Security will be the key technical issue to be resolved. As costs decrease, the use of standard EDI will increase more rapidly. Then as existing business partners become used to sharing information electronically, functionality of shared information will increase. As accessibility improves, more new noncompetitors will increase the functionality of shared information. In these two cases, the risks will include organizational and environmental dependence risk.
More open systems reduce the risk of opportunistic renegotiation and shirking.
The risk that will require most attention is the competitive risk that will occur when sharing information among potential competitors. If security risk is not adequately reduced, this role may continue once these systems are developed. Goldman, S., Nagel, R., Preiss, K., Agile Competitors and Virtual Organizations, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1995.