REA

[Bob Haugen <linkage@interaccess.com>]

Hi y'all,

I am new to this list and group, so forgive me if I am rehashing
old plowed ground, but I have a suggestion.

Your list of requirements includes:
>1. An XML-based business process integration shall be accomplished 
>by means of a cross-industry global standard;
and
>3. Normalized components shall be identified (Supply-chain management 
>possible source);

I realize there is some controversy over these ideas.
(I sent a parallel message to the Requirements team
to get clarification, and they suggested their list
will not go that far.)

But to the extent that these higher-level requirements 
gain any support, I want to suggest the REA model as one
input.  (Actually, you might find REA useful for lower-level 
modeling, too.  REA works on several levels, from basic 
economic events to value system models.)

REA stands for Resources, Events and Agents.  It has 
been developed over a 20-year span by Professor William
McCarthy and colleagues of Michigan State University.

REA is a minimal model:  intended to be the smallest
number of moving parts that can model networks of
economic events.  

It is compatible with other candidates proposed to
this group, e.g. PSL, TOVE, and their relatives.
REA's difference from these other candidates
is that it focuses on, and provides templates for,
the usual economic exchanges and transformations.
(In other words, it is simpler and more narrowly-
focused.)

REA activities could use any transaction format,
e.g. EDIFACT, X-12, any flavor of XML-EDI, or
whatever ebXML comes up with.  REA lives about
three levels up from the transaction message.

Most recently, REA is being extended to cover multi-
company supply chains.

A collection of REA papers
http://www.msu.edu/user/mccarth4/
Toward a Standard Internet Supply Chain System (short)
http://www.supplychainlinks.com/REA4SCMShort.htm
A Semantic Web for Internet Supply Chain Collaboration (longer)
http://www.supplychainlinks.com/Rea4scm.htm

Professor McCarthy and colleagues are currently
working on an official REA Ontology, first in 
UML form, later in XML and maybe KQML.

The Ontology paper is still a work-in-process,
but interested people can get a copy via email:
mailto:mccarth4@msu.edu

If there is any interest in REA in this group,
we could accelerate any of the tasks that would
help the group do its work.

Thanks for your attention
Bob Haugen
http://www.supplychainlinks.com/