Universal Business Language

1. Universal Business Language Gunther StuhecSAP AG

2. 1 2 Evolution & Success of Business Standards What is XML? 3 UBL Initiative 4 ebXML Core Components 5 Guidelines, Inputs & Outputs 6 Modelling Steps 8 Summary 7 Benefits Overview

3. 1 What is XML? 4 ebXML Core Components Overview 2 Evolution & Success of Business Standards 3 UBL Initiative 5 Guidelines, Inputs & Outputs 6 Modeling Steps 7 Benefits 8 Summary

4. Is XML really • a „egg-laying wool milk pig“ ? <?> <!> • Not really! • XML is a universal data description format based on markups. It can be used for all kinds of applications. What is XML? <XML>

5. Input Articles: Number Type Quantity Amount 1234567890123 Strawberrys 15 Piece 14.12 USD .... a b c d e Layout and Publishing of Documents f g h Number Type Quantity UnitType Amount Currency 1234567890123 Strawberry 15 Piece 14.12 USD 1234567890124 Apples 24 Piece 12.34 USD … … … … … … i j k l m n Output Storing and Querying in Databases a c Different XML Parser d e f Buyer Seller selection, comparison g h BUY SALE i Article Number: string Type: string Standard: string j :Applicaton :XML b order or statistics k Send: Article l Order Supply o Ask: Quantity Send: Quantity Delivery Reception Delivery Quantity Value: integer UnitType: string Standard: string Amount Value: float Currency: string Standard: string Ask: Amount m Send: Amount n invoice Payment Invoicing k Closed Transformation Data Modelling APIs Document Exchange Reusability of XML Non-common structure- and content definition <Article> <Number standard="EAN13">1234567890123</Number> <Type>Strawberrys</Type> <Quantity> <Value>15</Value> <UnitType standard="UoMISOXXX">Piece</UnitType> </Quantity> <Amount> <Value>14.12</Value> <Currency standard="ISO4217">USD</Currency> </Amount> </Article>

6. Applications with XML based Markup-Languages Vertical Business Applications Horizontal Business Applications Consumer:UCC, GCI Discrete: AIAG, RosettaNet BW: PMML SRM: OBI, cXML, eBIS-XML Business Oriented View (BOV) Financial:ACORD, FinXML Oil & Gas: PIDX, PetroXML FIN: OFX, SWIFT, IFX HR: HR-XML Process: CIDX, CML Public Sect.: HL7, LegalXML PLM: PDX, STEPml, MatML SCM: BSL, GML, MESA, OAG Services: ICE, TranXML CRM: CIQ, ECML, CPExchange Business Framework ebXML, BizTalk Web Services Messaging Services SOAP, ebXML MSG, W3C XP Directory Services UDDI, ebXML RegRep, DSML, XMLDir Negotiation ServicestpaML, ebXML CPPA Security ServiresAuthXML, XML-Signature,ebXML Sec., SAML, XAML Defintion: WSDL, NASSL, SDL, CDL ... FunctionalServiceView (FSV) Definition Languages for Interfaces Transformation XSLT, XMI Layout XSL-FO,CSS, XForms, SVG, XHTML Query XPath, XQL,XML-QL, XQuery Structure XML Schema, XDR, SOX,RELAX NG HyperlinksXLL,XPointer,XML Base APIs DOM, SAX, JSAX, JAXB Syntax XML Version 1.0 Locations (URI) Unicode Namespaces Entities DTD TCP/IP HTTP, FTP, STMP ...

