The role of electronic data interchange in Quick Response

Although the potential for EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) to improve performance of firms involved in industry value chain is widely known, little evidence regarding improved performance for the entire supply channel has been reported. Some researchers have found that EDI networks can benefit EDI champion, but it remains largely unclear whether EDI adopters—who are often coerced to implement the electronic networks by the champion—gain similar payoffs from their EDI investments. To measure impacts of EDI investments for the EDI adopters, we have investigated the performance of 31 grocery retail chains (EDI adopters) that implemented EDI networks with Campbell (EDI champion) for a supply channel reengineering innovation known as “continuous replenishment process.” Analysis of daily data on inventory and stockouts levels for the 31 retail chains demonstrates that these EDI adopters have achieved a significant increase in their inventory turns while simultaneously reducing stockouts as a result of this EDI-enabled supply channel reengineering. This paper thus provides empirical evidence that EDI adopters can achieve dramatic performance improvements if EDI networks are used for interfirm process reengineering.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is an inter‐organizational information system that requires collaboration and commitment between trading partners. The potential benefits that EDI can offer are substantial. However, the adoption and use of electronic linkages between companies is not as simple, or as profitable as had been expected. This study developed three conceptual models based on four important EDI measurements: EDI volume, diversity, depth, and breadth. Next, this research identified and discussed the evolutionary procedures of and the magnitude of EDI participation that companies tend to adopt in the context of the various environmental factors. Finally, this study produced a number of managerial implications and recommendations.

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of business type upon the adoption process for quick response (QR) technologies in the apparel industry. Using Rogers’ (1983) innovation decision process model as our conceptual basis, we empirically investigated three stages of that process as it pertains to QR adoption: persuasion, decision, and implementation. In our study of 103 US apparel manufacturers, we found business type to impact significantly the firms’ perceptions of benefits to be derived from QR. The perceptions of these benefits, in turn, affected the apparel manufacturers’ adoption of a QR strategy which, in turn, influenced their use of various QR technologies.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of strategic-type classifications in analyzing apparel firms and to examine the relationship between the strategic type of firms and the usage of Quick Response (QR) technologies. Demographic characteristics of apparel manufacturers and the usage of QR technologies are also detailed. A random sample of 306 US apparel manufacturers, without locational limitation, was selected and stratified by firm size (i.e. number of employees) and product category (i.e. men's, women's, or children's wear). A mail questionnaire was sent to plant managers. The adjusted response rate was 47% (n = 103). Nonparametric statistics (Kruskal Wallis Test, Wilcoxon Scores) were used for data analysis. The most frequently used technologies were small-lot orders, short-cycle cut-planning, and product planning with customers. Manufacturers who were prospectors in product and market development had the highest usage level of QR technologies, while defenders had the lowest usage level. Reactors, manufacturers who lack consistent strategy, represented 20% of respondents. This information provides direction to apparel firms for strategic planning.

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.

With the rapid proliferation of electronic data interchange (EDI) in recent years, there has been a growing need for understanding various issues surrounding the adoption, implementation, and evaluation of such systems. In particular, as an increasing number of firms are piloting, implementing, or using EDI, it is becoming crucial to identify the factors that influence the success of EDI. Through a survey of 242 companies that were at different stages of adopting EDI, we show that EDI success is affected by four distinct factors relating to information quality, systems outcomes, user participation, and system quality. Evidence of reliability and validity of the scale, along with some practical standards and evaluation baseline, are provided.

