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- March
What if SAP, Oracle, Odoo, and Saeree ERP could exchange data instantly — without forcing everyone onto the same system? The answer: you don't need a single platform. Just use "open standards" for data exchange — just like countries that don't speak the same language agree to use English as a "common language" for international trade.
In brief: Open standards like Peppol (e-Invoice), EDI (procurement/shipping), ISO 20022 (finance) enable every ERP system to exchange data — already used across 111 countries by over 2.5 million organizations | Organizations lose an average of $370 million/year from disconnected systems.
What's the Problem? — Why Can't ERP Systems Communicate?
Most organizations run multiple systems — one ERP, a separate accounting system, a different warehouse platform. Each one "speaks a different language." Data from SAP can't be sent directly to Oracle — someone has to manually convert the format every time.
| Figures | Details |
|---|---|
| 897 apps | Average number of applications used per organization (2024) |
| 29% | are connected — the other 71% remain siloed |
| $370 million/year | Average cost organizations lose from disconnected systems (Integration Debt) |
| 30-40% | Share of IT Budget spent managing complexity from disconnected systems (Gartner) |
With 10 systems, you need 45 connections (n×(n-1)/2) — with just 20 systems, that's 190! This is the "Spaghetti Architecture" trap that many organizations fall into.
The Answer: Use "Open Standards," Not a "Single Platform"
Instead of forcing every organization to switch to the same ERP (which is impossible) — have all systems agree that "when sending data to each other, use the same format."
┌─────────┐ Peppol/UBL ┌─────────┐
│ SAP │ ←──────────────→ │ Odoo │
└─────────┘ Open Standards └─────────┘
↑ ↑
│ API Gateway │
│ (translates for every vendor) │
↓ ↓
┌─────────┐ ISO 20022 ┌─────────┐
│ Saeree │ ←──────────────→ │ Oracle │
└─────────┘ └─────────┘
Each ERP doesn't need to change its internal system — just build an "adapter" that converts data to the open standard before sending, and converts it back when receiving.
6 Global Standards in Active Use Worldwide
| Standard | What It's Used For | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Peppol (UBL) | e-Invoice, PO, Delivery notes | 2.5 million organizations, 111 countries |
| EDI (X12/EDIFACT) | Procurement, shipping, payments | $34B market, used for 50+ years |
| ISO 20022 | Cross-bank and international money transfers | SWIFT mandated (Nov 2025) |
| xBRL | Financial reports / financial statements | Mandated in 50+ countries |
| GS1 | Product codes (GTIN), locations (GLN) | 2 million companies worldwide |
| OData | API for retrieving/sending ERP data | Primarily used by SAP and Microsoft |
1. Peppol — The Fastest-Growing e-Invoice Standard
Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement OnLine) is a network for exchanging digital business documents such as invoices, purchase orders, and delivery notes — using the UBL (Universal Business Language) standard, which is ISO/IEC 19845.
Remarkable figures: Peppol grew from 110,000 organizations (2019) to 2.5 million organizations across 111 countries — a 1,173% growth in 5 years.
| Country | e-Invoice Status | Mandate Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | InvoiceNow (Peppol) — mandatory for GST businesses | Apr 2028 - 2031 |
| Malaysia | MyInvois (Peppol) — mandatory for all businesses | Aug 2024 onwards (phased) |
| Belgium | Peppol BIS 3.0 — B2B for all businesses | Jan 2026 |
| All EU | ViDA (VAT in the Digital Age) | Jul 2030 (cross-border) |
| Thailand | e-Tax Invoice (ETDA standard) — not yet mandatory | Voluntary (with tax incentives) |
For Thailand: The Revenue Department's e-Tax Invoice system uses XML per the ETDA standard — currently processing 1.5 million invoices/month (+40% YoY). While not yet mandatory, the ASEAN trend (Singapore and Malaysia already mandate it) may lead Thailand to join Peppol in the future.
2. EDI — The Veteran That Still Stands Strong
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) has been in use for over 50 years — split into 2 branches: ANSI X12 (Americas) and EDIFACT (UN/Europe/Asia). The global EDI market is worth $34 billion (2024) and is growing to $74 billion by 2031.
The automotive industry is EDI's most sophisticated user — powering Just-in-Time Manufacturing across OEMs, every supplier tier, and the entire logistics chain.
3. ISO 20022 — The Universal Language of Finance
ISO 20022 is a messaging standard for financial systems — covering payments, securities, trade finance, and FX. Every accounting system connected to banks needs to know this standard.
