XN000022-1990-09-27 — Page 4

3

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1990

MR CHAN SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S MAIN CONCERN WAS TO ENSURE THAT EDI WAS DEVELOPED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE INTERESTS OF BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WERE BEST SERVED, AND THAT ALL THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE MUST BE MEASURED AGAINST THIS BEFORE DECISION WAS TAKEN.

THE FINAL

A

"WE BELIEVE THAT A SUITABLE WAY ΤΟ BRING ABOUT COMMUNITY-WIDE EDI SERVICE IN HONG KONG IS TO BEGIN BY APPLYING EDI TO A RANGE OF KEY GOVERNMENT TRANSACTIONS.

THROUGH SPEDI (SHARED PROJECT FOR EDI), WE AIM TO IDENTIFY INITIAL PACKAGE OF SERVICES THAT OFFERS SUFFICIENT ATTRACTION FOR THE PARTIES INVOLVED IN THEM TO ADOPT EDI.

AN

ALL

"THIS, IN TURN, SHOULD SERVE TO STIMULATE THE DESIRE MOTIVATION TO EXTEND EDI TO THE OTHER TRANSACTIONS THAT ARE NEEDED COMPLETE THE TRADE CYCLE, BOTH LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.

AND ΤΟ

"I MUST STRESS, HOWEVER, THAT THIS INITIAL FOCUS ON GOVERNMENT TRANSACTIONS MUST NOT STOP THE PRIVATE SECTOR FROM LOOKING AT ITS OWN REQUIREMENTS IN PARALLEL," HE SAID.

MR CHAN SAID TO IMPLEMENT EDI SUCCESSFULLY ON A COUNTRY-WIDE BASIS SUFFICIENT NUMBERS OF BUSINESS EXECUTIVES MUST UNDERSTAND WHAT EDI WAS AND HOW IT COULD BE USED AS A BUSINESS TOOL.

IT SHOULD NO LONGER BE CONCEIVED AS SIMPLY REMOVING THE NEED TO CONVEY INFORMATION ON PAPER.

ORGANISATIONS

"TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE,

MUST EXPLOIT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT EDI CAN OFFER. THIS PROCESS, UNFORTUNATELY, TAKES TIME AND UNDERLINES THE NEED FOR AN ONGOING EDUCATION AND PROMOTION PROGRAMME," HE SAID.

THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY MUST ALSO AGREE AMONG THEMSELVES HOW TO AUTOMATE INFORMATION ACROSS ORGANISATIONAL BOUNDARIES, MR CHAN SAID.

"IMPLICIT IN THIS IS THE NEED FOR THE ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED TO AGREE ON WHAT ITEMS OF INFORMATION ARE NEEDED, WHEN THEY ARE REQUIRED, HOW INFORMATION SHOULD BE EXCHANGED AND WHAT RULES SHOULD GOVERN SUCH EXCHANGES," HE SAID.

MR CHAN SAID A WAY HAD TO BE FOUND TO ENABLE ALL ORGANISATIONS WITH VARYING DEGREES OF SOPHISTICATION IN THE USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO MOVE TOWARDS THIS NEW WAY OF DOING BUSINESS.

"ON THE ONE HAND, WE HAVE MAJOR ORGANISATIONS EXTENSIVELY COMPUTERISED AND ARE ALREADY IMPLEMENTING SELECTED PARTNERS EITHER LOCALLY OR OVERSEAS.

THAT ARE EDI WITH

/"ON THE