Re: How to Create an ebXML Order (EDI 850 transaction set)

[Joe Rowe <joerowe@home.com>]

I've been reading the seemingly endless stream of opinions which this question
precipitated with interest and wanted to add a different perspective.  I'm a
newcomer to ebXML, but have 30 years experience in many different aspects of
IT.  I've seen many technologies, standards, frameworks and methodologies come
and go.  In my experience, the only ones that ever delivered any real value to
businesses were those that dealt clearly and unambiguously with the nitty
gritty details. High level process views are interesting, but don't really help
anyone implement anything.  This is even more true in business-to-business
systems.

The way businesses implement an IT change is to assign it to a team of
technicians who are given a time frame (usually short) to deliver a solution
given only sketchy requirements.  The team will have little or no experience
with the technology if it is relatively new.  They will search for very
specific standards to use in designing their solution.  The first place they
will look is to their primary technology vendors such as Microsoft, Sun and
IBM.  They do not have time to learn a new methodology and carry it through all
it's phases.  They don't care what business process generated the transaction,
they just want to know how to process it.  If they don't find a usable standard
quickly, they develop a solution from scratch using whatever collective
knowledge they have.  Their goal is to deliver a specific business solution
that works and business management could really care less how it is done.

Reading the stream of emails tells me that in the world of busines-to-business
process automation we have a myriad of incompatible existing EDI standards and
a myriad of theoretical solutions for the future such as ebXML and xCBL.  In
the real world, multiple standards = no standards.  Perhaps one of them will
succeed, but it is still unclear.  The issue will be probably be decided by
which technology vendor delivers a workable solution and has the business clout
to make it dominant.  Standards organizations have produced many standards that
never went anywhere.  The ones that go somewhere are the ones endorsed nd
implemented by the leading technology vendors.  Watch them to see where all
this ends up.

Joe Rowe

cobrown@na.cokecce.com wrote:

> Hello,
>
> My name is Courtney Brown and I am a Sr. E-Business Developer with
> Coca-Cola Enterprises in Atlanta, GA.  I have been working with EDI
> mapping/integration for the last 4 years.
>
> I have been given the task of creating an ebXML Order (850 transaction set)
> and have no clue where to begin.  I have been reading the discussion group
> emails and even went out to try and install the bindsystems software.  I am
> still not able to get it to operate.
>
> Have you ever created an ebXML document and if so, where is the best place
> for me to start with this process.  I am very familiar with X12, UCS, VICS,
> and EDIFACT mapping standards and familiar with XML and mapping XML with GE
> Global eXchange Services Application Integrator product.
>
> Thanks for your help in advance.
>
> Regards,
> Courtney Brown
>
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