Key milestone: SWIFT completed the migration from MT → MX (ISO 20022) on Nov 22, 2025 — 11,000+ banks worldwide must use the new format | ISO 20022 carries 10x more data than the legacy MT format — significantly improving AML screening and straight-through processing.
4. xBRL — Cross-System Financial Reporting
xBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) is used in 50+ countries. For example, the SEC (US) mandates it for all listed companies since 2018, and the EU mandates it via ESEF since 2022. The advantage is that ERP systems can automatically export financial statements as xBRL — no manual tagging needed, reducing errors.
5. GS1 — One Standard for Product and Location Codes
GS1 defines standard codes for products (GTIN), locations (GLN), and shipments (SSCC) — used by 2 million companies. ERP systems integrated with GS1 barcodes achieve warehouse accuracy of 95%+, reduce stock-outs by 50%, and respond to recalls within 1 hour.
Important: GS1 Sunrise 2027 — by the end of 2027, all retail stores must be able to read 2D barcodes (QR codes) at checkout, replacing traditional 1D barcodes.
6. OData — The Standard API for ERP
OData (Open Data Protocol) is an ISO/IEC 20802 standard API primarily used by SAP and Microsoft — with a built-in query language ($filter, $select, $expand) that lets different ERP systems pull data from each other without writing custom integrations.
How to Connect ERP Systems — 4 Approaches
| Approach | Best For | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Custom Point-to-Point | 1-2 systems | $5K-50K per connection + 15-20% annual maintenance |
| 2. iPaaS (MuleSoft, Boomi) | 10-50+ systems | $15K-100K/year + $400-800/connector/month |
| 3. Event-Driven (Kafka) | Real-time, multiple consumers | EDA market $8.6B (2024) → $21.4B (2035) |
| 4. Open Standards (Peppol/EDI) | Entire supply chain | Lowest — shared infrastructure + network effect |
Recommendation: For Thai organizations choosing an ERP — select an ERP that supports open API standards (OData/REST) and can export/import data in UBL or EDI format. This will significantly reduce long-term integration costs.
5 Challenges and How to Solve Them
| Challenge | Solution |
|---|---|
| Different data formats — SAP uses IDOC, Oracle uses BOD, Odoo uses JSON API | Use a Canonical Data Model (OAGIS/ConnectSpec) as a "common language" |
| Spaghetti Architecture — 10 systems = 45 connections | Use an API Gateway as a central hub → reduce to n connections |
| Security — connecting systems = expanded attack surface | API Gateway handles OAuth 2.0, TLS 1.3, centralized audit logs |
| Customization Lock-in — heavily customized ERPs can't expose APIs | "Clean Core" — move customizations to sidecar apps using standard APIs |
| Batch vs Real-time — legacy EDI runs batch (daily/hourly) | Event-Driven Architecture (Kafka) for inventory real-time |
PINT — The Next-Gen Standard Thailand Should Watch
PINT (Peppol INTernational) launched in July 2023 and became mandatory in March 2025 — solving the problem that BIS 3.0 was designed only for the EU (supporting only VAT). PINT has a 3-layer architecture:
| Layer | Details |
|---|---|
| 1. PINT Core | Global mandatory fields (required by all countries) |
| 2. Regional Rules | e.g., GST (Singapore), SST (Malaysia), VAT (EU) |
| 3. Country-Level Extensions | Country-specific fields (e.g., Thai Tax ID numbers) |
If Thailand joins Peppol in the future, PINT will be the base — ERP systems that already support PINT will be ready immediately.
Real Example: EU ViDA — Saving €4.1 Billion
The EU recently passed ViDA (VAT in the Digital Age) on March 11, 2025:
- Cross-border e-Invoice mandate: July 2030
- Full harmonization: January 2035
- Reduces VAT fraud by €11 billion/year
- Saves €4.1 billion in administrative costs over 10 years
This is proof that open standards are not just theory — they generate real ROI at the continental level.
What About Saeree ERP?
Saeree ERP is designed for easy integration with other systems — supporting standard data export/import formats and APIs for connecting with external systems. Regardless of which ERP your partners use, you can exchange data seamlessly.
Summary: Comparing 3 Approaches
| Approach | Advantages | Disadvantages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build (Custom) | 100% tailored to requirements | Most expensive long-term, Spaghetti | 1-2 connections |
| Buy (iPaaS) | Fast, pre-built connectors available | High license costs | 10-50+ systems |
| Standards (Peppol/EDI) | Lowest cost, Network effect | Requires ecosystem adoption | Entire supply chain |
"The future isn't forcing everyone to use the same ERP — it's making every ERP multilingual. Like a person who speaks Chinese in China and English in America. Your internal language stays the same — you just translate when talking to others."