This collaborative project between two community hospitals, a Metropolitan Home Care Program and the University, was designed to quantify the applicability (who is eligible for) and acceptability (who will likely comply with) Home Care services, provided through a Quick Response Program (QRP) initiative as compared to usual hospital care services, to patients, families and physicians. During a 6 week period of sampling (5 days per week, 8 hours per day) in two Emergency Departments (ED) in moderately sized community hospitals in a major metropolitan city, all patients triaged to the urgent category were assessed for eligibility for QRP services by on-site Home Care Coordinators using specific criteria. Patients meeting the criteria initially were reviewed by the ED physician for approval for QRP services and then randomized to experimental and control conditions. Patients not meeting the eligibility criteria were managed by the usual ED services procedures. Demographic and clinical data were obtained on all urgent category patients at presentation to the ED. Additionally, the nature and cost of all health care services used by the ED patients during the ED event and 10 days follow up, were obtained through hospital and Home Care record abstraction and compared among the different sample groups. The QRP Initiative was applicable to 2% of the total ED patient population and 5% of the urgent category of patients triaged in the ED. It was acceptable to 97% of this eligible group. One hundred and fifty-five patients who initially qualified for QRP were excluded from eligibility at a subsequent assessment. Ninety of these patients were admitted to hospital and 65 were discharged home. In the total "exclusion" group, 37 refused Home Care services including the QRP. HEALTH CARE PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The sampling results raise important questions about broader system issues concerning the role of the hospital and community in providing health care services and the social value or utility that guides the allocation of health care funds. What level of applicability and acceptability would justify priority services for certain target groups. In the future, policy makers will need to be able to show that it is in the best interest of patients and society to prioritize mixtures of services to certain target groups.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is applied to support the creation of electronic markets (e-markets). Electronic data interchange (EDI) is the exchange of structured data between information systems of different organizations. EDI is often considered as the first step towards e-markets. In the course of time EDI was extended and interorganizational information systems (IOS) were used to create electronic marketplaces. IOS serve as intermediaries between buyers and sellers. Probably the most well known examples of IOSs are airline reservation systems, which are closed systems having typically a limited number of participants.

In this paper we argue that electronic data interchange (EDI) should not be viewed simply as a technological infrastructure, but as a technology which may enable an organization taking a strategic view to derive comparative advantage from utilizing it as part of a process of business re-engineering – in other words, as a sociotechnical entity. We suggest that strategic information systems planning (SISP) is a suitable superstructure within which EDI implementation may be considered from an appropriate strategic, as opposed to tactical, perspective. Finally we describe the theory and current practice of SISP and present guidelines for its application in relation to EDI.

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.

The evolution of international transport is linked to the requirement of its customers and their needs. Modern logistics require compliance with a demand-based planning, hence the current management disciplines are grouped around the supply chain management (SCM) and seek to optimize the resources available to the transport, ie., ordering of supplies, time, cost and information. Production needs condition the next supplies the place of consumption, and the sequence or order of delivery. Information systems have played a key role in responding to these requirements and the Electronic data Interchange (EDI) has provided the necessary technologies to do so. Nevertheless, despite the extent of EDI systems that normalize the content of messages required for synchronization between systems, we encounter the difficulty of consolidating information between customers and suppliers with different software.

Business and technology agenda for information systems executives

Electronic data interchange (EDI), used traditionally to exchange business documents, has recently been extended to facilitate interorganizational collaborative processes such as the continuous replenishment program (CRP). The key characteristics of CRP are the sharing of real-time inventory data by retailers with manufacturers and continuous replenishment of retailer inventory by manufacturers. Prior research on EDI has focused on the transaction efficiency of EDI. We analyze the impact of information sharing and continuous replenishment in the CRP context and study the factors that affect the value of CRP. The study quantifies the value derived from CRP and the optimal number of retailers a manufacturer should partner with.

While global sourcing and information technology (IT) are critical in the performance of apparel companies, few studies have examined which firm-related factors are related to the level of global sourcing and IT and how these two practices contribute to firm performance. This study proposed a model integrating three firm antecedents (firm’s global awareness, top management commitment to global sourcing, and firm size) and outcomes of global sourcing and IT implementation (operational, strategic, and financial performance) and empirically tested it with the data collected from 111 US apparel manufacturers. This study found that the greater the firm’s global awareness and the greater the firm size, the higher the global sourcing involvement. Also, the greater the top management commitment to global sourcing and the greater the firm size, the higher the IT implementation. While global sourcing involvement increased all three levels of firm performance, IT implementation led only to higher operational performance.

9 - Strategic context of IS investment