7. 2 Evolution & Success of Business Standards Overview 1 What is XML? 3 UBL Initiative 4 ebXML Core Components 5 Guidelines, Inputs & Outputs 6 Modeling Steps 7 Benefits 8 Summary

8. Repetition of „Tower of Babel“ Same mistakes as the earlier EDI times <!> Evolution of XML Standards Driven by Technology Hype Number of Standards Visiblity Sep. 98 "XML-Hype" driven by Industry-Oriented Groups Source: IAO (according Gartner Group, 1999)

9. Criteria for successful XML business standardization effort (I) • User-driven • Royalty-free • Not project driven • Human- and machine-readable • Focused on Global Requirements • Independent of the technical environment • Intention for normative status under international law • Compatible with existing EDI systems • Designed for A2A and B2B • Clear development process and high quality documentation • Feedback through early implementations • Inclusion of business processes and business codes

10. Criteria for successful XML business standardization effort (II) • Reuse of existing standards • Completely based on XML technology, not XML-syntax only • Technically logical structure for the simple implementation in the most different kinds of devices • Common development and co-operation with the relevant experts of the used standards and technologies • Modularized structure • Rules for extensibility, restrictibility and conclusive versioning – enables an easy adjustment of all given requirements • Based on reusable building blocks – this guarantees an increased interoperability with other industries or applications • Common repository for providing standardized modules

11. TOMORROW (rigorous and formal description) Business Analysis W H Y BUSINESS MODELS Requirements Analysis TRANS-ACTIONS Logical Analysis W H A T Message Design COMPONENTS DOCUMENTS Technical Design Purchase Order Sender Recipient ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ Position __ ________ ________ __ ________ ________ __ ________ ________ __ ________ ________ __ ________ ________ Account Summary ________ ______ __ ________ ______ __ ________ ______ __ Purchase Order Sender Recipient ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ Position __ ________ ________ __ ________ ________ __ ________ ________ __ ________ ________ __ ________ ________ Account Summary ________ ______ __ ________ ______ __ ________ ______ __ H O W Example Validation rules BusinessDocuments Technical Implementation Information flow Usage guidelines Format specs Usage rules Field specs <XML> XML CODE Scope Reengineering the Standards Process TODAY (informal description)

12. Mergingtrafficahead Mergingtrafficahead StandardOrg. G StandardOrg. H StandardOrg. I No Forward-Looking Standards StandardOrg. F StandardOrg. E StandardOrg. D StandardOrg. C StandardOrg. B StandardOrg. A The Success of Standardization Dead End

13. 3 UBL Initiative Overview 1 What is XML? 2 Evolution & Success of Business Standards 4 ebXML Core Components 5 Guidelines, Inputs & Outputs 6 Modelling Steps 7 Benefits 8 Summary

14. What is UBL? • UBL defines • naming and design rules for the creation of XML based building blocks. These building blocks will be the used for the creation of business documents. • All rules are based on internationally accepted standards and recommendations. This includes especially ebXML, UN/CEFACT, ISO and all relevant W3C recommendations. • It will use UML and UMM for supporting the development of appropriate building blocks and business documents. • methodologies for the derivation of context specific building blocks and business documents. This makes all building blocks interoperable for every vertical and horizontal business • an example library of building blocks and a standard set of electronic business documents • UBL is a Technical Committee of OASIS, because OASIS itself is a nonprofit organization dedicated to XML standards development. The standardization process is completely democratic and all results are public and available without any fees.

15. APACS Boeing Commerce One Danish Bankers Association France Telecom General Electric Government of Hongkong Government of Korea HP Intuit KPMG LMI Northrup Grumman Oracle PricewaterhouseCoopers SAP SeeBeyond Sterling Commerce Sun Microsystems UK Cabinet Office United Parcel Service U.S. GSA U.S. Navy Visa International UBL participation

16. Organizations & Government European Commission US Government & Defense Department eBES (e-Business Board for European Standard by CEN/ISSS) Industry groups ACORD (insurance industry) ARTS (retail sales) EIDX (electronics industry) NACS (convenience stores) RosettaNet (IT industry) XBRL (accounting professionals) SWIFT (financials) EAN.UCC (retail and consumer products) SMDX (statistical information) De jure standards organizations ANSI X12 (EDI) UN/CEFACT (EDI) Software Vendors SAP SUN Microsystems Commerce One Sterling Commerce Oracle SeeBeyond ebXML CC and UBL adoption plans

17. UBL Subcommittees NDRSC Naming and Design Rules SC CMSC Context Methodology SC CDSC Context Drivers SC Develops guidelines for normative-form schema design, instance design, and markup naming, Develops a methodology and tools for applying context. Works on improvement and further development of the context drivers. TTSC Tools and Techniques SC LCSC Library Content SC Evaluates and recommends the tools and techniques for development, quality, docus, maintenance and revision Defines business documents and a library of XML and ebXML CCTS based building blocks ASC Administration SC MSC Marketing SC LSC Liasion SC Administrates and coordinates the UBL efforts Does marketing and promotion for the UBL effort Organizes liasons with other organizations.

