Inter-organisational information systems: Are organisations in Ireland deriving strategic benefits from EDI?

Given that Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has the potential for linking and restructuring organisations in a way which no other technology has done in the past, this paper attempts to study the ways in which this technology is harnessed by the business community in Ireland to increase its competitive position and to reduce the adverse effects of its geographic isolation. The general aim was to determine the motivations for, and benefits from, implementing EDI, and to establish a profile of those businesses currently using an EDI system for some aspect of their operations. Northern Ireland faces particular challenges in trading internationally as a result of its peripheral location. This problem, combined with an increasingly “insular/conservative culture”, has had severe implications for the Northern Ireland economy. The paper begins with a brief review of the literature on EDI. This details the most important considerations identified during the research process, including an examination of EDI activity in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. It then presents the research design and methodology for the study followed by an analysis and discussion of the results. It concludes with a summary of the major findings, and a number of recommendations for the future. The present study has served to identify some trends which are currently being used to form the basis of a more detailed investigation of the EDI environment within Northern Ireland.