Tex.SPIN and MODA-ML paving the way towards e-Business in the textile/clothing distributed chain

1
Tex.SPIN and MODA-MLpaving the way towards
e-Business in the textile/clothing distributed
chain
The EU apparel business goes high-tech EC DG
Enterprise and Euratex Bruxelles, 15th October
2002
2
Summary

• The problem status of art for interoperability
• The IST project MODA-ML
• The CEN/ISSS project and Workshop TEX.SPIN
• Conclusions

3
WHAT, HOW, WHY

• The WHAT
• Creation of a common language for the telematic
  communication in the Textile/Clothing supply
  chain
• Quick development of series of documents
  (Templates) to fit specific data transactions out
  of the same semantic building blocks (the
  background is EDIFACT/EDITEX)
• The HOW
• Exchange of XML documents through the Internet
• Release of SW tools with very low entry threshold
  deployable in most B2B scenarios
• Promoting standardisation activities together
  with CEN/ISSS
• The WHY
• Improve flexibility and services in a highly
  fragmented and etherogeneous industry supply chain

4
The problem

• Interoperability for the T/C supply chain

5
The problem Textile/Clothing supply chain
Check rolls
Logistics
Clothing
Fabrics
Yarns
Raw Mat..
Point of sale
Accessories
Distribution networks
Sub
Sub
Contractors
Contractors
1 - competitiveness depends upon performance of
the whole supply chain 2 - T/C supply chain is
very long and etherogeneus (relevance of SMEs) 3
flexibility and timeliness are decisive
responsivity of the chain 4 flow of data
hampered by the the inter-company interfaces
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Advantages of the Co-operation along the supply
chain

• Fabric and Clothing Manufacturers
• Collection Advance Notice to improve their
  planning (to know early when an article is
  dropped out in the collections of the customers)
  and early information on foreseen volumes
• Technical information (map of defects, for
  example, ready for their nexting systems)
• Integrated monitoring of the activities of the
  subcontractors

• Retailers and Manufacturers
• A view of the Order Status Report (to foresee the
  real date of dispatching and improve planning)
• Sell-out data flow back along the supply chain

• Data exchanged in electronic format are error
  free, without manual handling, ready for
  automatic processing

• Then
• Reduction of costs and errors per transaction
• Better services to the customers
• More information available for planning

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How to exchange these data?The interoperability
issue

• Paper, fax, phone
• Satellites of my ERP inside my partners
• Join many marketplaces
• A data interface for each of my partner
• Buy conversion services of a clearing house

OR Use a common language between independent
systems
Trade

• In fact
• Each firm cannot establish and maintain a
  different interface toward each partner
• Risk of exclusion for medium and small firms

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The role of a vertical frameworkservice to
co-operation processes
Document structure (syntax)
Agreement on the sequence of exchange (the
business process)
Creation and use of data
Data representation (format)
Transport
Mark-up (semantic level)
Group of firms
Single firm
MODA-ML, eTEX-ML, TEX.SPIN
1 - Definition of a set of types of XML documents
and related dictionary of terms 2 - Definition
of a transport protocol and development of demo
software 3- Creation of awareness and consensus
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The macro-objectives

• WEB enabled intercompany data flow
• Common set of XML documents
• Common exchange protocol
• Active participation of SMEs (the fax as
  metaphore of simplicity)
• Suggestion of new practices in business
  process - electronic maps of defects, status
  of orders (downstream) - sell out data
  (upstream) - pre-selection of articles
  (upstream)

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Enabling technologies

• EDIFACT/EDITEX
• A common language but not for SMES
• XML and Internet (flexible, low cost, structured)
• A new syntax and semantic, with 2 possibile
  approaches
• A) 'do it by yourself'
• B) Frameworks
• ebXML, cXML, ... (horizontal),
  Rosetta.Net, TexSPIN, MODA-ML... (vertical)

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XML, why?

