This document discusses electronic data interchange (EDI), which is a standard for the electronic exchange of business documents like invoices and purchase orders between computers. EDI is commonly used in industries like manufacturing, retail, banking, and construction. The benefits of EDI include better record keeping, fewer errors, reduced time and paper use, and more effective and efficient operations. However, some drawbacks are the high costs, limited accessibility, rigid requirements, and that EDI only provides partial solutions within closed networks of trading partners.