June 12, 2002

 

To: All JCPenney and Eckerd Trading Partners

 

Subject: Transition to Preferred Network Service Providers

 

In our bulletin dated April 12, 2002 it was announced that JCPenney and Eckerd had selected GE Global Exchange Services [GXS] and QRS as our preferred EDI Network Service providers [VAN’s]. This bulletin also stated that we are discontinuing our EDI relationship with Sterling Commerce [Ordernet] as a direct EDI network service provider.

 

This bulletin and other communications from various network service providers have created confusion in our Trading Partner community. In particular – there is confusion about JCPenney/Eckerd policy concerning use of network service providers as an interconnect to our preferred providers – GXS or QRS. Following is clarification of our interconnect policy and the process we will use to set up interconnects to one of our two preferred VANs.

 

EDI Network Service Interconnect Policy

JCPenney/Eckerd have always allowed use of interconnects and we have no immediate plans to discontinue this policy. However, as we stated in the April 12 bulletin, use of interconnects means we will not be able to support end-to-end tracking of specific EDI transactions when problems occur. Error resolution is more time consuming and difficult on interconnect transactions and JCPenney/Eckerd will not investigate problems beyond our preferred VANs. Tracking of these transactions and problem resolution for situations occurring beyond one of our two preferred VANs will become the Trading Partner’s responsibility. For these reasons, use of interconnects is not a preferred method of connectivity

 

EDI Network Service Interconnect Procedures

Trading Partners who choose to utilize the services of a third party interconnect VAN [a VAN other than GXS or QRS] to exchange EDI with JCPenney/Eckerd will be handled as follows:

 

JCPenney Trading Partners

Any interconnect VAN selected by a JCPenney Trading Partner will automatically be set up to link to GXS as the JCPenney service provider as of July 12, 2002. Trading Partners do not have to initiate any correspondence with JCPenney to enable this process.

 

Eckerd Trading Partners

Any interconnect VAN selected by an Eckerd Trading Partner will automatically be set up to link to QRS as the JCPenney service provider as of July 19, 2002. Trading Partners do not have to initiate any correspondence with JCPenney/Eckerd to enable this process.

 

Note: A recent notice sent to JCPenney/Eckerd Trading Partners by Sterling Commerce indicated Form 9.2’s had to be filed with the JCPenney EDI Support Department to enable use of interconnects. These statements are inaccurate and the procedures outlined in that bulletin should be ignored. If Sterling Commerce is your VAN of choice, their EDI traffic will continue to be exchanged with JCPenney as a direct connection until the above listed dates – after which time this traffic will be redirected to GXS [for JCPenney] and QRS [for Eckerd] as interconnect traffic.

 

Suppliers wishing to change to either GXS or QRS need to contact one of those VANs to establish the business relationship and initiate connectivity testing. Again – a Form 9.2 does not need to be sent to the JCPenney EDI Department to initiate this change. GXS and QRS will advise JCPenney when testing has been completed and the agreed upon migration date.

 

Following are the toll free numbers for GXS and QRS:

 

                        GXS:  800-997-6850                           QRS:  866-781-5300

 

If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact us at jcpvan02@jcpenney.com.