• Powerful Meta-Language aimed to manage structured
  digital documents in open environment, focusing
  the semantic of data
• former formats (DB, EDI, ...)
  502-116150,25152002-07-30
• XML ltarticlegt502-116lt/articlegt
  ltpricegt150,25lt/pricegt ltdiscountgt15lt/disco
  untgt ltdeliveryDategt2002-07-30lt/deliveryDategt
• Simple to learn and read (by humans)
• Easily expandable to new data or new structure
• Supported with standard Languages (XSL, XPath,
  ..) and Software (Interpreters and Libraries) to
  manipulate documents (validation, security,
  parsing, read and write of files, interfaces with
  relational DBs, etc.).

Reduces maintenance and upgrade costs
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Example of XML and XSL

• lt?xml-stylesheet type"text/xsl"
  href"taor02B.xsl"?gt
• ltfabricOrder tipOrd"chiuso"gt
• ltheadergt
• ltmsgnumbergtAB001lt/ msgnumber gt
• ltmsgdatagt20010726lt/msgdatagt
• ltreferencegt
• ltordergtAA047lt/ order gt
• ltnsRifgtfax-12-7-2001lt/nsRifgt
• lt/referencegt
• ltsupplietgt
• ltidgtIT12345678901lt/idgt
• ltragsocgtTextiles Rossilt/ragsocgt
• ltstreetgtvia verdi 13lt/ street gt
• lttowngtTessutopolilt/ town gt
• ltcountrygtITlt/ country gt
• ltzipgt11111lt/zipgt
• lt/suppliergt

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Scenarios of data exchange
Company Inf. Syst,
1
Any other company
XML
Off-Line office
Only a Browser
XML
ebXML Transport interface
Messages with XML docs
XML
XML
Company Inf. Syst,
2
XML
1) Bilateral exchange of XML docs (through a
message transport protocol)
Third party services
WEB interaction
2) Third party services interface small partners
(for example retailers)
Trade
Trade
Trade
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Existing approaches or initiatives

• No common standard
• An ad-hoc interface for each of my partners
  (expensive)
• EDITEX (implementation of EDIFACT)
• not fitting the WEB infrastructure, 'inherently'
  not flexible, costly tools,
• not human readable messages
• A huge legacy of analysis (process modelling and
  semantics)
• Web Services (no formal specifications -yet-)
• not aiming at a common semantic framework no
  tools for process modelling
• overlapping the transportation specifications of
  ebXML technology oriented
• not fitting sectorial mn relationships
• ebXML (XML based, but still incomplete)
• ebXML provide a general framework to build sets
  of documents
• business process oriented still incomplete
• other proprietary frameworks (cXML, Rosetta Net,
  etc etc)
• MODA-ML (XML based, T/C sector)

Trade

• Tex-Spin (CEN/ISSS, XML/EDI, T/C sector)
• Results of MODA-MLand eTex-ML to build a common
  pre-normative platform

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The MODA-ML ProjectMiddleware tOols and
Documents to enhAnce the textile/clothing supply
chain through xML
Cluster of projectswww-eutist-ami.org
www.moda-ml.org
IST, action line 2.5, take up actions

• Upstream of the Supply Chain
• www.moda-ml.org

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The project
- Funded in the IST framework Take-Up Actions,
IST programme, Action Line IV.2.5 Computing,
communications and networks take-up
measures Clustered in EUTIST-AMI (Middleware and
Agents technology), www.eutist-ami.org
- Industrial Partners
- Technological Partners

• Corneliani
• Loro Piana
• Piacenza
• Successori Reda
• Vitale Barberis Canonico

• Domina
• ENEA
• Politecnico di Milano
• Progema Gruppo SOI
• IFTH (France)

- Scheduling
Kick-off July
2001 Intermediate results Nov-2001 and
June-2002 End April
2003
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Focus and Commitment

• Focus on the relationships between
• fabric supplier and clothing manufacturer
• Industrial District of Biella, Italy (specialised
  in worsted wool)
• Strong relationship with the Italian industry
  trading organisation (Sistema Moda Italia) and
  focus group of industries
• Involvement of technology suppliers (software
  houses)

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The objectives of MODA-ML

• 1 - Modellisation of collaborative processes
• 2 - A set of types of XML documents described
  with XML Schema, User Guides, Dictionary of terms
  (and than Document Factory Tools and Methods)
• 3 - A Software based on the transport
  specifications of ebXML to send, receive, monitor
  and validate the data exchange
• 4 - Participate the creation of a European
  Standard
• 5 Activate focus groups of industries and
  technology suppliers (software houses)

