RE: Small-biz e-biz reflections from an EDI'er

[Hockemeyer, Gene]

I believe that the currently strongest fire wall between paper and paperless ... is that lack of standardization.  ebxml ... was a good start toward that point ... but to this day  there is still no agreement as to standards, primarily because each software house or innovator believes their idea is the only way to resolve the problems.    X12 was not developed overnight and moved a long way toward a seamless exchange of data.  Expecting considerable growth in EDI as a result of the vast development of economically available computers is an erroneous assumption as long as there is no economically sound, standardized method of exchanging data that is within the economic means of the average entrepreneur.  In addition, this standardization media must be within the mental propensity of the user to assimilate and adapt to the business rules without extreme problems, not only at the sending end of the data ... but also at the receiving.     Once again, there is not 'real' unified effort to develop this standardization.   Off my soap box ...   Gene Hockemeyer Senior Programmer Alcas Corporation 1116 East State Street Olean, New York  14760-0810 (716) 372-3111 ext  3054 [EMAIL PROTECTED]     -----Original Message----- From: Ed Broomfield [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, May 10, 2002 9:10 AM To: XMLEDI Group Subject: Small-biz e-biz reflections from an EDI'er As I endeavour to keep abreast of this world's technological innovations in the field of electronic commerce, I am constantly reminded of the vast number of small business who still exchange paper invoices.   When I joined the EDI bandwagon in the late eighties it seemed the paper invoice was doomed and would not last more than a few years (of course, there would always be some exceptions). Then, the biggest hurdle was finding low-cost and reliable computers which could exchange documents seamlessly and efficiently both with the outside world and with internal accounting and logistics systems.   Computers are now cheap, and reasonably reliable (sic), yet despite all this, the man on the Clapham omnibus still feels safer with cellulose. Maybe it's a generation thing. But I wonder whether it's in part due to the fact that our industry is pathologically commited to generating steadily greater levels of complexity , whereas manual trading  has been around for millenia and is more or less understood by one and all. Knowledge engendours confidence and security - lack of knowledge can engendour reluctance and fear (acronymophobia?).    Are we not trying to run before we can walk with XML and small businesses? What happened to hitting that critical mass with first-generation EDI? I was taught by my masters not to impose EDI on a poor system as this would only consolidate existing problems. This is surely still true for any new technology.   Reactions at your leisure, please!   Ed Broomfield   ---------------- IT & Business Services Specialists in e-business Appt 3, Downs View, Holybourne, Hampshire GU34 4HY, U.K. Tel +44 (0)1420 543602 [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to xmledi-group as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to %%email.unsub%% --- You are currently subscribed to xmledi-group as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]