Standards and a network service for data exchange
Nigel Fenton · ITNOW · 1986
Abstract For many years trading companies have realised that major improvements in business efficiency could be achieved if the exchange of commercial data could be conducted electronically. Conventional exchange of transactions such as orders and invoices using paper based documents is slow, laborious and error prone. Data must be key entered into a computer for printing on to business stationery, then despatched by post to recipients who must key enter the data back into their system. At each stage, delay and errors are introduced Direct computer to computer communications is the natural solution, linking users’ computers without the intermediate paper chase. However until relatively recently there was a basic obstacle preventing this electronic exchange. This was that different companies structured their documents and data files differently, so that they could not be recognised or processed by any other company’s computer system. Even worse, some compames were adopting ad hoc data formats, which they were then imposing on their trading partners.