Future EDI - What comes after X12 and EDIFACT?

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Future EDI - What comes after X12 and EDIFACT?

• Michael C. Rawlins

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Tools
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What comes after X12 and EDIFACT?

• Where are we now?
• Defining What to exchange
• New ways How to do it
• Pioneers

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Where are we now?

• Systems evolution
• How we do it now

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Evolution of Applications
Packaged Applications
Custom Development
Batch
On-Line
Interactive
Stand Alone
Interfaced
Integrated
Componentized
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Evolution of BusinessSystems
Stand Alone Systems
LANS, WANS, VANS
Internet
Mainframes and Minis
PCs
Distributed Computing
Client/ Server
Network Computing
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How We Do It Now
Batch, Custom Interfaces, VANs
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What

• Functional Requirements
• Open-edi and OO-edi
• Other OO Analysis Approaches
• Dictionary or Repository Based Approaches
• Non-Functional Requirements

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Defining Functionality

• Functional Requirements Processing and Data
• Standards Codified Functional Requirements

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From Open-edi to OO-edi
Draft Report
Reference Guide Next Generation of UN/EDIFACT
OO-edi Standards
Open-edi Reference Model
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Open-edi Definition

• The application to application exchange of any
  predefined and structured data for business
  purposes without human intervention and without
  prior agreement.

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Open-edi Key Concepts

• Separate What from How
• Business Operational View (BOV) - What
• Functional Service View (FSV) - How
• Scenario - Defines
• Roles
• Information to be exchanged
• Characteristics of the exchange

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Evolution of Analysis Techniques
Napkins
Narrative Text
Structured Analysis
Information and Process Modeling
Object Modeling
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Why OO-Analysis?
Object Class
Processing
Processing Methods
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Data Attributes
Data
Traditional Analysis
OO Analysis
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OO-edi Outline

• Develop Open-edi using OO techniques
• BOV (What) Only
• Object Modeling via UML
• Focus on application vendors, not end users

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Future OO-edi Standards

• Standards will define
• Standard object classes
• Interactions among objects
• Scenarios will specify
• Roles
• Objects and methods
• Services required of FSV

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Object Management Group

• Cross-Industry Consortium
• Responsible for CORBA standard
• Defining Common Business Objects
• Developing Electronic Commerce Architecture

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Microsoft

• Partnering with application vendors
• Developing industry based solutions
• Notable examples
• Value Chain Initiative
• Insurance

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Dictionaries andRepositories

• BSR - ISO Basic Semantic Repository
• UDEF - CALS Universal Data Element Framework
• BEACON - ICARIS Project Object Nexus

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Non-FunctionalRequirements

• Quality or System Requirements, Goals
• Examples
• Trading Partner Mandates
• Low Cost
• Reliability
• Modifiability and Flexibility
• Tradeoffs

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Impact of Non-Functional Requirements

• Can Determine Success or Failure
• Will Dictate How

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ExampleThe Analysis Process
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How

• Objects
• Distributed Objects
• OO-edi Implementation
• BSI
• XML

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Standards! Standards!! Standards!!!
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Why Objects?
Without Objects
With Objects
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EDI by Distributed Objects

• OMGs CORBA
• Microsoft DCOM
• Java RMI

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OO-edi Implementation
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BSI
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BSI Vs. X12
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XML - eXtensible Markup Language

• Derived from SGML
• Web and Document Centric
• More powerful than HTML
• Template document types
• Data tags
• ltSHIP_DATEgt19981101lt/SHIP_DATEgt

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XML for EDI

• Use XML formats and tools for EDI
• Primary Implementations
• Web based X12 or EDIFACT
• Browser based Exchanges
• Application to Application

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XML for EDI via Browser
Purchasing
ltPart_NumbergtZX-3111lt/Part_Numbergt
ltVendorgtWorld Wide Widgetslt/Vendorgt
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XML/EDI via Applications
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XML/EDI Development

• XML/EDI Group
• X12 XML/EDI
• EDIFACT XML/EDI
• Open Financial Exchange (OFX)
• Open Trading Protocol (OTP)
• Proprietary - SAP and others

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Pioneers

• Network Management Forum
• ACORD

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NMF CIGP

• Industry Telecommunications
• Purpose Exchange operations information between
  carriers
• What Defined by object modeling
• How Common Interconnection Gateway Platform
  supporting many technologies

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ACORD ObjX

• Industry Insurance
• Purpose Exchange information among agents and
  insurers
• What Defined by object modeling
• How Microsofts COM/DCOM now, Java and OMGs
  CORBA later

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What Next?

• Many emerging technologies
• Standards lagging behind
• Babble, Esperanto, or BabbleFish?

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What to Do?
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• Identify your Requirements, particularly
  Non-Functional Requirements
• Start planning strategy
• Standards - monitor, participate
• Talk with application vendors

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For More Information
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• www.metronet.com/rawlins/future.html
• rawlins_at_metronet.com