Choosing the Right Integration Platform for a B2B-Heavy Enterprise Landscape

Industry: Global Manufacturing & Distribution
Operations: Multi-region (APAC, EMEA, North America)
Systems Landscape: SAP ERP Salesforce Sales & Service Cloud 40+ external trading partners (suppliers & distributors) EDI formats including EDIFACT, X12, and CSV

Business Challenge

The client had previously attempted integrations using general iPaaS platforms such as Workato and Boomi. While effective for SaaS-to-SaaS automation, the environment exposed critical gaps when scaled to a B2B-heavy, EDI-driven ecosystem:

  • Frequent onboarding of new trading partners

  • Complex EDI standards requiring custom handling

  • High transaction volumes with operational dependency

  • Escalating licensing costs tied to usage and message volume

  • Heavy reliance on engineering teams for monitoring and issue resolution

The client needed an integration platform designed specifically for B2B, EDI, and partner-centric operations.

Gagstek’s Recommendation

After delivering integrations across multiple platforms, Gagstek recommended the Lobster Data Platform as the strategic backbone for the client’s integration architecture.

The decision was driven by Lobster’s B2B-first design, operational visibility, and predictable cost model—aligned with the client’s long-term scale requirements.

Solution Architecture

Gagstek designed and implemented an integration landscape with Lobster at the core:

  • Native EDI processing for EDIFACT, X12, and partner-specific flat files

  • SAP and Salesforce integrations using standardized, reusable mappings

  • Template-driven partner onboarding to accelerate go-lives

  • Centralized monitoring and message reprocessing for operations teams

  • Clear separation between business operations and engineering workflows

This approach reduced complexity while improving reliability and transparency.

Results & Impact

Within the first phase of implementation, the client achieved:

  • 35% reduction in integration delivery time

  • 40% fewer production incidents

  • Near real-time order-to-cash visibility across regions

  • Faster partner onboarding without increased integration costs

  • Lower and predictable total cost of ownership (TCO)

Most importantly, operational teams gained control over integrations without constant engineering involvement.

Gagstek’s Takeaway

  • Workato is excellent for SaaS automation

  • Boomi is a strong general-purpose iPaaS

  • Lobster is purpose-built for B2B, EDI, and partner ecosystems

That’s why Gagstek continues to trust Lobster for enterprise-grade, high-volume integration programs where reliability, scale, and cost predictability matter most.

Client Testimonial

“Gagstek helped us rethink integration not as a technical project, but as a business-critical capability. Their recommendation of Lobster proved decisive—our partner onboarding is faster, our EDI operations are stable, and our teams finally have visibility and control. This platform simply fits a B2B enterprise reality.”

— Head of Enterprise Integration, Global Manufacturing Client