Re: Request for info about contract implementations

[Karsten Riemer - Sun IR Development <Karsten.Riemer@East.Sun.COM>]

Hi Bob,
I have been thinking of a construct as part of the metamodel:

Contract and BusinessTransaction are or should both be non-abstract classes
that you can instantiate. Between them are two associations. One is
called 'TransactedWithinTheBoundsOf' (or a more natural short name that
says that). It is one to many from Contract to BusinessTransaction.
The other is called 'Establishes'. It is one to one.
So there might be a business transaction called 'LongTermContractNegotiation'
specificed with a series of message exchanges, it would result in a
Contract called 'LongTermContract'. 
Transacted Within The Bounds Of the LongTermContract would be a series
of Orders, each of which could establish 'Order' level contracts,
against which a series of shipments could be transacted.

If we then find a way to tie the economic events and obligations
relative to economic resources tighter to the contract and business
transaction, then we have what I was seeking earlier, a tighter
integration of REA to the process model.

Will this work for you?

-karsten



> >From: Bob Haugen <linkage@interaccess.com>
> >To: "'ebXML-BP@lists.oasis-open.org'" <ebXML-BP@lists.oasis-open.org>
> >Subject: Request for info about contract implementations
> >Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 07:19:49 -0500
> >MIME-Version: 1.0
> >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
> >
> >The BP metamodel has the classes Contract Type
> >and Contract, for defining contractual trading relationships.
> >Also, the auto procurement example uses contracts.
> >This message is a request for info about implementations
> >of long-term contracts in ecommerce.
> >
> >The Contract class in the metamodel is abstract,
> >and is meant to cover everything from yearly contracts
> >to short-term commitments like purchase and delivery orders.
> >
> >Existing ecommerce frameworks have covered purchase
> >orders many times.  I'm interested in the implementations
> >of longer-term contracts in ecommerce - where the
> >contracts themselves are formed via electronic
> >transactions, and then referenced in the events
> >that execute the contracts.
> >
> >I am aware that RosettaNet has embodied legal 
> >requirements for contract formation in their 
> >BusinessTransaction class, which is included
> >in the current metamodel.  I understand that
> >Edifecs has done further work on defining the 
> >contracts themselves.
> >
> >I am aware that tpaML has also worked on contracts
> >and their relationships to long transactions.  
> >
> >Other implementations-in-progress are CPFR and
> >OAG's Forecast work group.  Also, FreeMarkets
> >auctions off contracts.
> >
> >Are there other implementations of contracts that
> >would be useful to look at for working out the
> >details?  Especially, are there any companies 
> >(who are willing to talk) now using longer-term contracts 
> >formed via ecommerce?
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Bob Haugen

---------------------------------------------------
Karsten Riemer,
Director, Information Architecture,
Enterprise Management Architecture Group
Sun Microsystems Inc.,
MailStop UBUR03-313
1 Network Drive,
Burlington, MA 01803-0903

ph. 781-442-2679
fax 781-442-1599
e-mail karsten.riemer@sun.com