B2B Applications to Support Business Transactions

Explores the effect of EDI systems on business process improvement (BPI) and the moderating effect of information intensity of the industry on the relationship between EDI systems and BPI. The data for the study were gathered through a survey of Fortune 1,000 US firms at branch levels. The results of study support the hypotheses that EDI systems spanning between a firm and its suppliers have a direct and significant relationship with BPI factors. Information intensity of the industry was not found to moderate the relationship between EDI systems and BPI; rather, it was found to have a direct and significant impact on BPI factors.

Adoption of just-in-time and electronic data interchange systems and perceptions of cost management systems effectiveness

Firms are increasingly using collaborative systems to enhance supply-chain visibility. A key emphasis of these interorganizational systems (IOS) is to improve the coordination between buyers and suppliers through electronic integration. While such IOS integration is purportedly good, because it tightens linkages in the supply chain, it is not clear whether it is the best configuration under all conditions. A review of literature on adoption and use of electronic data interchange (EDI) systems (a type of IOS) shows that this issue has been examined from multiple theoretic perspectives. Researchers have examined how contingencies related to technology, organization, and environment shape EDI use. Limited attention has been directed toward understanding how conditions under which transactions are conducted impact the use of IOS. We argue that transactional characteristics are important antecedents to IOS integration and propose that demand uncertainty, complexity, market fragmentation, and market volatility capture key characteristics. These factors coupled with an open information-sharing environment are hypothesized to influence IOS integration. Data collected from the electronics industry is used to examine the research model. Results show that firms tend to deploy integrated IOS when complexity of the component is high, market fragmentation is low, and an open information-sharing environment exists. Thus, from a managerial perspective, IOS integration is the appropriate configuration under conditions of high product complexity and open information-sharing environment, but it precludes the firm from participating in the open market and gaining brokerage benefits.

: This is an electronic data interchange (EDI) systems design document that describes the standard or convention the Department of Defense (DoD) will use to accept a transaction invoice using the ASC X12.104 Transaction Set 210 Motor Carrier Invoice (003020).

: This is an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) systems design document that describes the standard or convention the Defense Logistics Agency will use to provide order status data to vendors using the ASC X12 Transaction Set 870 Order Status Report (003020). It contains information for the design of interface computer programs that serve to link systems application computer programs and an EDI translator computer program.

: This is a draft Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) systems design document that describes the draft standard or 'convention' the Department of Defense (DoD) will accept a Contract Pricing Proposal from the Vendor using the ASC X12 Transaction Set 805 Contract Pricing Proposal (003030).

The complex supply chain relations of the construction industry, coupled with the substantial amount of information to be shared on a regular basis between the parties involved, make the traditional paper‐based data interchange methods inefficient, error prone and expensive. The successful information technology (IT) applications that enable seamless data interchange, such as the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) systems, have generally failed to be successfully implemented in the construction industry. An alternative emerging technology, Extensible Markup Language (XML), and its applicability to streamline business processes and to improve data interchange methods within the construction industry are analysed, as is the EDI technology to identify the strategic advantages that XML technology provides to overcome the barriers to implementation. In addition, the successful implementation of XML‐based automated data interchange platforms for a large organization, and the proposed benefits thereof, are presented as a case study.

Information systems that link businesses for the purpose of inter-organizational transfer of business transaction information (inter-organizational information systems, or IOIS) have been in use since the 1970s (Lankford & Riggs, 1996). Early systems relied on private networks, using electronic data interchange (EDI) or United Nations EDIFACT standards for format and content of transaction messages. Due to their cost and complexity, the use of these systems was confined primarily to large companies, but low-cost Internet commercialization has led to much more widespread adoption of IOIS. Systems using the Internet and the World Wide Web are commonly referred to as B2B (business-to-business) systems, supporting B2B electronic commerce. Technological innovations have led to several forms of B2B Internet implementations, often in the form of online exchanges. These are virtual marketplaces where buyers and sellers exchange information about prices, products, and service offerings, and negotiate business transactions. In addition to substituting proprietary lines of communication, emerging technologies and public networks have also facilitated new business models and new forms of interaction and collaboration, in areas such as collaborative product engineering or joint offerings of complex, modularized products. During the years 1999-2001 a number of online exchanges were introduced, but many of these failed (Gallaugher & Ramanathan, 2002), due mainly to an inability to attract participating business partners. Those that have survived are often owned by companies or consortia that are also exchange customers or suppliers. The objective of this overview is to describe the evolution and the characteristics of B2B Internet implementations, and to discuss management considerations, the evaluation and adoption of B2B applications, and the technical infrastructure supporting these systems. We also indicate some of the open issues that remain as the technology and its adoption continues to evolve.

