Re: What do people really expect from ebXML? - CoreComponents-Transactions!

[David Lyon <djlyon@one.net.au>]

Bob,

Thanks for your clear explanations. I'm starting to understand more clearly
now what ebXML is all about.

> Have you concluded that business process modeling is something very
> complicated and that you need to do it?

The complexity of Business process modelling obviously depends on
the particular organisation. Obviously, every organisation is constantly
regining its processes so as to achieve better profitability.

However, transactions are parts of Business process modelling, especially
between small and large organisations.

For example, procurement and accounting are the two main business
processes that stand to gain the most from ebXML, the framework for
XML trade.

It's in this area that we need to be forward looking, and not only look
back to the good 'ol days of EDI.

Now and into the future, all Small and Medium sized enterprises will
be able to afford is probably some really cool wireless hand held
devices.

For example, a plumber will order pipes ahead from his van, arrive
at the depot, the van will bluetooth notify the back dock (which will
recognise his car from the digital id), he'll and collect his order,
pay from the van (already exists), drive away, and the receipt will go
into his accounting system sitting on his linux wristwatch.

The whole technology package will be available for around $US600.

This is where "business processes" are heading. It's all about fast,
efficient and affordable technology, and it's just as good for small
business
as it is for big.

Now the points that you raise about verification definitely have
been an issue. I'm not too worried about that area because I
have read the adequate coverage in the documentation already
available on the ebxml.org site.

Maybe if you could be won over to these new business processes
made possible by the new technology, in honor, we could even
call it "Lurgle technology"....

Take care

David Lyon

----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Haugen <linkage@interaccess.com>
To: 'David Lyon' <djlyon@one.net.au>; <ebxml-core@lists.ebxml.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2001 9:40 PM
Subject: RE: What do people really expect from ebXML? - Core
Components-Transactions!


> David Lyon:
> >Sure. It might be a very challenging intellectual activity to do the
Business Process
> >modelling, but I'm very sure that most Managers worldwide in SMEs wll
tell you that
> >they know pretty much know all there is to know about a "Purchase Order"
or an
> >"Invoice".
>
> Have you concluded that business process modeling is something very
> complicated and that you need to do it?  I will try to demystify.
>
> First, ebXML is a bunch of specifications, each of which can be used
> somewhat independently of the others, for example, you could use
> ebXML transport & routing with EDIFACT payloads and ignore everything
> else in ebXML.
>
> But back to business processes:  the simplest level of ebXML business
> processes is called Business Transactions, and they are transactions
> in something like the transaction processing monitor sense: they
> either succeed or fail in total.  What that means is that if you send
> a purchase order request, you will know for sure that it arrived at its
> destination and was accepted, or failed either for technical or
> business reasons (and know which reason).  In traditional EDI,
> Value Added Networks (VANs) provided reliability and accountability.
> On the Internet, they don't.
>
> Plus there has been a lot of work since VAN days on how to
> conduct legally-binding transactions electronically.  For example,
> RosettaNet.  But RosettaNet software is expensive.
>
> The ebXML Business Transaction model attempts to capture
> all of this prior work.  The business transaction patterns have
> already been modeled, all you need to do is pick one and maybe
> override some default timing and security parameters.  If you do,
> you will have the current best practices on how to do legally-binding
> electronic business.
>
> There are some more elaborate possibilities in ebXML business
> process modeling, but the Business Transaction level is basic
> and should be simple to use.
>
> (By the way, this is a different meaning of "transaction" than what
> you were using, which seemed to mean what ebXML calls
> "Business Document".  I'm not trying to be pedantic, but transaction
> is one of those unfortunately overloaded words that we always
> get in a muddle about.  Sometimes I wish ebXML had chosen
> something different, like "Lurgle".)
>
> Hope that communicated...
>
> -Bob Haugen
>