The world of EDI and supply chain technology is in the midst of one of its most turbulent transition periods in decades. If you’re a technology leader, CFO, or EDI coordinator, keeping pace with market changes is a necessity. This week, we’re spotlighting three seismic shifts: major consolidation in the VAN landscape, a rapid evolution in compliance demands, and a growing consensus that exorbitant VAN fees are not just unsustainable but avoidable. Let’s break down how these movements impact our industry, your operations, and how we at Nexus VAN see both the risks and the strategic opportunities in 2025 and beyond.
Over the past five years, the EDI/VAN ecosystem has undergone significant consolidation, with larger players acquiring smaller networks or integration specialists, and the vendor landscape narrowing. While the market continues to grow (projected at approximately 11-12 % CAGR in coming years), the pace and scope of mergers, acquisitions and platform integrations have increased sharply compared with previous eras.
Large providers are swallowing up smaller VANs and integration specialists, promising broader reach or enhanced services. On the surface, this consolidation might sound positive—more resources, streamlined offerings—but in practice it’s often the customers who bear the brunt of the turbulence.
We recommend a comprehensive post-merger EDI review:
If you find yourself being nudged into a migration or incurring mysterious new charges, it’s not just an inconvenience—it’s a direct risk to both compliance and operational continuity. For a deeper look at hidden EDI costs post-merger, check out our guide: Why Are EDI VAN Bills So Confusing?
The compliance landscape for EDI isn’t just shifting—it’s fragmenting. Regulatory requirements like e-invoicing mandates across Europe, new data residency rules, and region-specific frameworks are increasing in both pace and complexity. As a result, companies using multiple VANs or legacy networks often struggle to maintain a single source of truth or to adapt to sudden changes in regulatory demands.
Our advice for decision makers is threefold:
Without these foundations, future compliance pivots are more costly and error-prone. If you need guidance on these topics, learn how to spot and avoid hidden EDI compliance surcharges.
Let’s call it what it is: most legacy VANs thrive on complex, opaque fee structures. These may include:
What we’re seeing now is a “cost revolt” in the ecosystem. More and more IT and finance teams are unwilling to accept what used to be standard. There’s a tangible expectation to pay only for what you use and for all charges—support included—to be transparent from day one.
For more actionable strategies, see our blog on overage fees in EDI VANs and how to pinpoint excess.
Based on our direct experience helping businesses migrate from multi-VAN environments, the benefits are both immediate and quantifiable:
The writing is on the wall: mergers may not slow down, compliance demands will only grow, and legacy EDI fees will continue to erode the budgets of those who don’t challenge them. But this period of upheaval is actually an opportunity—for the CIO willing to consolidate, for the CFO aiming to bring EDI costs under control, and for every IT leader who wants predictable service and support with no compromise.
If you’re ready to:
Then let’s connect. Visit Nexus VAN for more on our approach, or schedule a confidential EDI audit to benchmark true risk and spend. For further reading on strategic transitions, check our deep-dive on when it’s time to switch VANs.
There has never been a better time to audit your EDI stack, confront old assumptions about VAN costs, and join the new standard: predictable, transparent, and risk-free EDI that puts your business first.
