Prospects for EDI in the Thai Retail Sector

Electronic data interchange (EDI) is a very promising application of information technology, which can enhance competitiveness in the retail sector. This paper explores views toward EDI in Thailand's retail sector, through in-depth interviews with retailers, suppliers, IT service providers, and industry associations. Large retail chains and suppliers strongly favor EDI. Many already have internal EDI networks, and they are about to implement EDI networks between major trading partners. These big players want EDI to rapidly spread throughout the industry. Small and mid-sized companies, however, are not as ready to adopt EDI. They cite lack of technology and investment capital, poor human resources, concerns about standardization and security, and many other obstacles. Nevertheless, Thailand will probably move into full EDI between major trading partners in the near future, and this will speed adoption of EDI more broadly in the retail sector