# MEP eBusiness Standards Convergence Forum Mark Palmer National Institute of Standards and Technology October 2004

# MEP Industry Problem Many, overlapping eBusiness standards initiatives Too many standards and the lack of commonality in the use of standards –lack of definitive guidance Industry is wasting resources trying to monitor and influence multiple efforts Industry initiatives came to NIST and asked for assistance –It is getting worse, and we recognize that we are adding to the problem!

# MEP eBSC Forum eBusiness Standards Convergence Forum Purpose: encourage convergence by providing a neutral forum for industry organizations and standards development organizations to assess the current state of delivery and use of eBusiness standards and define specific actions to improve this situation –define priorities for encouraging convergence or achieving interoperability of eBusiness standards –define and complete actions to improve the development, synchronization and deployment At the request of U.S. industry, sponsored by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Provides results to any organization working to deliver or use eBusiness standards, e.g., ISO/IEC/ITU UN/ECE MoUMG

# MEP eBSC Forum Participants Representatives from key stakeholders Industry Initiatives –AIA (aerospace), AIAG (automotive), ASHRAE (HVAC/building), CIDX (chemical), EIDX (electronics), FEA/GSA (government), FIATECH (building), NSRP (shipbuilding), RAPID (agri-chemical), RosettaNet (electrical and IT), STAR (automotive) SDOs and Initiatives –ANC X12, ISO/IEC/ITU/ECE, OAGi, OASIS, UBL, UN/CEFACT eBus S/W Testing and Certification –Drake Certivo, Drummond Group

# MEP Current Scope All eBusiness-related standards are in scope. –current participants have interests in the complete business processes for the specification, purchase, delivery and use of products, facilities and services. No direct participation by initiatives in the finance, health and legal Assessing insights and conclusions for utility in all business processes

# MEP Early Accomplishments Forced candid communications on competing / parallel efforts Established mutual understanding of the challenges and value of convergence Defined an initial set of essential tasks and established teams to work on them Developed recommendations on representation of coded lists Agreed to continue as the eBSC Forum (eBusiness Standards Convergence)

# MEP Current Activities Document what is needed for shift to convergence Develop eBus standards Inventory Matrix and consolidate eBus architecture frameworks –document eBus specifications, overlaps, voids, and opportunities for collaboration Investigate what is needed in eBus standards testing Broaden adoption of common XML representation structures for coded lists Semi-annual workshops on critical topics: –April 2004: Service Oriented Architectures –October 2004: Alternate Methods for Developing Message Building Blocks and Management Of Complexity eBSC web site for results:

# MEP Observations and Challenges Camps of Interest / No Shared Roadmap SDOs with overlapping, parallel projects Need for a common, conceptual framework –understand requirements and available capabilities –identify overlaps, gaps, linkages –plan and coordinate projects –registry of standards and SDO projects who, how, international; linked, federated,… Barriers to progress (and communications) –competition between SDOs –perception that convergence erodes prominence –corporate IT decision makers resistant to further investments in infrastructure standards => minimal pressure on SDOs to converge

# MEP Current Activities Working on priority tasks in eBSC work plan –Document what is needed for paradigm shift to convergence –Inventory Matrix and consolidate eBus architecture frameworks document eBus specifications, overlaps, voids, and opportunities for collaboration –Develop common framework for eBusiness standards –Execute high-priority convergence projects: develop common XML schema representation for coded lists adopted by RosettaNet and OAGIS; working with UBL eBSC web site for results:

# MEP eBusiness Standards Matrix Many camps of interest / No Shared Roadmap SDOs with overlapping, parallel projects Need for a common, conceptual framework –understand requirements and available capabilities –identify overlaps, gaps, linkages Started with common concepts for first matrix –Business Operational View –Functional Service View –Network –Testing/Interoperability

Interest in Common Framework Q11. Is this model of eBusiness capabilities stack useful and sufficient for providing a generic framework for describing what is needed…? Summary: There is general support for the generic model, although every organization has their own idea of the stack, e.g., support for real- time sharing/collaboration.

Lessons from the Matrix and Next Steps for Conceptual Framework Matrix distributed to SDOs and initiatives to populate –Results illustrated the many interpretations of intent / purpose –More work on definitions and use of results Multiple domains: Requirements, Capabilities, Solutions –Horizontal, Verticals –Open access vs orchestrated processes across enterprises Working on Round #2: precise definitions and alternative ways to accommodate multiple views / purposes –Identify overlaps –Guide convergence –Conceptual framework for analysis and discussion on architecture, infrastructure and deployment Drawing from industry initiatives on the topic – CIDX, PIDX,and RAPID