18. 4 ebXML Core Components Overview 1 What is XML? 2 Evolution & Success of Business Standards 3 UBL Initiative 5 Guidelines & Inputs 6 Modelling Steps 7 Benefits 8 Summary

19. The ebXML Initiative Initiated Initiated XML based Syntax Rules WorkingGroup TMG TechnicalCommittee ebXML CCTSCore ComponentsTechnical Specification Working Group TMG ebXML BPSSBusiness ProcessesSchema Specification TechnicalCommittee ebXML RR Registry &Repository ebXML EBA ElectronicBusinessArchitecture Working Group TMG System System TechnicalCommittee ebXML CPP CollaborationPartnerProfile ebXML CPP CollaborationPartnerProfile ebXML CPA CollaborationPartnerAgreement TechnicalCommittee ebXML MSGMessaging Protocol HTTP/SMTP/FTP

20. ebXML Core Components • A set of the lowest common denominator that captures information about the real world (business) concept. • Core Components are neutral • in the notation for every kind of industry • in the syntax for every kind of business document standard or implementation • Reusable pieces (objects) of contents that can be atomic or aggregate • Enables interoperability among different industry domains and areas • Are using common semantic units at any level consistent across context • Hold any related information together and avoiding fragmented semantic dispersal • Facilitate multilingual support • Accompanied by methodology for extensibility • Enable users to define meaningful business and process data • Ensure maximum interoperability • The actual specification (Core Components Technical Specification, Part 1, is at V1.8) is in public review.

21. BusinessProcure-ment & Collabor-ation BusinessIntelligence,Process &Workflow CustomerRelation-shipManage-ment Financials HumanResources ProductLifecycleManage-ment SupplyChainManage-ment Consumer Industries DiscreteIndustries FinancialIndustries Oil & Gas Vertical Business ProcessIndustries PublicSector ServiceIndustries What is „Core“? Horizontal Business

22. Structure of Core Components (CCs) Core Components without Business Context • Core Component Types are: • Amount • Monetary unit with currency • Code • Brief language-independent replacement or representation for a definitive value • DateTime • Particular point in progression • Graphic • Diagram, graph, math. curves • Identifier • Identifying and distinguishing uniquely an instance of object • Indicator • List of two bolean values (True/False) • Measure • Physical measure (size, volume, mass...) • Numeric • Representation of a number • Picture • Visual representation • Quantity • Number of nonmonetary units • Text • Character string (specified language) Value Component carries the actual value 1 for creation of CoreComponentType (CCT) Supplementary Componentgives extra definition to the value 1..n Basic CoreComponent (BCC) Aggregate CoreComponent (ACC)

23. Core Components and Business Information Entities Core Components(CCs) without Business Context Business Information Entities(BIEs) withBusiness Context Value Component carries the actual value 1 for creation of CoreComponentType (CCT) Basic BusinessInformationEntity (BBIE) Supplementary Componentgives extra definition to the value 1..n Basic CoreComponent Aggregate BusinessInformationEntity (ABIE) Aggregate CoreComponent(ACC) ObjectMessageDocument (ABIE)

24. Context of Business Information Entities Business Information Entities withBusiness Context • Context Categories • Business Process • Product Classification • Industry Classification • Geopolitical • Official Constraints • Business Process Role • Supporting Role • System Capabilities • Naming Rules according ISO 11179: Unit Price. Base. Quantity Basic BusinessInformationEntity (BBIE) Unit. Pricing. Details Aggregate BusinessInformationEntity (ABIE) Object Class Property Term RepresentationTerm Purchase. Order. Message ObjectMessageDocument(ABIE) Specific composition of the context categories Characteristic or property of each BIE Type of the representation of a valid content

