Future EDI - What comes after
X12 and EDIFACT?
Michael C. Rawlins
Rawlins EDI Consulting
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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 Business
Systems
Stand Alone
Systems
LANS, WANS,
VANS
Internet
Mainframes PCs Distributed Client/ Network
and Minis
Computing Server Computing
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How We Do It Now
Sender’s EDI
Software
Sender’s
Business
Application
Export
Program
Export
File
EDI
X12 or
EDIFACT
Interchange
Receiver’s
Business
Application
EDI
Import
File
Import
Program
Receiver’s EDI
Software
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

Processes
Documents
Data
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From Open-edi to OO-edi
Report
Open-edi
Reference
Model
Rawlins EDI Consulting
Draft
Report
Reference Guide
“Next Generation
of UN/EDIFACT”
OO-edi
Standards
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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 Structured Information
Text
Analysis and Process
Modeling
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Object
Modeling
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Why OO-Analysis?
Processing
Object Class
Processing:
“Methods”
?
Data:
“Attributes”
Data
Traditional Analysis
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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 and
Repositories
BSR - ISO Basic Semantic Repository
 UDEF - CALS Universal Data Element
Framework
 BEACON - ICARIS Project “Object
Nexus”

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Non-Functional
Requirements
“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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Example:
The Analysis Process
OO-edi
X12
BEACON
Completeness
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Cost
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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?
Human
Resources
Shop
Floor
Without Objects
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Human
Resources
Shop
Floor
With Objects
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EDI by Distributed Objects
Sender’s
Application
Receiver’s
Application
Middle
ware

Middle
ware

Internet

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OMG’s
CORBA
Microsoft
DCOM
Java RMI
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OO-edi Implementation
OO-edi Repository
Sender’s
Application
Receiver’s
Application
OO-edi
Server
Middle
ware
Middle
ware
OO-edi
Server
Internet
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BSI
Sender’s BSI
Server
Sender’s
Business
Application
Export
Program
Receiver’s
Business
Application
Export
File
EDI
BSI
BSI
Interchange
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BSI
Import
File
Import
Program
Receiver’s BSI
Server
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BSI Vs. X12
Trading Partner
Specific Mapping
Commands
X12 Transaction
Set Tables,
Dictionaries
EDI
Import
File
Sender Specific
BSI Specification,
from Sender
BSI
Receiver’s X12
Software
X12
Interchange
X12 Inbound
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Receiver’s
Generic
BSI Specification
for Import File
Import
File
Receiver’s BSI
Server
BSI
Interchange
BSI Inbound
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XML - eXtensible Markup
Language
Derived from SGML
 Web and Document Centric
 More powerful than HTML

 Template
document types
 Data tags:
<SHIP_DATE>19981101</SHIP_DATE>
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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
Catalog
Purchasing
<Part_Number>ZX-3111</Part_Number>
<Vendor>World Wide Widgets</Vendor>
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XML/EDI via Applications
Sender’s
Business
Application
XM L
G enerator
XM L
M apper
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Standard
Docum ent Type
Definition
XM L
Receiver’s
Business
Application
XM L
Parser
XM L
M apper
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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: Microsoft’s COM/DCOM now, Java
and OMG’s 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?
?
Identify your Requirements, particularly
Non-Functional Requirements
 Start planning strategy
 Standards - monitor, participate
 Talk with application vendors

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For More Information
?
www.metronet.com/~rawlins/future.html
 rawlins@metronet.com

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