Setting a predictable, efficient, and surprise-free EDI budget has become one of the top priorities for CFOs, COOs, IT Directors, and Private Equity leaders as we look toward 2026. We know firsthand that EDI VAN billing chaos—especially the frustration of hidden fees, overages, and cryptic kilo-character (KC) calculations—can derail budgets and cause late-night scrambles for answers that should be at your fingertips. At Nexus VAN, we've built our entire approach to value-added networking around removing this pain, and in this detailed planner, we'll walk you through proven steps to forecast your KC usage with accuracy and transparency while eliminating surprise costs from your EDI VAN spend.
Too often, us and our peers in finance and IT leadership inherit EDI VAN contracts with the same story: the sales pitch promised simplicity and flexibility, but real billing tells another tale. Data overages, mailbox or user fees, surcharges for new trading partners, and mysterious “compliance” add-ons hide on page three of invoices. You may have discovered this only once internal usage spiked or as your trading partner network expanded.
For a breakdown of the most common confusing charges, our deep dive on what’s legitimate (and what’s not) in VAN billing offers excellent insights for anyone reviewing past spend.
Forecasting your 2026 EDI budget starts with a rigorous, transparent look at last year’s data. Here’s our recommended approach:
Typical example: If your 2025 usage was 42,000,000 KCs, with monthly peaks at 4,800,000 KCs, add a 15% buffer. Your 2026 working budget should plan for approximately 48,300,000 KCs.
If your provider cannot produce a clear, auditable log, it’s time to discuss a change. See our blog on why overage fees keep appearing.
The heart of a predictable EDI VAN budget isn’t about simply guessing usage better. It’s about removing the risk of hidden and out-of-scope fees. Nexus VAN leads with a transparent, tiered approach built directly from KC usage. Here's what sets this structure apart:
With up to a 40–80% savings observed for companies moving off complex legacy contracts, our transparent approach puts your finance team back in control. For a comprehensive explanation, our blog on demystifying EDI VAN pricing models explores how these structures impact real cost.
This structure lets you lock in a budget that isn’t vulnerable to fast-changing partner lists or seasonal surges, with no mailbox or hidden document fees lurking in the background.
The top concern we hear during EDI budget reviews isn’t cost alone; it’s the risk of migration or the fear of service interruption. At Nexus VAN, we focus on migration as a well-managed project led by experienced professionals with clear milestones and accountabilities.
It’s worth taking a moment to benchmark your current plan against what a transparent, KC-based approach would yield. Incentives from legacy providers often disappear after renewal, and the true costs emerge only after months of operation. At Nexus VAN, we've seen well-known clients like Spanx and TIGI eliminate unpredictable fees and gain operational visibility in their digital supply chain. We see average client savings of 40–80%, coupled with better support and reliability.
Inspect your current contracts and calculate what overages or add-on surcharges would have cost in your busiest months. This exercise alone has helped many companies spot hidden budget drains before they escalate.
When we review budgets with leadership teams, the ideal scenario is one where the IT, Finance, and Ops group can forecast costs, expansion projects, and future compliance needs with a margin of safety. Transparency, auditability, and scalable pricing give you the frameworks to do this, and they future-proof your B2B operations as supply chains or trading networks change.
If you’re ready to finally close the book on confusion and surprise costs in your EDI VAN budgeting, we invite you to explore our published pricing and see how much you could save. You can also take the next step by securing a no-pressure, free cost audit or custom demo—our migration specialists respond within one business day.
It’s time for EDI technology to empower your business leadership. Let’s make 2026 the year your budget delivers exactly what you planned, with no shocks or setbacks.
