IBM United Kingdom Ltd

IBM Supply Chain Business Network (Essentials)

IBM Supply Chain Business Network (SCBN) is an
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) service offering allowing businesses to communicate with trading partners for all EDI documents, e.g. Orders, Invoices, etc. Document formats include EDIFACT, X12 etc. All Formats and all communication protocols are supported. In essentials edition customers manage all documents.

Features

  • EDI as a service
  • Large VAN with 340000+ connected entities
  • Free interconnects
  • Highly Reliable (SLA > 99.95%)
  • Secure
  • Excellent Visibility of document flow

Benefits

  • Outsource EDI document exchange
  • Extensive number of connected traders
  • Reliable and secure document exchange
  • Real Time visibility of document flow in process

Pricing

£3,124 a unit a year

  • Education pricing available

Service documents

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at ukcat@uk.ibm.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 13

Service ID

4 1 7 2 2 8 9 8 2 4 0 9 4 6 4

Contact

IBM United Kingdom Ltd Anne-Marie Wheeler
Telephone: 0207 202 3000
Email: ukcat@uk.ibm.com

Service scope

Software add-on or extension
No
Cloud deployment model
Public cloud
Service constraints
There is a Service window at 10pm on a Saturday night GMT
Notice is always given in advance if the window is to be used.
System requirements
Client needs file transfer software to communicate with SCBN

User support

Email or online ticketing support
Email or online ticketing
Support response times
Severity 1 within 2 hours
Severity 2 within 4 hours
Severity 3 no later than next day
Severity 4 no later than next day
User can manage status and priority of support tickets
Yes
Online ticketing support accessibility
None or don’t know
Phone support
Yes
Phone support availability
24 hours, 7 days a week
Web chat support
No
Onsite support
No
Support levels
Support cost is listed in pricing Document
Support levels are described at the following address

https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=ibm10739151
Support available to third parties
No

Onboarding and offboarding

Getting started
Once the client has been set up, they use file transfer software to send and receive files.
Documentation is at the address below
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSRJDU/com.ibm.help.common.doc/welcome.htm
Service documentation
Yes
Documentation formats
HTML
End-of-contract data extraction
Users may request their data.
If no request is received any remaining data is securely destroyed after 12 months
End-of-contract process
At the end of the term the client will be disconnected from the network
Any data remaining may be reclaimed.
Any data not reclaimed will be securely deleted

Using the service

Web browser interface
Yes
Supported browsers
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
Application to install
No
Designed for use on mobile devices
No
Service interface
No
User support accessibility
WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
API
No
Customisation available
No

Scaling

Independence of resources
IBM is uniquely placed in the market to scale out to any workload required

Analytics

Service usage metrics
Yes
Metrics types
Please see the following
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSRJDU/SIB/document_tracking/getting_started/SCN_DT_About_Sterling_Document_Tracking.html
Reporting types
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request

Resellers

Supplier type
Not a reseller

Staff security

Staff security clearance
Other security clearance
Government security clearance
Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

Knowledge of data storage and processing locations
Yes
Data storage and processing locations
  • United Kingdom
  • European Economic Area (EEA)
  • Other locations
User control over data storage and processing locations
Yes
Datacentre security standards
Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 3.0)
Penetration testing frequency
At least once a year
Penetration testing approach
In-house
Protecting data at rest
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
  • Encryption of all physical media
Data sanitisation process
Yes
Data sanitisation type
  • Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
  • Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
Equipment disposal approach
Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Data importing and exporting

Data export approach
SCBN is a file based medium. Files are exchanged to and from the system using a variety of tools and protocols.
Data export formats
  • CSV
  • Other
Other data export formats
  • Any file format can be used
  • EDI
  • XML
  • Flat File
Data import formats
  • CSV
  • Other
Other data import formats
  • Any File Format can be used
  • EDI
  • XML
  • Flat File

Data-in-transit protection

Data protection between buyer and supplier networks
  • Private network or public sector network
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Legacy SSL and TLS (under version 1.2)
Data protection within supplier network
TLS (version 1.2 or above)

Availability and resilience

Guaranteed availability
Please refer to Section 3.1 of the service definition document attached: https://www.ibm.com/support/customer/csol/terms/internal?id=i126-7824&lc=en#detail-document
Approach to resilience
Tier 4 SSAE 16 Compliant Data Centers
Utilizes Proven IBM software on IBM hardware
All customer and configuration data is replicated in real-time to hot site
Core infrastructure actively monitored for operational readiness
RTO – 4 hours / RPO – 4 hours

For additional information, please contact an IBM representative
Outage reporting
Email alerts

Identity and authentication

User authentication needed
Yes
User authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels
Please refer to the following or contact and IBM representative for further details.
https://www-03.ibm.com/software/sla/sladb.nsf/pdf/6388-02/$file/i126-6388-02_03-2014_en_US.pdf
Access restriction testing frequency
At least once a year
Management access authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

Access to user activity audit information
Users have access to real-time audit information
How long user audit data is stored for
Between 6 months and 12 months
Access to supplier activity audit information
Users have access to real-time audit information
How long supplier audit data is stored for
Between 6 months and 12 months
How long system logs are stored for
Between 1 month and 6 months

