Key success factors for late adopters of inter-organisational systems: a non-technical perspective from Irish organisations

Research has shown that EDI and other forms of inter-organisational systems (IOS) are underdeveloped in Europe compared to the USA. Currently most discussions of IOS implementation emphasise technical considerations and pay only scant attention to other factors that affect IOS success. This paper reviews the IOS implementation and operational experience of five Irish organisations, and examines environmental, organisational and implementation issues in an effort to determine their effect on IOS success. The results are presented as five questions that IOS implementators should ask themselves before embarking on such a project.