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Subject: [ubl-lsc] Second draft: UBL and verticals
LSC and MSC members,
Kurt Conrad sent me an excellent list of changes to the first
draft, all of which I have either incorporated directly or used in
modified form. Please review this second version and send me
comments if you see anything that should be changed or added.
Jon
==================================================================
UBL AND VERTICAL INDUSTRY XML STANDARDS
The Problem with XML Industry Standardization
XML was designed to specify multiple data formats optimized for
different data exchange applications. So the recent explosion
of XML specifications resulting from the efforts of industry
associations to develop domain-specific markup languages is
neither unexpected nor detrimental. In one area, however,
these otherwise beneficial XML industry initiatives are
creating interoperability problems and impeding the development
of inexpensive software. That area is the specification of XML
schemas for common business documents such as purchase orders
and invoices.
While different industries frequently do have slightly
different requirements for these common business forms, their
similarities far outweigh their differences, and most of the
work devoted to the design of these forms in each industry
segment is simply wasted effort that would better be deployed
in work on XML schemas for the data that is truly specific to a
given industry. The goal of UBL is to standardize XML schemas
for common business documents so that industry organizations
can concentrate on the part of the data interchange problem in
which they have special expertise and truly divergent needs.
The OASIS UBL TC
The OASIS UBL (Universal Business Language) Technical Committee
is an open, publicly accountable, nonprofit initiative to
define a common XML library for basic business documents like
purchase orders, invoices, and advance shipping notices. UBL
will provide a set of XML building blocks together with a
framework that will enable trading partners to unambiguously
identify and exchange basic e-commerce documents in specific
business contexts.
The OASIS UBL effort builds on the Electronic Business XML
(ebXML) infrastructure developed by OASIS and the United
Nations. The ebXML specifications provide for XML registry
services, reliable XML messaging, standardized trading partner
agreements, a standard data dictonary, and a business context
methodology. However, UBL documents will be usable in a wide
variety of other ecommerce frameworks as well.
UBL will unite and harmonize a number of currently existing XML
and EDI business libraries into a set of internationally
recognized de jure standards. The arrival of a standard set of
XML business schemas will solve major interoperability problems
for both vendors and users and speed the entry of small and
medium-size businesses into the electronic marketplace. UBL
will be freely available to everyone without legal encumbrance
or licensing fees.
OASIS, the Organization for the Advancement of Structured
Information Standards, is a nonprofit corporation founded in
1993 to advance interoperability in data exchange through the
use of SGML, the precursor to XML. Over the last two years,
OASIS has become known for its partnership with UN/CEFACT in
the ongoing ebXML initiative to establish a standard XML-based
framework for electronic commerce. As a member of the
international Management Group that coordinates the bodies
responsible for global electronic commerce standards, OASIS is
well positioned to develop the common business library and to
advance it through its partner bodies to the status of an
international standard recognized as a legal basis for world
trade.
The UBL Value Proposition for Industry Associations
The separate development of basic business documents in
multiple industry consortia is not just a waste of effort; it
is also a recipe for noninteroperability. It is a rare
business that needs to exchange data only within its own
industry. A company in the chemical industry, for example, may
need to buy containers from a company in the steel products
industry so that it can sell paint to a company in the
automobile industry.
The amount of customization needed to configure systems for
data exchange across industry boundaries is in inverse
proportion to the amount of standardization achieved in the
definition of the data formats. But true cross-industry
standardization can only occur in an effort that stands outside
of any particular industry while providing an organizational
structure that promotes global consultation among industries.
UBL is such an effort.
The Advantages of Joint Development
Pooling resources to develop a single set of XML schemas for
generic business documents has a number of advantages.
- Joint development is the only way to promote the
interoperability of basic business documents across industry
boundaries.
- Outsourcing the development of "vanilla" business documents
to a joint effort enables each industry association to focus
on the documents that are unique to that industry.
- Pooling our business and technical expertise will ensure a
better set of standards, one that addresses a larger body of
business cases and exhibits a superior design.
- Joint development is a much more effective use of resources
than the separate development of the same basic documents in
multiple standards organizations.
- Placing ownership of the resulting work in a nonprofit
organization open to all interested parties and dedicated to
the free publication of its specifications will ensure that
the joint work will remain free of proprietary control.
- The development of a common XML business library will enable
the creation of inexpensive, off-the-shelf tools for
performing everyday supply-chain operations.
The Role of Industry Associations in UBL
Defining a set of standard XML business schemas that will
support legacy EDI systems across industry boundaries is
challenging work; doing it without the contribution of expert
labor would be impossible. An open, nonprofit effort like UBL
can succeed only if we all do our part to make it happen.
Industry associations have a special role to play in UBL. The
goal of interoperability requires that every category of
potential users must certify that the UBL schemas will support
the data exchanged in their business transactions with
suppliers and customers. As the owners of industry-specific
business expertise, industry consortia are the organizations
best qualified to perform this function.
The UBL Liaison Subcommittee
To coordinate the review of UBL schemas by industry
organizations, the UBL TC has established a special group, the
UBL Liaison Subcommittee, whose members are individuals
formally appointed by industry consortia to represent their
interests in the UBL work. The initial members of the UBL
Liaison Subcommittee include RosettaNet (IT industry), EIDX
(electronics industry), ARTS (retail sales), and XBRL
(accounting professionals).
Members of the Liaison Subcommittee make the following
commitments to UBL:
1. To join OASIS as individual or organizational members.
Individual membership in OASIS costs only USD 250 per year;
see http://www.oasis-open.org/join for details.
2. To attend Liaison SC phone conferences every two weeks.
Travel is not necessary.
3. To arrange for periodic reviews of UBL specifications by
business experts within each liaison organization.
4. To help schedule UBL TC meetings in a way that minimizes
conflict with industry conferences and other important
events and promotes cooperation between the industry
organizations represented in UBL.
5. To participate in a cross-industry alliance dedicated to the
definition of free vendor-neutral XML business standards.
Information about UBL
More information on UBL can be found on its web page at
http://oasis-open.org/committees/ubl
A white paper on UBL is available at
http://oasis-open.org/committees/ubl/msc/200112/ubl.pdf
Conclusion
The UBL effort represents a conversation between the world's
industry organizations intended to arrive at a worldwide
consensus on the form of common business data. If your
organization wishes to take part in this conversation, please
contact the chair of the UBL TC, Jon Bosak <jon.bosak@sun.com>.
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