Standards and certifications

ISO/IEC 27001 certification
Yes
Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001
Bureau Veritas
ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date
21/12/2021
What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover
The infrastructure and platform this offering is run on is ISO/IEC 27001 compliant. The current SaaS application is not compliant, but does have an ISO 27001 Attestation.
ISO 28000:2007 certification
No
CSA STAR certification
Yes
CSA STAR accreditation date
23/08/2021
CSA STAR certification level
Level 1: CSA STAR Self-Assessment
What the CSA STAR doesn’t cover
Please contact an IBM representative for further information
PCI certification
No
Cyber essentials
No
Cyber essentials plus
Yes
Other security certifications
No

Security governance

Named board-level person responsible for service security
Yes
Security governance certified
Yes
Security governance standards
  • CSA CCM version 3.0
  • ISO/IEC 27001
Information security policies and processes
Please refer to the following or contact and IBM representative:
https://www.ibm.com/trust/security

Operational security

Configuration and change management standard
Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Configuration and change management approach
Please refer to the following or contact an IBVM representative for further details.
https://www-03.ibm.com/software/sla/sladb.nsf/pdf/6388-02/$file/i126-6388-02_03-2014_en_US.pdf
Vulnerability management type
Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Vulnerability management approach
Please refer to the following or contact an IBM representative for further detail:
https://www-03.ibm.com/software/sla/sladb.nsf/pdf/6388-02/$file/i126-6388-02_03-2014_en_US.pdf
Protective monitoring type
Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Protective monitoring approach
Please refer to the following or contact and IBM representative for further details.
https://www-03.ibm.com/software/sla/sladb.nsf/pdf/6388-02/$file/i126-6388-02_03-2014_en_US.pdf
Incident management type
Conforms to a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v3.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Incident management approach
Please refer to the following or contact and IBM representative for further details.
https://www-03.ibm.com/software/sla/sladb.nsf/pdf/6388-02/$file/i126-6388-02_03-2014_en_US.pdf

Secure development

Approach to secure software development best practice
Independent review of processes (for example CESG CPA Build Standard, ISO/IEC 27034, ISO/IEC 27001 or CSA CCM v3.0)

Public sector networks

Connection to public sector networks
No

Social Value

Fighting climate change

Fighting climate change

In February 2021, IBM committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions globally by 2030. On this path, IBM are on track to have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 65% (against 2010 base) in 2025, and 75% of our global electricity consumption will be from renewables by 2025. The IBM UK Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) is published annually in which we report progress in achieving Net Zero.
In fulfilling our responsibilities under our contracts, our staff operate in line with our IBM Environmental Policy and implemented through our worldwide Environmental Management System (EMS), which covers objectives including achieving our net zero greenhouse gas commitment, reduction in water use, reduction in waste going to landfill, creating green space, enhancing the natural environment and improving air quality. Local initiatives are in place around IBM locations, including on shared or zero-carbon travel, with various cycle-to-work and car-share initiatives and incentives, and through environmentally focused volunteering.
To influence staff, suppliers, customers and communities through the delivery of the contract to support environmental protection and improvement, we include Social Responsibility and Environmental Management requirements in subcontracts, and encourage staff to work with the wider teams on improvements. In some locations, a ‘Environmental Business Resource Group’ promotes sustainability and plans community-based volunteer work.
In 2020 IBM launched the responsible.computing() initiative, which addresses modern computing challenges and integrates aspects of sustainability, climate, ethics, openness, privacy and security. We assess proposed technical solutions against efficient energy usage.
IBM began detailed tracking and monitoring of our environmental footprint in 1990 - being forthright and transparent in our impact long before it was fashionable or required. We have made significant improvements over the last 30 years and will continue to always report transparently on impacts and our progress.
Covid-19 recovery

Covid-19 recovery

To help local communities manage and recover from the impacts of COVID-19 IBM have created employment and re-training opportunities. IBM provide a free, fully online offering called SkillsBuild Reignite, tailored for job seekers, and those needing to grow their digital skills. Once an initial 30-hours of online learning is completed, Reignite offers free one-on-one coaching, seminars and facilitated discussions from IBM volunteers.
IBM encourage our staff, suppliers and customers to support our communities. The IBM.org Volunteer’s Portal manages over 1.3 million hours of volunteering by IBM employees.
We support our extensive ecosystem of external SME's manage and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. IBM has invested to help reduce barriers to entry that may preclude participation in delivery by SMEs. This could relate to financial standing, ability to accept risk, invest in bids, or ability to supply sufficient volumes of resources.
We have several initiatives to support staff with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and extend those initiatives to the clients we partner with. Mental health support is available at all times to all of our staff and their families, and we train volunteering staff as mental health first aiders. We have many programmes in place to tailor a gradual return to health and work following illness.
IBM reimagined many of our workplaces and policies to support COVID-19 recovery and are committed to ongoing safe working to reduce demand on health and care services. We have also implemented our Work from Home Pledge & Hybrid Working Pledge for all staff, which ensures we establish and respect new boundaries and support each other in this new way of working and living. We published our ‘Return to Workplace Playbook’ to manage the safe return to both IBM and client workplaces. IBM is promoting an ongoing Hybrid working approach.
Tackling economic inequality

