Intelirel's Transition to E-Business: Optimizing the Combination of Electronic Data Interchange and the Internet

Abstract

Intelirel is a U.S.-based multinational corporation that produces a variety of items with apparel as one of the business divisions. This case provides an overview of Intelirel’s transition to electronic business (e-business) of its apparel division. The company introduced the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) technologies in the mid-1980s. Before starting the implementation of e-business technologies in the late-1990s, the company conducted extensive surveys to assess the attractiveness and convertibility of its various market segments. The analysis of the surveys indicated that a strategic imperative for the company is to optimally combine EDI and the Internet so as to reap the benefits of both technologies.