InformationWeek Research's study shows that the task of adding or deleting trading partners, particularly suppliers, in an E-business infrastructure isn't for the faint of heart. The company expects XML eventually will enable real-time exchange of information about sales forecasts, inventory, and production schedules, helping to reduce inventory.
Integration can also affect a company's top line.
Large telecom companies that resell PictureTel's products, such as SBC Communications, Siemens, Wire One Technologies, and WorldCom, were demanding real-time data about how much product they were buying, their rebate eligibility, and sales trends, so they could plan purchases. But PictureTel, which uses EDI to communicate with resellers, didn't have the technology in place to fulfill those demands.