Tackling economic inequality

IBM invest to understand of the causes and effects of inequality. We run multiple initiatives to attempt to level opportunity, focused on our stated social-responsibility goal to support education and skills development in Science and Technology, with a specific focus on those who may not otherwise be attracted, or have the opportunity, to develop those skills.
The ‘IBM Ignite’ scheme, a national Movement to Work programme, offers vocational traineeships and work experience to disadvantaged youth unemployed. Together with City Gateway, our London charity partner, IBM offer 5-week, onsite, workplace programmes to break the cycle of ‘no work experience, no job’.
IBM are proud to have created skillsbuild.org. This is a global programme, and for the UK offering IBM have partnered with ACH.org.uk, a social enterprise working to resettle refugees through labour market and social integration, City Gateway, a London charity working with disadvantaged young people, women and families in deprived areas to build skills and ambition, and SaluteMyJob, a charity creating opportunities for ex-Servicemen and women under the armed forces covenant. The SkillsBuild programmes offer training, in-person support, credentials and opportunities to put the learning into practice. In addition to the direct training through charity partners, SkillsBuild Reignite is now also available free to all online. The SkillsBuild training gives recognised qualifications to those searching for employment in a digital economy. In addition, the programme gives job-search skills, teaches agile methods and design thinking, and has specific training in growing IT fields, such as cybersecurity, big data, artificial intelligence.
IBM UK employ over 250 school-leaver apprentices every year. Our award-winning programme offers apprenticeships ranging from Level 3 to Level 6, with more than half of the apprentices applying and continuing their employment with IBM.
Equal opportunity

Equal opportunity

In 1942, IBM hired blind psychologist Michael Supa to create a programme for hiring and training people with disabilities. Supa then worked in IBM institutionalising disability representation and equality for 37 years, and 80 years after he was hired IBM continue to lead in Accessibility, Inclusive hiring and Representation to reduce the disability employment gap. The Accessible Workplace Connection portal makes it easy for managers to accommodate IBMers who consider themselves to have disabilities, and all recruitment activities are accessible and open. IBM support all employees in training and developing new skills relevant to them, with at least 40 hours of structured training required every year. The training can link to recognised, external qualifications, building skills relevant to the contract. IBM is accommodating of those with additional needs, ensuring all training is inclusive.
IBM believes that a diverse and inclusive work environment drives higher quality delivery. We have created employment and training opportunities for those with protected characteristics in the UK since 1912. Our 300+ employee-led communities support ethnic minorities, neurodiversity, LGBTQ+, females, veterans and more through regular events within their communities. Every IBMer completes regular mandatory Diversity & Inclusion training, and 88.3% of colleagues said that they felt that they could be their authentic selves in work. IBM run a “BeEqual” campaign and programmes, with tens of thousands of employees making a BeEqual pledge of allyship to colleagues from minority groups and 6000 IBMers globally are certified as LGBT+ Allies. In 2020, 250+ IBM employees completed apprenticeships within the UK with 42% identifying as BAME and 58% as female (supporting our Women in Technology initiatives). IBM have a culture of promotion and recruitment aiming to addresses workforce inequality for all to have the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
Wellbeing

Wellbeing

IBM has an advanced Health and Wellbeing Programme, recognising the criticality and benefits of a healthy and supported workforce. A wide-ranging Employee Assistance Program is provided confidentially to all employees 24/7, at no cost to them, backed up by medical insurance with annual health assessments available. IBM operate a Mental Health First Aid Programme, with over 200 qualified mental health first-aiders volunteering in the UK. These colleagues make themselves approachable as a first step. IBM UK have Disability Confident status, winning in 2021 the Best Employer for Diversity and Inclusion award from WM UK, due to the broad focus on D&I throughout the pandemic, including hidden disabilities and neurodiversity. IBM has a global neurodiversity hiring program (ND@IBM).
In the new model of home and hybrid working since 2020, various initiatives have been created to maintain and improve both mental and physical health when working remotely. The IBM Working from Home Pledge includes commitments to take time out for yourself, and to check-in regularly on colleagues. It was recognised that working alone can be challenging for some, and regular sessions, support programmes and training is now in place to keep people connected. Managers have undertaken training to recognise those struggling and have tools of early support. A “2020 health challenge” was taken up by 20% of the permanent employee population, with 69% of participants reported being less stressed, 74% exceeded 10,000 steps a day. Ergonomic equipment to create a better working-from-home environment is available to all.
Within projects and programmes, and as part of contract delivery, IBM seek to make these various initiatives available to the entire, joint team of staff, suppliers, customers and communities. Project and colleague-based support and health initiatives are expanded where possible to all.

Pricing

Price
£3,124 a unit a year
Discount for educational organisations
Yes
Free trial available
No

Service documents

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at ukcat@uk.ibm.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.