Overview of some international projects related to ECIMF

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Overview of some international projects related
to ECIMF

• Andrzej Bialecki ltabial_at_webgiro.comgt

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Why these projects?

• All try to refine business knowledge into
  abstract models and libraries of reusable
  components
• All mention interoperability as one of their
  goals
• This overview attempts to present the need for
  harmonization and coordination of models and
  components, as well as coordination of the
  harmonization efforts themselves

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UN/CEFACT ebXML, components and processes

• Core components library
• Abstract components
• Assembly rules
• Context drivers
• Catalogue of business processes
• BP collaboration patterns
• BP catalogue, aligned across several standards
  (EDIFACT, X12, OAGIS)
• Currently under heavy revisions by UN/CEFACT ebTWG

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ISO TC-154/WG1 Basic Semantic Register

• Based on linguistic relationships between core
  components from several standards (a la WordNet
  synsets)
• Is it the same as semantic relationships?
• Unclear role of context in the definition of BSUs
• Contains harmonized catalogues from most major
  standards, constantly updated
• Very useful online tool
• Even though the search algorithms are non-public
• HOWEVER
• Unclear methodology for identifying relationships
• Lack of qualifiers for relationships

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OASIS UBL Universal Business Language, CC
library

• Relatively new effort
• Builds on xCBL, adding input from ebXML-CC
• Initial catalogue available
• Uses similar structure to the ebXML-CC calatogue
• Initial mapping established to ebXML-CC and xCBL

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UDEF Universal Data Element Framework for
Enterprise Integration

• By ? (Ron Schuldt, CALS)
• Attempts to map current data standards into
  unified abstract framework
• EIA-836, STEP, X12, EDIFACT
• Supports ISO 11179 naming conventions and ebXML
  representation words
• Well-designed and comprehensive upper-level
  classification

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UDEF structure
Data Element Name
Object Class List Entity Document Enterprise Place
Program Product Process Person Asset Law/Rule Env
ironment Condition
Property List Amount Code Date Date
Time Graphic Identifier Indicator Measure Name Per
cent Picture Quantity Rate Text Time Value
Contains
Object Class Term 0...n qualifiers 1 or more
required Object Class
Property Term 0..n qualifiers 1 required
Property

Example UDEF Data Element Names Document Abstract
Text Enterprise Name Product Price Amount Product
Scheduled Delivery Date Mechanical Design
Engineering Process Cost Amount
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OAGIS Open Applications Group Integration
Specification

• Current version 8.0 (04.2002)
• Comprehensive and flexible XSD model
• Simple clear architecture
• Abstracts BODs, Nouns, Verbs
• Resources components, fields, enumerations
• Endorsed by UN/CEFACT
• A good general ontology?
• Originally meant just for EAI

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CEN/ISSS PBDH Product and Business Data
Harmonization

• Finished in January 1999
• PBDH repository containing harmonized elements
  from
• EDIFACT D97B PRODAT
• STEP (ISO 10303)
• BSR components used as taxonomy
• Largely incomplete
• Analyzed 151 out of 737 identified entities
• BSR meta-model has been found lacking as compared
  with STEP

Subject Areas Activity Application Approval Contr
act Date and Time Person/Organisation Price/Curren
cy Product (definition) Functionality Classificati
on/grouping Product structure
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UN/TDED UN Trade Data Elements Directory (ISO
7372)

• Meant as superset of elements used in UN/EDIFACT
• Currently consists of 1044 elements and 13000
  codes in code lists
• Unfortunately, a flat model with only vague
  taxonomy and limited semantics
• Probably THE most comprehensive catalog of data
  entities needed to conduct business
  electronically
• A better model superimposed on the existing
  catalog could greatly enhance the semantic
  content
• A machine-readable version is greatly needed! -
  an XML representation of the directory seems most
  appropriate now, because of lack of free EDI
  parsers

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Others

• RosettaNet
• RNIF Technical Dictionary - only two levels
  Category -gt Product
• CommerceOne xCBL
• UN/SPSC (around 12000 product classifications in
  21 segments)
• Other regional product classification systems

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Conclusions

• Clear need for a SINGLE abstract and generic
  structure (ontology ?) for unified identification
  of e-business fenomena
• Clear need for harmonization of the catalogues
  against that ontology
• Clear lack of modern and easy to process
  representations of legacy standards
• Some early prototypes of mapping methodologies
  and tools exist
• ECIMF-ST tool can be used for this purpose

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More information

• ECIMF project
• http//www.ecimf.org
• CEN/ISSS WS-EC
• http//www.cenorm.be/isss
• WebGiro AB
• http//www.webgiro.com
• Author
• Andrzej Bialecki ltabial_at_webgiro.comgt