Re: Inquiry in connection with eInvoices

[jon.bosak@sun.com]

[aron@ik.bme.hu:]

| you've written that convergence and finalization of IDA and UBL
| message formats can be achieved by April of 2005.

What I said is that April is the deadline for *inputs* to the next
UBL release.  Our current schedule aims to have a revised data
model out for public review this summer and a new set of schemas
available for review (if perhaps not yet in the OASIS
standardization process) by December.

| There is a big pressure on technical experts in Hungary in
| connection with eInvoicing, but we would like to advise a
| finalized (maybe UBL v1.1?), EU-accepted form (XML schema) to
| public administration, and government.

We're looking at invoicing in the context of the entire
procurement process.  Last year we received two in-depth gap
analyses of UBL against European eprocurement requirements, one
from IDA (EC) and one from OGC (UK).  These agencies, with the
participation of other European stakeholders, have now developed a
unified eprocurement process model and are working on a common set
of additions to UBL that will enable the next release to support
an entire generic procurement cycle.  Specifically, we expect to
see the addition of some new document types such as Credit Note
and Debit Note to deal with the settlement phase and also some new
document types such as Quote and Request for Quote to handle the
pre-ordering phase.  The emphasis here is on government
procurement in particular, but the result should be adaptable to a
wide variety of eprocurement contexts.  The joint IDA/OGC input
will be combined with requests already received from the Swedish
Association of Local Governments, the Government of Singapore, and
our own UBL Japanese Localization Subcommittee in developing the
updated specification.

| 1) Will UBL adopt those messages that have been constructed in IDA
| e-Procurement (such as e-Awarding, e-Tendering)?

If the necessary resources are forthcoming, we intend to implement
all the messages that are identified as necessary to support the
procurement process defined by the joint IDA/OGC working group.

| 2) Will UBL adopt other messages that are already constructed and
| used in EDI systems (EDIFACT messages)?

Implementing an extended procurement process model that will
roughly double the UBL document set is going to be a major
project, and we haven't spent much time thinking about what lies
beyond that.  In general I would say that the development of UBL
beyond the next release will depend on the wishes of its users and
their willingness to help with the work.

| 3) Apporaximately when will negotiations finish between UBL TC and
| IDA/IDABC?

We are expecting the results of the IDA/OGC collaboration by the
end of this month.  We're also hoping for input from the OASIS Tax
XML TC that will enhance support for taxation requirements.

Jon