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Need BizTalk Mapping Training?

We have been providing training in EDI and BizTalk mapping for many years. Our training is not the usual dog and pony show that stresses style over substance. Our training takes students into the nuts and bolts of the subjects, with emphasis on supplying the students with knowledge that can be applied to solving problems. Our EDI training, for example, not only addresses the structure and format of X12 and EDIFACT but also uses actual EDI transactions that the students must interpret. Our BizTalk mapping training extends the information available in our book with numerous hands-on lab examples. Students actually apply themselves to analyzing and solving real-world mapping problems culled from our extensive library.

Our base courses are

BizTalk Mapping and EDI Introductory Course: 3 days, $2,500, delivered on site to up to five students. Plus T&E.
BizTalk Mapping Course: 5 days, $4,000, delivered on site to up to five students. Plus T&E.

We will, of course, tailor our material and presentations to fit your needs. Please send us an e-mail or phone with a description of your requirements and we will provide a quote.

Buy this book!

An in-depth review of BizTalk mapping that contains all the techniques you need to become proficient at mapping. Written by the Second Star Managing Partners, Jim Dawson and John Wainwright, this book demonstrates the mastery of BizTalk mapping possessed by Second Star. See more details at http://www.apress.com/book/view/9781430218579.

In addition to mapping, we also provide BizTalk implementation and integration services as well as production support, especially as they relate to EDI. Note also that we were were the primary services provider for training, implementation, and integration of the Covast EDI Accelerator for BizTalk for seven years. No one understands how to migrate from the Covast products to BizTalk better than we do. We also have a map converter that automates most of the migration of maps from Covast schemas to BizTalk schemas.

We also migrate BizTalk from older versions to the latest editions. Our map converters will automate most of the migration for several versions of BizTalk to the latest versions. No map converter can do a complete conversion of maps that contain scripting (such as C# or XSLT) and there are some areas where we don't want to assume what was mean in the original map, but we have reduced the time required to migrate maps by as much as 90%. See this document for more:

We have an X12 Schema Generator Service for BizTalk 2006 Base EDI. Call or email us if you need X12 schemas that do not come with the Base EDI. Note this is not for R2, which has a full set of schemas built-in to the product.

Converting from Gentran or Application Integrator to BizTalk? We have converted many maps from Gentran and Application Integrator. In doing so we have developed a number of tools that facilitate that process. Need help here? Give us a call.

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The basis for a project involving BizTalk and EDI is understanding the business processes that drive EDI. Our technical staff averages over 15 years each in the EDI industry. We not only understand EDI standards such as ASC12, EDIFACT, HIPAA, and so forth, but we also understand warehousing, supply chain management, purchasing, and those business processes for which EDI is critical. Our experience with BizTalk extends from BizTalk 2002 through BizTalk 2006 R2.

Our primary expertise lies in implementing BizTalk as an EDI engine. This includes the Base EDI Adapter, which may be used in lieu of the Covast EDI Accelerator in BizTalk versions prior to BizTalk 2006 R2, and the new native EDI adapter that is a part of BizTalk 2006 R2. Our experience with BizTalk includes installation, implementation, integration with applications, mapping, orchestrations, configuration, and so forth.

Mapping EDI transactions with the BizTalk Mapper

Because the structure of EDI transactions often reflects the underlying business processes, mapping involves more than just connecting lines. That is true regardless of the mapping engine used. The main difference between the BizTalk mapping engine and other EDI engines is simple -- traditional BizTalk mappers more often than not have no knowledge of EDI or of the business processes represented in EDI. Whereas they can produce excellent application flat file to/from application XML maps they struggle when the XML maps are EDI. We have seen maps with 60 functoids in one segment where no functoids were necessary, because the mapper mapped to the X12 segment definition without understanding how the segment was actually used.

Our experts at Second Star have experience with many mapping tools, including Mercator and GXS Application Integrator, thus we have a unique perspective on mapping with the BizTalk mapper. Since EDI mapping with BizTalk is one of our primary focuses, we have discovered methods of optimizing BizTalk of which others are not aware. If you are looking to work with EDI maps in BizTalk, then look to Second Star. If you have good mapping specs and production data to use in testing maps, we guarantee our maps to work or we fix them for free.