Maxima agreed on a clearly defined onboarding plan.

The process began with a detailed supplier analysis, where suppliers were segmented based on their technical and business readiness — including their EDI usage, ERP systems, document format (2DOC vs 4DOC), and overall ability to onboard. This made it possible to prioritise the “low-hanging fruit” and build early momentum.

A significant number of suppliers were already within the Telema network, providing a strong starting point for expansion. Based on Maxima’s priorities and supplier ranking, 25 key suppliers were selected for focused onboarding in the initial phase.

Telema managed the onboarding project from start to end. Communication materials for suppliers were prepared in clear and practical language, outlining the specific requirements relevant for Maxima.

Each supplier received an official notification that included a clearly defined transition deadline, a scheduled testing time (date and time), and a readiness checklist. Client-side project contacts were also identified to ensure the right people were involved and remained reachable throughout the project.

Follow-up calls helped ensure that suppliers understood and complied with the requirements and were ready for testing. The testing was confirmed with all parties, and once successfully completed, the solution was moved to live immediately.

As all suppliers needed to pass 4DOC validation, dedicated test days were introduced. During these sessions, 20–30 suppliers were tested within the same timeframe, significantly reducing the time commitment for Maxima, Telema and the suppliers while ensuring full compliance.

If adjustments were required, suppliers received guidance and a new test schedule, ensuring consistent progress.

Clear expectations and consistent communication

The onboarding strategy followed an opt-out approach with clearly defined timelines. Suppliers were informed in advance of their scheduled test dates and transition expectations. If some suppliers required  additional preparation time for technical reasons, adjustments were made while maintaining the overall structure of the project.

A detailed and continuously updated shared tracking table ensured that both Maxima and Telema had up-to-date information about all of the suppliers ERP systems, EDI capabilities, contact persons and testing status. 

This structured coordination allowed the onboarding process to move forward steadily across a large supplier base.

Supplier response and readiness

Supplier response to the initiative was largely positive. Many partners had already been waiting for the opportunity to implement EDI with Maxima and welcomed the opportunity. As expected, technical readiness varied. While some suppliers were prepared to proceed immediately, others required additional adjustments. 

A turning point in Maxima’s EDI maturity

Over one  year period, approximately 170 suppliers were successfully onboarded.

The long-term impact has been significant. Since the program, EDI volumes have continued to grow, and electronic document exchange has become a standard and self-evident requirement for all partners.

At the outset, there was understandable caution about executing supplier onboarding at such a scale within a relatively short  timeframe. However, the structured approach and disciplined coordination quickly demonstrated that the process was manageable and effective. Following completion, Maxima’s IT leadership expressed satisfaction with the results.

“Telema’s professionalism and structured approach turned onboarding into a predictable and scalable process. Their team took full ownership, which allowed us to achieve results that would have been difficult to reach on our own.”
– Evgenia Lysenko, Maxima Eesti IT project manager.

Key takeaway

The Maxima supplier onboarding project shows that expanding EDI coverage across a large supplier base requires structure, clarity and disciplined coordination.

Clear deadlines, organised testing procedures and consistent follow-up enable onboarding to scale — even in complex environments with hundreds of suppliers.

When onboarding is managed as a defined project rather than as an ad-hoc activity, measurable results follow.

Interested in scaling your EDI onboarding?

If your organisation aims to increase EDI coverage, a coordinated onboarding approach can significantly accelerate progress.

Telema can support your supplier communication, coordination and structured follow-up — as part of Telema’s service.

For onboarding support, contact:
Marianne Kobin
marianne.kobin@telema.com