For many companies that have implemented Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) over the past 5 years, the costs associated with implementation are something of a mystery. In a survey commissioned by EXTOL International Inc., and conducted by Larstan Business Reports, only half of respondents (51 percent) reported that their implementation costs were easily predictable. One hundred and seventeen (117) EDI implementers who deployed new systems within the past 5 years were surveyed.

For a full 47 percent of respondents, creating a business plan and budget for EDI proved elusive at best, because of the high number – and value – of unanticipated costs that arose during the implementation process. This was particularly true for companies looking to integrate data from trading partners into the work, data, and cash-flows of their business operations.