9 - Strategic context of IS investment

Today’s textile-apparel industrial complex is characterized by a multitude of conflicting demands: smaller lot sizes, increased product flexibility, higher product quality and decreasing delivery times. The textile/apparel industry must deploy state-of-the-art manufacturing and information management techniques to operate successfully in such a demanding and highly competitive global market. In this context, the role and scope of mechatronics in textile-apparel production systems are discussed with specific examples. The need for techniques and tools such as information engineering, electronic data interchange and knowledge-based systems technology is established and their relevance to the textile-apparel complex is discussed. An overview of major research endeavors including the development of an enterprise architecture, knowledge-based systems and product data standards is presented. Finally, some topics for further research in areas ranging from distributed design and manufacturing to the development of product data exchange standards are proposed.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is now widely established as an interorganizational system in almost all large and medium size industrial, service and retail sectors and the purpose of this paper is to discuss the experiences of six supermarket chains concerning the use of this technology. Whilst the advantages of conducting electronic transactions are generally recognized, consensus on methodologies for quantifying the benefit success associated with interorganizational systems still remain elusive. It is argued that a comparison of pre-implementation expected benefits with post-implementation realized benefits can offer a reliable way of assessing the benefit success from EDI and other information systems. In this approach, the benefit success is expressed as a function of three benefit states namely, efficiency, neutrality and deficiency depending on whether the gap between realized and expected benefits is positive, neutral or negative respectively. In order to identify the benefit state of each participating organization, initially a series of semistructured interviews was conducted with senior managers followed by the administration of a self assessment rating instrument in the form of a questionnaire. This paper will discuss the findings along with the testing of a new conceptual framework for examining the relationship between benefit success, implementation approach and implementation success.

To facilitate and modernize procurement procedures, the Department of Defense (DoD) has taken new initiatives to develop an advanced system architecture for electronic commerce (EC) using electronic data interchange (EDI). Modeling and simulation techniques will support key decisions for the evolving EC/EDI system. Computing and communications processes to handle EC/EDI transactions are implemented using ANSI X12 and X.435 protocols and will be constantly improved. Scientific traffic characterizations and forecasting must be conducted prior to EC/EDI infrastructure designs. Modern parallel-processing technologies will aid in handling different types of transactions among purchasing officers, vendors, and various intermediary databases, computer processors, and communications networks. DoD is planning to modernize and expand the existing information system infrastructure for handling increasing EC/EDI traffic and services.

The article describes how to use Apache Spark to improve Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) transactions. Apache Spark has high potential to address scalability, performance, and integration issues that commonly occur during peak loads in traditional EDI systems, including retail and logistics settings. In this study, it was established that the distributed computing services offered by Spark minimise load, increase processing speed, and minimise resource utilisation. The research compares performance by developing a quantitative assessment of real-world data from EDI systems using Spark and traditional centralised systems. Analysis results indicate that Spark-based systems are quick at handling transaction processing, can be extended, and are cost-effective. The article is about modernising the business EDI infrastructure, and as a result, massive savings have been made. It also implies directions for future research to make the use of distributed systems even lighter in EDI applications, e.g., Apache Spark.

Los sistemas EDI (Electronic Data lnterchange) están concebidos principalmente para ser utilizados dentro del mundo de las transacciones comerciales. Ahora bien, por sus características técnicas y circunstancias estratégicas, provocan también el interés de los profesionales de la Información y Documentación. En este artículo se describen las principales características de los sistemas EDI: sus prestaciones, las infraestructuras tecnológicas que utilizan y también sus condicionantes. Se analiza cuál es la implantación de EDI en el mercado europeo. Se examinan las características de las normas EDIFACT (Electronic Data lnterchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport), ODA/ODIF (Office Document Architecture/Office Document lnterchange Formal) y FORMEX (FORMalized Exchange of electronic publications), así como los problemas que plantean estos formatos en relación con las técnicas de normalización documental. Se pasa revista a algunos de los principales proyectos europeos en curso, dentro del campo bibliotecario y documental, que tienen cierta relación con el Intercambio Electrónico de Datos.

Nowadays, the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is considered an indispensable tool for interchanging data and transactions between auto parts and vehicle companies. Since the decade of 80, the EDI was adopted by automobile industry and this process was led by vehicles manufacturers that had determined the adoption of this system for their supcliers. This research carried through an exploratory survey, to analyze how the implantation and use of the EDI, in the automobile industry, has been occurred, under the point of view of small and average companies of the sector, having observed positive and negative aspects associated to the implantation through five theoretical models that deal with the EDI and the Interorganizational Systems (IOS). Regarding to the stage of implementation of the EDI (model of Lummus & Duclus) it was observed that the companies are in the period of transaction, with low level of integration with internal systems. The amplitude of partners (model of Tuunainem) with that the companies carry through EDI are small, and the type of appropriation (model of Subramani) is exploitation. The analysis of the interorganizacionais relations (model of Bensaou and Venkatraman) disclosed that much few areas use this technology, and that the vehicle manufacturer use the coercitive power in the implantation process. Although this, the interviewed ones consider that exists reliable in the relation b its companies and vehicle manufacturer. Based on this survey, we verified that the characteristics and benefits gotten with the use of systems EDI for the studied companies of auto parts are very small, compared with the models.