EDI Benefits and Compatibility: An Empirical Comparison of End User and EDI Manager Perspectives

Abstract

A recent survey of electronic data interchange (EDI) managers and their key end users finds that, although EDI managers are somewhat more optimistic about EDI than their end users, there are few significant differences of opinion. Interestingly, both believe that their firms have realized indirect benefits from EDI such as improvements in competitive advantage more than direct cost reductions. With regard to compatibility, EDI managers believe that there were fewer disruptions and that users learned to use EDI faster than did users.