In celebration of our 20th Anniversary, I have been looking at EDI and what's changed. Surprisingly, while some core issues have changed, EDI itself has evolved, but in my opinion, really not changed much. Of course, technology has come a long way!
In going through my "archive", I ran across an interesting list published in 1998 by Thomson EC Resources.
Ten Major Challenges an EC/EDI Manager must Conquer to be World Class in the 21st Century
- Support for legacy system upgrades or replacements that require re-implementing all existing EDI connections
- Coordinating supply chain integration of EC information transfer
- Mass deployment of EC/EDI to smaller customers and suppliers
- Growing EDI trading partners and transactions to mature levels within the firm
- Choosing which components of EC/EDI activity to outsource and managing the outsourced components
- Integrating the Internet and Internet technology into business processes
- Avoiding resource crowd out for EC/EDI programs
- Managing the organization and people change required by or resulting from an EC/EDI implementation
- Keeping 'sane' despite an 'insane' pace of change in business expectations and growing information overload
Coordinating the implementation and use of all electronic commerce technology
So how many do you think are still relevant challenges to EC/EDI in 2014?
A few of the items on this list would probably remain on an "updated" list, but thinking back, can you imagine life without the Internet? This relates to my last blog "Where We Are Now...After Learning EDI From A VHS Tape". Oh how far we've come. In 1998, most of us were probably preparing for the big Y2K. Would ANYTHING work on January 1, 2000? Those of us that participated in that era of EDI realize how far we've come.
Let's make a new list....send me your ideas (blester@remedi.com) for the Ten Major Challenges of EC/EDI in 2014.