25. ebXML Core Components ebXML compliant syntax-implementations XML UN/ EDIFACT X.12 UN Layout etc. Why UBL (Universal Business Language)? ebXML Core Components are „syntax neutral“, it will be a basis for all another business document dialects and standards • But we must have concrete standard XML syntax to enable wide use and cheap commercial software • Given a concrete XML syntax for business, users will adopt it UBL is formed to develop XML business document design rules, XML syntax core component structures and ebXML (UN/CEFACT) CC compliant XML document schemas

26. 5 Guidelines, Inputs & Outputs Overview 1 What is XML? 2 Evolution & Success of Business Standards 3 UBL Initiative 4 ebXML Core Components 6 Modelling Steps 7 Benefits 8 Summary

27. Guiding Principles • The design of UBL must • be as simple as possible • be consistent with its definition • enable customization and maintenance • use Oxford English • The design of UBL types must • ensure that context-sensitive document types aren't precluded • be as "content-oriented" (as opposed to merely structural) as possible • The design of UBL should • provide the 20% of features that accommodate 80% of the needs • share as many common features as possible • The design of UBL will • leverage expertise in a variety of domains through interaction with appropriate development efforts. • balance prescriptiveness in any one usage scenario with prescriptiveness across the breadth of usage scenarios supported • be cautious about making dependencies on other namespaces.

28. General Rules • UBL messages must • represent a single logical unit of information and have a unique business function • correspond to the business process models like ebXML BPSS • be modeled for the abstractions of the user, not the programmer • use markup to make data substructures explicit • express semantics fully in schemas • UBL schemata of messages must • realize instances which are readable, intuitive and understandable • provide for the expressed correspondences between data elements in different classification schemes ("mappings") as metadata • metadatause well known data types • Code lists should be cited by external reference

29. What UBL is based upon • The UBL design will avail itself of standard XML processing technology wherever possible (XML itself, XML Schema, XSLT, XPath, and so on) • The UBL schemata will be based on the W3C XML Schema Recommendations • All UBL components will be based on ebXML CCTS (Core Component Technical Specification) and ISO 11179 recommendations • Documents/expertise from: • The members of the Library Content SC • Organizations with a liaison to the UBL TC • Feedback from the general public • xCBL 3.0 as a starting library • A working XML business vocabulary for several years • Has lots of EDI knowledge baked into it • UBL is not responsible for catering to legacy formats

30. Output of the UBL Group • Normative recommendation of naming and design rules for the creation of XML-based building blocks and messages • Representation of UBL in XML/XSD • Efficient usability of UBL by external modules • Some non-normative forms of representations • UML • ASN.1 • Other schema representations • Modified XSD • Stylesheets for • Viewing UBL documents • Generating EDI-compliant instances • Context methodologies for extension or restriction of building blocks according to a specific business context • The UBL Library • Reusable building blocks • Standard business document types

31. First Set of Business Documents • 1.      Trade/procurement • Purchase Order/Purchase Order Response/Purchase Order Change • 2.      Materials Management • Despatch Advice (ASN) • Planning Schedule/Shipping Schedule • Goods Receipt • 3.      Trade/payment • Commercial Invoice • Remittance Advice • 4.      Transport/Logistics • Consignment Status Request/Consignment Status Report • Transport Contract (bill of lading) • 5.      Content • Price/Product Catalog • 6.      Statistical Reports • Accounting Report

32. 6 Modeling Steps Overview 1 What is XML? 2 Evolution & Success of Business Standards 3 UBL Initiative 4 ebXML Core Components 5 Guidelines, Inputs & Outputs 7 Benefits 8 Summary

33. Conceptual View (BOV) Core Component BIEs + Context logical models XML XML Technology View (FSV) UNSM (UN Standard Messages) physical models Schemas (XML-Schemas, DTDs) No common interface description Common interface description WebPages WebPages Directories The Real World Databases Databases ? ? messages/documents ? ? ? ? ? Forms Forms Data- models Data- models ? ? EDI EDI The Approach of UBL design UBL basedXML-Schemas analyse implement

