Extranet use grows in spite of downside.(OPERATIONS)

Manufacturing Business Technology, June, 2006

A recent study conducted by CompTIA, a Chicago-based IT association, says 74 percent of B2B e-commerce buyers and suppliers are using extranet Web sites for at least a portion of their trading, even though conducting business through them is less efficient than EDI. Extranet trading also is less beneficial than other B2B trading mechanisms, say 77 percent, citing negative effects on accuracy, cost, and partner relationships.

In spite of this, 31 percent say their use of Web site trading has increased over the last year. Many extranets are not fully integrated with other company systems and require some manual data entry. Still, says David Sommer, CompTIA VP, "Extranets are viable when communicating with small and midsize trading partners without the...