Reengineering with EDI

Abstract

This chapter describes a case study of a multitude of BPR activities, undertaken by the Australian Government using EDI as the core technology, to simplify the export documentation process for issuing health certificates on meat, fish, and horticulture. Health certificates are required by the 297 countries engaging in international trade. Interestingly, the initial EDI-enabled reengineering initiative progressed, incrementally, over the past six years, to impact a multitude of players in meat export, including meat industry and overseas governments. Analysis of the case clearly shows that key EDI benefits includes circumvention of technical trade barriers, risk reduction, and facilitation of global electronic commerce, as well as reduction of transaction costs in export. This research suggests that EDI is a powerful catalyst for change, driving BPR activities in an incremental manner in the inter-organizational value-chain. This is contrary to the rational top-down approach, which is typically prescribed in the BPR literature.