Electronic communication opened up a whole new world of transferring messages. Email
was introduced to the business world, as the conventional postal service was
perceived to be slow and expensive. Messages could be relayed at an instant across
the globe, along with attachments that can accompany an e-mail message. These
restrictions had to be overcome by business in order to survive; hence ERP systems
were created as more companies were driven by the demand to stay competitive
(Porter and Miller, 1985). The pervasiveness of ERP will stimulate efforts to
incorporate suppliers and customers into integrated business practices.