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Why Are EDI Implementations So Tough?

ECIimplemenationThis month, ec-bp.org polled you... our readers about your experience with EDI implementations, and boy did you answer. The poll revealed that the biggest implementation problems stem from trading partner issues rather than technological glitches. Forty-seven percent reported difficulties in complying with trading partner requests that ranged from "numerous and stringent requirements" to "insistence on putting data in the wrong data fields." The most common used phrase in respondents' complaints of this type was "non-standard standards."

Slightly more than half of the respondents were suppliers (50.5%), followed by distributors (17%), retailers (12.5%) and solution providers (8%). The remaining respondents were manufacturers and governmental agencies. Respondents were allowed to indicate multiple problems and issues which brings the total of reported problems above the 100% mark.

Indeed, trading partner issues captured the top two slots bringing trading partner complaints overall to a whopping 80% of the problems reported. The second most common problem reported in the poll were issues related to communicating with trading partners (33%). Remaining trading partner issues include data floods, flawed data, insufficient effort in the testing process, and failure to initially provide all the requirements.

Communicating with applications/provider companies was a significant problem for 25.5% of respondents. Configuring applications came in close behind at 24.5%.

The top complaint regarding provider communications was "vendor slow to respond" both in regards to answering general questions and in technical support. One respondent reported the provider implemented a major upgrade while implementation was in process, disrupting the implementation by more than a year.

Beyond "poor to slow" provider response, most of the complaints in this area revolved around the blame game: providers insisting the problem lay with the complainant rather than the provider's technology or policies.

Third party use was cited as a problem by less than 5% of respondents. Those problems ranged from complaints about offshoring to difficulty in navigating the third party's system.

Only 8% had trouble actually installing applications and barely 19% had problems following guidelines. Ten percent had trouble selecting applications or providers.

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