34. The modeling steps • Working from an xCBL document type, analyze its constituent constructs to identify BBIEs and ABIEs • Establish each BIE’s dictionary name, UBL name, definition, and business context • Establish its cardinality/optionality within its object class • Identify missing BIEs • Identify which BIEs are reusable • Assemble an appropriate UBL document type from the BIEs

35. Some major design rules developed so far • The choice of normative schema language • Naming and construction of elements, attributes, and types (mostly done) • Fully qualified dictionary entry names with object class names • Reusability by allowing properties (elements) to “inherit” parent object classes (types), XPath-style • “DeliveryScheduleID” and “OrderID” could both be represented by the element <ID> • Each would be identifiable by means of //Order/ID and //DeliverySchedule/ID respectively • Modularity, namespaces, and versioning (partial) • Embedded schema documentation (draft) • Handling code lists • UBL will seek to import external datatype definitions in conventional XSD form • Helping external organizations to create rigorous schemas • Defining a unique UBL element for each kind of code

36. XSD has an indirect cascade of types and elements XSD’s OO-like approach can neatly be mapped to ISO 11179 object classes and properties Object Class (complexType) Object Class <xsd:complexType name="Coordination.Details"> <xsd:sequence> … </xsd:sequence> </xsd:complexType> references has Property (Element) Property (Element Declaration) <xsd:element name="SystemId“ type="Identifier.Type"/> <xsd:element name="LongitudeMeasure“ type="Measure.Type"/> <xsd:element name="LatitudeMeasure“ type="Measure.Type"/> is defined in terms of is bound to Type (Definition) <xsd:complexType name="Measure.Type"> <xsd:simpleContent> <xsd:extension base="xsd:decimal"> <xsd:attribute name="unitCode" type="xsd:token" use="required"/> </xsd:extension> </xsd:simpleContent> </xsd:complexType> Type (Definition) Mapping the CC world to XML and XSD

37. Identifier Identifier Tax Value Identifier Address Address Name Quantity Contact Name Amount Amount Amount Tax Quantity Identifier Identifier Identifier Address Address Name Name Identifier Identifier Item Item Tax Tax Contact Contact Tax Value Pricing Pricing Amount Amount DateTime DateTime DateTime Text Text Text Core Comp. Core Comp. Core Comp. Composition of a Building-Block-System Purchase Order <<References>> <<Creates>> Header Party LineItem Summary SupportedBusinessProcess <<References>> <<Creates>> Trading Partner Profile Core Comp. Core Comp. Core Comp. Core Comp

38. Example of Core Components and Business Information Entities Core Component Business Information Entity

39. OAG xCBL Comparison of the Address structure of two different Standards Differences in informational content Differences in tags & meanings Differences in positions Different information elements

40. XSLT Script based on UBL Rules • OAG XSLT-Processor • xCBL UBL as a Meta-Structure

41. Class Diagram Based onUBL-Rules UML2XML UBL as a Reference System

42. 7 Benefits Overview 1 What is XML? 2 Evolution & Success of Business Standards 3 UBL Initiative 4 ebXML Core Components 5 Guidelines, Inputs & Outputs 6 Modelling Steps 8 Summary

43. Business Document,(exp. Purchase Orders) Part of Document(exp. Purchase Order Position) ebXML CC Context(exp. Net. Amount) Aggregate CoreComponentComponent 1Component 2... ebXML Registry & Repository UBL CC Benefits of UBL • Leverages the ebXML Core Components effort by building ebXML-compliant and XML-specific document structures in conjunction with X12 and UN/EDIFACT • Is applicable across any sector or domain of electronic trade, transport, and administration • Plugs directly into existing traditional business practices and is interoperable with existing EDI systems • Fills the “payload” slot in B2B frameworks such as the UN/CEFACT & OASIS ebXML initiative (http://ebxml.org) • But it offers much more …. Definition of business documents in particular context

