UBL: The Universal Business Language Jon Bosak, Sun Microsystems Chair, OASIS UBL Technical Committee Web Services Edge East 2002 New York City 25 June 2002

Goals for Business Services Web-enable existing fax- and paper-based business practices Allow businesses to upgrade at their own pace Preserve the existing investment in EDI Integrate small and medium-size businesses into existing EDI-based supply chains The standardization of XML business documents is the easiest way to accomplish these goals.

The Universal Business Language Defines a library of standard electronic business documents Plugs directly into existing traditional business practices Eliminates re-keying of data in existing fax-based supply chains Fills the “payload” slot in B2B frameworks such as the UN/OASIS ebXML initiative (

UBL and ebXML

UBL fulfills the promise of XML for business by defining a standard cross-industry vocabulary UBL plus ebXML enables the next generation of EDI –Cheaper, easier, Internet-ready –Extends benefits of EDI to small businesses –Fits existing legal and trade concepts –Allows re-use of data (analysis, reporting) UBL can provide the XML payload for a wide variety of other web-based business frameworks Why UBL

Chemical Mfr C C’s industry partners CIDX Auto Mfr B B’s industry partners OAGIS Electronics Mfr A A’s industry partners RosettaNet UBL as an Interchange Format

UBL Deliverables Naming and design rules for UBL XML schemas Library of standard XML business information entities (BIEs) Set of standard XML business documents (purchase order, invoice, shipping notice, price catalog, etc.) Context methodology to make the standard documents interoperate across industries Timeline: –NDR, BIE library, and basic documents: 2002 –Context methodology: 2003

Basic UBL Documents Procurement –Purchase Order, P.O. Response, P.O. Change Materials management –Advance Ship Notice, Planning Schedule, Goods Receipt Payment –Commercial Invoice, Remittance Advice Transport/logistics –Consignment Status Request, Consignment Status Report, Bill of Lading Catalogs –Price Catalog, Product Catalog Statistical reports –Accounting report

UBL Inputs xCBL 3.0 (a large existing XML business library unencumbered by intellectual property claims) ISO naming rules ebXML Context Methodology and Core Components Technical Specification W3C XML and XDR Recommendations UBL is a highly pragmatic effort that builds on many years of EDI and XML standards work.

Some UBL Participants APACS Boeing Commerce One Danish Bankers Association France Telecom General Electric Government of Hong Kong Government of Korea HP IBM KPMG LMI Northrop Grumman Oracle PricewaterhouseCoopers SAP SeeBeyond Sterling Commerce Sun Microsystems U.K. Cabinet Office United Parcel Service U.S. General Services Administration U.S. Navy Visa International

OASIS Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards Non-profit Open, publicly visible process Open membership

OASIS is a Class A Liaison to ISO TC 154, the international standards body for electronic commerce syntax OASIS is a member of the Management Group for the ISO IEC ITU UN/CEFACT Memo of Understanding on Electronic Commerce Standards UBL is on the continuing agenda of the ISO IEC ITU UN/CEFACT MoU/MG UBL is intended to become a de jure standard for global electronic commerce International Standardization

OASIS UBL Subcommittees Technical SCs –Naming and Design Rules* –Context Methodology* –Tools and Techniques Content SCs –Library Content* –(future domain- specific SCs) Administrative SCs –Marketing –Administration –Liaison –SC Chairs * These SCs have their own web portals in addition to the main UBL TC portal

UBL Naming and Design Rules Subcommittee Chair: Eve Maler Vice Chair and Editor: Mark Crawford Archive: Web page:

NDR SC Progress Report Canonical schema language: XSD Canonical naming rules: ebXML (ISO 11179) Position papers –Modularity –Namespaces –Versioning –Type Derivation –Elements vs. Attributes –Code Lists Position drafts are available for review (see )

UBL Library Content Subcommittee Chair: Tim McGrath Vice Chair: Marion Royal Archive: Web page:

LC SC Progress Report UBL will not be backward-compatible with xCBL 3.0 First schemas for Purchase Order and associated library BIEs are available for review (see open.org/committees/ubl/lcsc/ ) Send comments to ubl-comment list

UBL Context Methodology Subcommittee Chair: Matthew Gertner Editor: Eduardo Gutentag Archive: Web page:

Context Methodology Defines how document formats can be extended based on specific trading partner characteristics Takes ebXML context rules as starting point Builds on experience with OO extension methodology, but will be – More structured – More consistent – Easier to track – Easier to automate – Require a lower level of skill

CM SC Progress Report Have reviewed ebXML Methodology and are considering proposed changes Have reviewed existing context drivers and are considering proposed additions

Completely open, public, accountable standards process Nonproprietary and royalty-free Based on UN, OASIS, and W3C specifications Intended for normative status under international law Designed for B2B Intended for exchange of legal documents Human- and machine-readable Compatible with existing EDI systems UBL Differentiators

The Value of Joining Forces As a non-profit cross-industry effort, UBL depends on expert domain input to “get it right” We actively solicit industry and standards liaisons Organizations appoint representatives to the UBL Liaison Subcommittee -If the organization is not an OASIS member, an individual representative joins at USD 250/year -Telcons are held every two weeks -Liaisons arrange for specification reviews

UBL Liaisons So Far ACORD (insurance industry) EIDX (electronics industry) ARTS (retail sales) RosettaNet (information technology) XBRL (accounting) X12 (EDI) UN/EDIFACT (EDI)

Summary UBL is “the real deal” – actual standard XML business schemas –Completes the ebXML stack –Combines the experience of XML and business experts UBL is dedicated to vendor-neutral interoperability –Open process –Unencumbered IP –Cross-industry semantic harmonization UBL can enable the “B2B web” –HTML + HTTP = web publishing –UBL + ebXML = web commerce

For More Information OASIS UBL TC portal – –White papers and SC portals are linked from here UBL public comment and news list archive – –Subscribe at To join the OASIS UBL Technical Committee, contact the TC chair:

Thanks! Questions? Jon Bosak