Newsletter Discussion

Abstract

electronic business EXtensible Markup Language facilitates trade between organizations regardless of size. ebXML concentrates mostly on so-called backend operations, business-to-business transactions; it aims to streamline buying, transporting, invoicing of the goods, etc. ebXML aims to automate as much of the commercial and administrative operations as possible.

ebXML

electronic business Extensible Markup Language, facilitate trade between organizations regardless of size. The specification gives businesses a standard method to exchange XML-based business messages, conduct trading relationships, communicate data in common terms and define and register business processes.

Electronic business and XML -- are combined in ebXML to stand for a global standard for business-to-business communication, specifically aimed at world trade. The ebXML goal is to "provide an open XML-based infrastructure enabling the global use of electronic business in an interoperable, secure, and consistent manner by all parties." Development efforts focus on delivering a set of standards and specifications that define an interoperability layer, built on XML that would allow any global player to trade and communicate. Specifically, the specifications are aimed at small- to medium-sized businesses.

Electronic business is an all-encompassing term. It could mean online shopping, electronic marketplaces, electronic banking or even emailing your business partners. ebXML concentrates mostly on so-called back-end operations, business-to-business transactions. ebXML is not so much concerned with the online store (business-to-consumer operations) but with what happens behind the storefront. ebXML aims to streamline buying, transporting, invoicing of the goods but it also covers all the legal fillings, the insurance, and more. Essentially any activities needed to fill the warehouse, ship the goods or keep the factory busy are relevant to ebXML

One of the visible differences between business-to-business operations, in the context of ebXML, and more consumer-oriented activities is the role of human.

When shopping online, the shopper sits in front of its computer and clicks its way through. This is not necessarily the case for back-office operations. Indeed it is common for a business management system (SAP, Peoplesoft and the like) to re-order automatically when the stock reaches a certain level. Shipping, ordering, invoicing, and even payments can be largely automated. They may take place with little or even no human intervention. ebXML aims to automate as much of the commercial and administrative operations as possible.

The approval of ebXML specifications is moving along at a fairly rapid pace (certainly for a standards organization). The draft specifications were approved as version 1.0 recommendation in mid-May, 2001. It may take another year or two to shake out all of the issues and details for such an ambitious vision. It appears, however, that ebXML is on the way to widespread use a few years down the road. Now is the time, therefore, for businesses to begin a serious consideration of their own ebXML implementation plans.

Reference:
http://www.ebxml.org/ 
http://www.ibm.com/