For the last 10 years of covering this industry, I've heard about the chicken and the egg. In most cases, "the chicken and the egg" has been the answer when wholesalers and manufacturers are asked why they can't get together on technology and product numbers that would ease bar coding, EDI and other forms of electronic business.
Typically, manufacturers have said that they are not doing more e-business with their wholesalers because not enough wholesalers are equipped with the technology to make it worth their while. On the other hand, many wholesalers have said that they don't invest the money in the technology because not enough vendors are ready for e-business. One is waiting for the other to take the initiative. And that leaves everyone wondering which comes first, the chicken or the egg.