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

["William J. Kammerer" <wkammerer@foresightcorp.com>]

Philip Goatly says that "[at] Bolero we have been data modelling -
amongst other things for nearly 2 years - and have come to a number of
conclusions which could be of use, when this work moves forward."

Actually, Phil's conclusions might be helpful to hear now - why do we
have to wait until Core Components actually comes up with anything?

Concerning process modeling, Phil defines a transaction: "a transaction
encompasses all those activities that get the goods/services to the
buyer and the payment to the seller. When the Seller has the [money] and
the buyer has the goods the transaction is over."

I can imagine that Bolero's requirements mesh quite well with the
mechanistic state machine approach of ebXML's Business Process
methodology - what with the all the requirements for clearly demarcated
handover of title and responsibility of international shipments.  It's
not an exaggeration to talk about "economic events" in this context.  If
anybody drops the ball in this situation, you may be out a big chunk of
change while your product is sitting on the dock in Botswana (is
Botswana land-locked?   I just picked on it because it sounds, well, so
exotic).  Other types of trade come to mind that require strict
delineation of rights and responsibilities, such as international
payments.

But for the vast bulk of domestic U.S. trade and commerce, is BPM and
economic event modeling, or whatever, really required when we have a
well-developed framework of law such as the U.C.C. and bankruptcy?   Is
it overkill?

William J. Kammerer
FORESIGHT Corp.
4950 Blazer Pkwy.
Dublin, OH USA 43017-3305
+1 614 791-1600

Visit FORESIGHT Corp. at http://www.foresightcorp.com/
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