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Results 1 process modellisation
September 2002
Fabric choice
Textile Catalogue
FABRIC SUPPLIER
CLOTHING MANUFACTURER
Textile Technical sheet
Advance Notice
(production) Advance Notice
Fabric purchase
Textile Purchase order
FABRIC SUPPLIER
CLOTHING MANUFACTURER
Order response
Order change
Order status report
Fabric dispatch
(ready to) Despatch advice
FABRIC SUPPLIER
CLOTHING MANUFACTURER
Despatch request
Despatch advice
Defects map
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Results 2 XML documents
Textile Catalogue The (price) list of products offered for sale Textile?Clothing
Fabric Technical Sheet The technical characteristics and properties of the fabric article Textile?Clothing
Textile Advance Notice The anticipation of articles included in the Clothing Manufacturer's collection and of foreseen volumes of production that clothing manufacturers will request (no details on colours and variants) Textile?Clothing
Textile purchase order The order placed by the Clothing Manufacturer Textile?Clothing
Textile Order response The response provided by the Fabric Supplier Textile?Clothing
Textile Order change The order change initiated by the Clothing Manufacturer Textile?Clothing
Textile Order status report The status of the fabric order reported by the Supplier Textile?Clothing
Textile Dispatch request The request/scheduling of the dispatch of parcels made by the Clothing Manufacturer Textile?Clothing
Textile Dispatch advice The anticipation of the dispatch of the parcels by the Supplier Textile?Clothing
Textile Quality Report The report of the defaults and other non-conformities of the goods, as provided by the Supplier or by an independent Quality Controller Textile?Clothing
Invoice Invoice for the supplied material Textile?Clothing

• Complete with XSL, User guides, XML Schema
• () already available (otherwise planned for
  November 2002)

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Results 3 Demonstrative SW

• Demonstrator (of the simplicity) of the
  Messaging System (MSH) is a front - end to
  send/receive ebXML compliant messages
• uses SMTP and SOAP, plus ebXML functions
• Tracking of sending and reception, error handling
• Validation, display with XSL
• Enabled for criptography and digital signature
  (XML signature)
• Minimal requirements (visual basic and database
  ODBC)
• Reception/Sending of XML documents (polling of a
  directory),
• could be the front-end for the Company
• Information Systems

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Resume documents, tools, methodology

• SCHEMAs Define the document types (grouped in a
  Namespace)
• - validation rules (structure, cardinality,
  etc.)
• - automatic validation
• - optional or repeated parts management
• XSLs Define the layout with a browser
• fully customisable (MODA-ML offers examples)
• Could support tag translation towards other
  formats (not of the content)
• Implementation Guides Describe the semantic of
  the document
• - use cases of the document type
  (process/activity scenario)
• - description and use of each element
• Dictionary supports the creation of Schemas and
  Guides

Methodology (e.g. fast creation of variants)
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Future

• Documents Fabric Supplier-Clothing Manufacturer
• Already available version 2002-1 (six documents)
• All the documents in version 2002-2, November
  2002
• First version Tex.SPIN compliant, Version 2003-1
• Improve security of the transport modules
• Final version of transport software, December
  2002
• Results are for free use (www.moda-ml.org)

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Tex.SPIN Projectand Tex.SPIN CEN /
WorkshopTEXTILE SUPPLY CHAIN INTEGRATED NETWORK
http//www.uninfo.polito.it/WS_TEX-SPIN/default.ht
m
www.cenorm.be/isss

• Building a European platform for interoperability

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The project and the Workshop

• - Funded by the EC through CEN/ISSS (European
  Committee for Standardisation/Information Society
  Standardization System)

ATC (GR)EURATEX (B)
- Partners
IFTH (F)NYC (F)ENEA (I)
- Scheduling
Kick off March 2002Intermediate
results March 2003End July 2003
- Organisation
PROJECT TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES (technical
outcomes) CEN /ISSS WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES (T/C
pre-normative platform)
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Background 1Need of convergence at European
level

