04/17/2025
Spring In Person Conference - May 8th
Thank you to our
Spring 2025 Sponsors:
Register today on our newly designed website www.neecom.org We are offering all prior attendees the Member price of $199.00
If you are not currently a member, you can sign up as a non-member and apply the coupon code: MAY2025. We hope you and/or others can attend and help keep this group going! You can register at www.neecom.org
The New England E-Commerce Users Spring In Person Conference is Thursday May 8th at:
Four Points by Sheraton
320 Washington St, Newton, MA 02458
Phone: (617) 969-3010
AGENDA for Thursday, May 8th, 2025
Would the Real AI Please Stand Up, Please stand up, Please stand up
James Lewis – CEO, Enhanced Retail Solutions
AI is having a moment. Like many evolving technologies before it, there is a lot of hype. How do you sift through the noise to determine whether it can be useful to your business or not? This presentation will show a practical approach to AI in the retail sector. Utilizing POS data including EDI 852, retail analytic/planning expertise and an advanced scoring system we will show AI can automatically interpret the business in a very specific and detailed way. The concepts can be used for any type of business. Highlights include:
· Looking for and recommending specific actions to improve the business.
· Improve inventory planning.
· Finding opportunities and liabilities that would otherwise go undetected.
· Improving scalability and time resources.
X12 Update: JSON Initiative, Self-Service Portal, and More
Andrew Fitzpatrick, X12 Operations and Licensing
X12 will provide an update on its JSON Proof of Concept (PoC) for supply chain transactions, its recently launched self-service portal for licensing & membership, other news related to X12 standards, and more.
From Paper to Digital: Optimizing Document Ingestion with Quidi AI
Ken Hausam – CTO, Garnet River, LLC
Shayne Pendergast – RPA Practice Lead, Garnet River, LLC
Manual processing of PDF documents, whether digitally generated or from scanned paper, remains a persistent challenge for SMEs. For many vendors, EDI is still perceived to be out of reach, and they continue to rely on emailing attachments for orders, receipts, invoices, shipping labels, RMAs, etc. In this session, discover how AI and RPA have evolved well beyond the OCR technology from just a decade ago to transform the ingestion of these documents. From automatically validating incoming invoices and extracting key data to classifying billing categories and integrating with ERP/Accounting systems, solutions like Quidi eliminate tedious manual steps, increasing both accuracy and security. Join us to learn how streamlining approval workflows and reducing errors leads to significant operational savings and improved outcomes.
Introducing New Technologies to IT and the Organization
Eric Bloom, Executive Director, IT Management and Leadership Institute
The question, regardless of the technology being implemented, is how you select it, implement it, introduce it, and support it, in a way that maximizes its potential for success and user adoption. This talk answers those questions by discussing various new technology concepts, new technology considerations, and an 11-step technology selection and implementation process.
How AI is disrupting B2B/EDI - a two year outlook
Neel Sharma, Spice Technology Group
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) by automating document flows, accelerating partner onboarding, and enabling real-time insights. Neel's presentation explores AI’s disruptive impact over the next two years—blending machine learning with legacy systems—and examines how roles in EDI operations, support, and integration will evolve or be redefined.
The $890 Billion Boomerang: Redefining Retail's Return Journey
Ian Redlin, CEO, Octolan Technology, Better EDI, and Returns Desk
This session will tackle the $890 billion returns challenge, with returns projected to top 17% of all merchandise sales in 2025. We will explore strategies to reduce returns, such as AI-powered sizing tools and enhanced product information, alongside efforts to promote circularity through resale, refurbishment, and upcycling initiatives. Finally, we’ll highlight how the final mile of returns is executed, focusing on innovative solutions that streamline the process, from convenient customer drop-off options to efficient sorting and processing at returns processing, ultimately transforming returns from a costly burden into a strategic asset for retailers.
Applies to: Retail (E-commerce & Brick & Mortar), logistics providers, brands, technology solution providers and sustainability-focused professionals
NEECOM Board Contacts:
Ira Keltz - NEECOM President [email protected] (857) 282-0899
Michelle Calarese – NEECOM Treasurer [email protected]
New England's Electronic Commerce.
