OLATUNJI Olajuwon Abiodun
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Administrative and Management,
Rivers State University Nkpolu-Oroworukwo Port Harcourt.
HARCOURT Horsfall
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Administrative and Management,
Rivers State University Nkpolu-Oroworukwo Port Harcourt.
HAMILTON-IBAMA Lolia Edith-Onajite
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Administrative and Management,
Rivers State University Nkpolu-Oroworukwo Port Harcourt.
Abstract
This study investigated the correlation between electronic data interchange (EDI) and business success of supermarkets in Port Harcourt. The study conceptualized EDI as predictor to business success measures of service speed, system reliability and cost minimization. The study adopted a cross sectional research design with a correlational investigation type. The study population comprised 35 registered supermarkets in Port Harcourt. The researcher adopted a Census method and administered 3 copies of structured questionnaire to Operations Manager, Inventory Manager and Procurement Manager of each of the 35 supermarkets. This means that a total of 105 respondents were used for the study. The reliability of the instrument was achieved by the use of the Cronbach Alpha coefficient with all the items scoring above 0.70. Data was collected through structured questionnaire that was designed in Likert 5-poinit scale. Pearson’s Product Moment relationship (PPMC) was used in testing the various hypotheses with the help of the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences Version 25.0. From the analysis of data, it was revealed that EDI had a significant correlation with business success. Based and these findings, the study concluded that EDI significantly relates with business success of supermarkets in Port Harcourt. The study therefore recommends that managers of supermarkets in Port Harcourt should ensure availability of EDI system to help their businesses minimize transactional errors by eliminating manual data entry, ensure greater accuracy in order processing and inventory management, accelerate transaction processing times, track orders, shipments, and inventory levels in real time, improve demand forecasting and reducing stockout leading to business success.
Keywords: Business success, cost minimization, electronic data interchange, service speed, system reliability