• eEurope and other initiatives aim to create a
  single eMarket for European eBusiness fostering
  ebXML
• New concept of Interoperability as consensus on
  common Business Processes and Semantic frameworks
  instead of adoption common general documents
  (EDI) a 'Lego' set of bricks to build documents
  at sectorial level
• Tex-Spin as a reference at European level to
  start a path of convergence for the whole T/C
  sector and for the cross-sectorial exchanges

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Background 2

• TC Sectorial initiatives eTeXML, MODA-ML
• Horizontal frameworks ebXML, EAN-UCC, ...

ebXML
EAN-UCC
Tex-SPIN
MODA-ML
eTeXML
Clothing
Point of sale
Fabrics
Challenges avoid overlapping, be harmonised, be
conforming, still remain flexible and easy to use
and improve
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Project objectives

• Main objective
• to provide a complete framework for the
  integration of the EU Textile-Clothing-Distributio
  n chain

• Technical objectives
• upgrade the EDITEX framework to conform with
  EANCOM (EDIFACT technology)
• develop and Validate XML/EDI pilot application(s)
  along two rings of the supply chain
• create an Inventory of Standards, accessible via
  WEB

• Standardisation objective
• - convergence of existing initiatives MODA-ML,
  eTeXML jointly towards ebXML
• - validation of a pre-normative platform for XML
  documents for the sector through the
• CEN/ISSS Workshop Tex.SPIN

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Results 1 upgraded EDITEX messages

• EDITEX Messages conforming to EANCOM framework
  (EDIFACT)

• Catalogue
• Agreement, Agreement confirmation
• Fabric Order, Order Confirmation
• Delivery availability, acknowledgement
• Invoice

• Advantage for EDITEX users to be compliant with
  the most diffused framework of the Distribution
  (EANCOM) in EDIFACT technology

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Result 2 Pilot application
Planned December 2002
Company Inf. Syst,
1
Any other company
XML
Off-Line office
Simple Browser
XML
Messages with XML docs
ebXML Transport interface
XML
XML
Company Inf. Syst,
2
XML
1) Bilateral exchange of XML docs (through a
message transport protocol)
Third party services
WEB interaction
Upstream Fabric-Clothing manufacturers, MODA-ML
2) Third party WEB EDI interface
Trade
Trade
Trade
Downstream Manufacturer-Retailer, eTeXML
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Result 2/2 services on the WEB
Service 1 Guidelines on how to set-up a WEB/EDI
application Service 2 Open demonstrator
simulating real WEB/EDI processes and related
e-forms Service 3 Open simulator of MODA-ML
document exchange with (link to) related user
guides, Schema and XSL
March 2003
December 2002
December 2002
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Result 3 an European XML framework for T/C

• From the pilot applications
• Assessment of the new XML/EDI approach
  (demonstration of benefits)
• Suggestions to reduce the gap between existing
  documents of eTeXML and MODA-ML
• Future requirements and guidelines for the
  implementation
• Resulting in
• Creation of a common set of BUSINESS PROCESS
  MODELS
• Experience a common DICTIONARY of the T/C sector
• Definition of CORE COMPONENTS to build a new
  generation of XML documents
• RULES for XML document building

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Result 4 CWA of Tex.SPIN

• to the CEN/ISSS WORKSHOP
• Public discussion of the results (a CWA document
  based on best practices)
• Link with other eBusiness initiatives of CEN
  eBES, FINEC (footwear), et-Cluster
  (made-to-measure clothing)
• A pre-normative platform to build the sectorial
  XML/EDI framework assuming ebXML as the general
  reference
• More info and registration in http//www.uninfo.po
  lito.it/WS_TEX-SPIN/default.htm
• Draft CWA publishing MARCH 2003
• Final CWA approval June 2003
• Register via WEB as a member a way to
  participate and to be informed
• () CWA CEN/WORKSHOP AGREEMENT
• Is the way to formalise a standardisation
  proposal in the CEN/ISSS approach

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Conclusion

• Interoperability along the whole T/C supply chain
  is able to offer benefits in terms of costs,
  flexibility, new services and SMEs inclusion
• The EDI experience can be turned in a XML and
  Internet environment with an increase of the
  number of potential users
• Now XML documents are available on specific rings
  of the T/C chain
• Tomorrow a common platform will support the flow
  of information from the fiber producer to the
  customer