44. XSL-FO UBL Items: Number Type Quantity Amount 1234567890123 Strawberrys 15 Piece 14.12 USD .... a b c d e layouts for publishing of documents f g h Number Type Quantity UnitType Amount Currency 1234567890123 Strawberry 15 Piece 14.12 USD 1234567890124 Apples 24 Piece 12.34 USD … … … … … … i j XML Schema k l m n XML Query Any tables of databases a c UBL Parser d e DOM, SAX, JSAX, JAXB f Buyer Seller selection, comparison g UML2XML h BUY SALE i Item Number: string Type: string Standard: string j :Applicaton :XML XPointer,XLink b order or statistics k Send: Item l Order Supply o XSLT Ask: Quantity Send: Quantity Delivery Reception Delivery Quantity Value: integer UnitType: string Standard: string Amount Value: float Currency: string Standard: string Ask: Amount m Send: Amount n invoice SOAP, ebXML MSG Payment Invoicing k Closed ebXML BPPS transformation into another structures data and interfacemodelling objects ofworkflows business documents Reusability of UBL Common and normative structure and content definition will be a basis for <Item> <Id schemeAgencyId=“19“>1234567890123</Id> <Description>Strawberrys</Description> <Quantity unitCode=“C62">15</Quantity> <Amount currencyId=“USD“>14.12</Amount> </Item>

45. Core Comp. &Documents Provider Repository Application Buyer Templates & Standards Stand-ards Services Temp-lates Seller Browser Display Print Registry Partner Services Product Profiles Profiles Agreement Partner Profile Partner Agreement Partner Profile Order Purchasing Process Purchase Order Order-Response Application Application Purchase OrderResponse Usability of UBL Providing of Standardized Components Templates and Standards of Building Blocks and Documents Definition of User Intefaces Products and Services Catalog Partner-Profiles Objects for Internal Workflows Visual Representation Partner Profiles, like Address, Communication, Branch, Organizationname, etc.. Business Documents

46. Distribution and Harmonization ISO or CEFACT ODETTE or AIAG EAN.UCC SWIFT BMW Ford WalMart USB Deutsche Bank

47. UBL Benefits for Customers • Reduction of Total Cost of Ownership • Transparent and efficient interface naming and design rules: • Minimization of the development effort for the mapping to other XML or EDI message standards • Better reusability of mapping content for different integration projects • Reduction of integration costs • Harmonization and standardization of business objects: • Better recognition of common business object semantic and structure • Decrease of the training effort for the users • Transparent rules for customer specific interface modifications: • Reduction of development costs regarding the modifications (design and run time) • Ease of business partner’s development regarding the support of the modifications • Possibility of feeding back the modifications to standard bodies in order to trigger a harmonization of the industry standard

48. UBL Benefits for Software Vendor • Reduction of Total Cost of Ownership • Transparent and efficient interface naming and design rules: • Minimization of the development effort for interface implementation • Higher reusability of building blocks for different interface implementations • Reduction of development costs • Harmonization and standardization of business objects: • Better recognition of common business object semantic and structure • Decrease of training effort and costs for development, support and consultancy • Transparent rules for sector specific interface modifications: • Reduction of development costs regarding the modifications (design and run time) • Possibility of feeding back the modifications to the internal standard development in order to trigger a harmonization of the industry standard

49. 8 Summary Overview 1 What is XML? 2 Evolution & Success of Business Standards 3 UBL Initiative 4 ebXML Core Components 5 Guidelines, Inputs & Outputs 6 Modelling Steps 7 Benefits

50. Compare to: • Criteria for successful XML business standardization effort <!> UBL could be a successful XML business standardization effort • User-driven • Royalty-free • Not project driven • Human- and machine-readable • Focused on Global Requirements • Independent • Normative status • Compatible with existing EDI systems • Designed for A2A and B2B • Clear development process and high quality documentation • Feedback through early implementations • Inclusion of business processes and business codes • Reuse of existing standards • Completely based on XML technology • Technically logical structure for simple implementation • Common development and co-operation with relevant experts • Modularized structure • Rules for extensibility, restrictibility and conclusive versioning • Based on reusable building blocks • Common repository for providing standardized modules