1. EDIFACT Past Present and Future
Rome,
October 5th, 2017
Hans Rook
Chairman International Port Comunity Systems Association

2. Netherlands – connecting Air, Sea and Land
About IPCSA
32 members operating in 32 Countries.
Members currently handle the exchange of information for over 100 air and sea ports, this equates to over 250m TEU and 7bn tonnes of cargo
IPCSA membership is open to:
Air and Sea Port Community System Operators
Air and Sea Port Authorities
Single Window Operators
International and Regional Organisations / Associations
UN ECOSOC Special Consultative Status
IMO Consultative Status
Participate at EU, WCO, WO, IATA, TIACA etc.
Netherlands – connecting Air, Sea and Land

3. Where it all started Agency networks
After the retail started in the early 80s, Carriers developed EDI messages to exchange data within their agency network.
The standard used was ANSI (the American National Standards Institute) established in 1979.
More than companies using X12 EDI standard still.
Few examples
Doc-ex (Johnson ScanStar)
ManDef (Scancarriers nowadays Wallenius Wilhelmsen)

4. Standardization startup
Both messages used for exchange of manifest data between the head office and their agencies.
As their agency network implies global coverage, the carriers considered their setup as a global standard.
However exchange outside their own trusted network was not possible.
The need for exchanging data electronically between the various parties was growing.
This resulted in a new ISO standard (9735). UN/EDIFACT

5. Development groups UN started the setup of a variety on workgroups
Each workgroup with their expertise.
WCO.
Customs related messages (CUS.. / GOVCBR).
SMDG.
Container related messages (CO… + BAPLI).
Set of freight movement messages (IFTM…).
PROTECT.
IMO FAL 1 & 7 (BERMAN / IFTDGN).

6. How about the use of these EDIFACT messages (1/2)
Question why change?
Carriers invested in their own network setup
There was no businesscase to change so far.
In case no messages existed the market adopted the UN/EDIFACT standards
In 1993 IFTDGN for dangerous cargo reporting was adopted by all global carriers. (PROTECT group)
From 1995 most container terminals started the use of exchanging the ‘Co…” messages on global level with Carriers and their agents. (SMDG)

7. How about the use of these EDIFACT messages (2/2)
But what about Customs and B2B related EDIFACT messages.
Although efforts from the IT industry to provide tools to make conversions easy, it was not adopted.
Just because…… there was no businesscase.
Why change? Because of standards? Because of the IT industry?
No Carrier took the lead.
But ……

8. The millennium problem
In 1998/99 the IT industry had a new topic that they were going to make a lot of money with
Make customers anxious.
Tell them that the turn of the century could destroy and stop the computerized systems entirely.
And …. It worked.
A lot of systems on global level were renewed as well hardware and software.
At the same time carriers saw this as the moment to adopt the UN/EDIFACT standards.

9. Global establishment of EDIFACT
So business wise EDIFACT was adopted on global level as the de facto standard for interchanging data between the various parties.
The installed base of EDIFACT changed the world in their electronic data communication.
Next?

10. XML versus EDIFACT Flexibility against Standardization.
So for XML you need less arrangements beforehand than EDIFACT processing.
It is easier programming.
EDIFACT knowledge is less available on IT level.
So each and every vendor of IT products who is not bothering about the worldtrade promotes XML.
Even they suggest their business staff to promote guidelines based on XML. Not having any insight into the market.

11. Hugh impact on the worldtrade
But again, what is the businesscase to change from EDIFACT to XML
And what is the global impact on that change nowadays as tradewide all sea/air carriers use EDIFACT in their worldwide exchange.

12. Overview use of message structure
In 2013 and lately begin 2015 we asked our members to indicate which messages are in use.
Roughly our findings are:

13. Last but not least
These days you see more and more a market growth into an interactive way of communication.
Not only static data but more and more dynamic. (Track & Trace)
See the IPCSA Network of Trusted Network project lead by PORTIC Barcelona.
Especially in this type of communication APIs’ are used.
Nearly each company supplies API communication facilities to support the daily information flow.
There is a danger in this field.

14. Discipline
It is easy, without basic standardization knowhow to make your own setup.
The trick is to maintain standardization and harmonization in this.
Therefore semantic interoperatibility is the heart of communication now and in the future.
The way to make machine to machine communication possible.

15. Future No doubt the coming years EDIFACT will exist globally.
EDIFACT is a must have.
Used by many parties all over the world for their daily business.
Latest development VERMAS (Verified Gross Mass) still in EDIFACT
Most important: Semantic interoperablility!
How?

16. Most important facts for future developments
UNTDED Trade data elements directory
EDIFACT (ISO9735) Application level syntax rules
Code standards：UN recommendations (ie UNLOCODE, Packing codes, means of transport etc.)
Core Component Library.
Core Component Technical Specification.
Dataset harmonization (rec 34)
400E_Rec34.pdf

17. Thank you for your attention.