ebXML Business Process

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ABSTRACT

This session gives an overview of the ebXML Business Process Definition model, and how it will enable XML based interoperability among b2b partners. We will take a tour through the ebXML metamodel and walk through an example business process and its associated information model. Finally we will take a bold look into the future and discuss break through business models that will be enabled by ebXML.

Session Purpose

• Overview of the ebXML Business Process Definition model ("Metamodel")

• How it will enable XML based interoperability among b2b partners

• Tour through the ebXML Metamodel and walk through an example business process and its associated information model

• Futures

ebXML Vision

A global electronic market place where enterprises of any size, anywhere can:

• Find each other electronically

• Conduct business through the exchange of XML based messages

  • Using standard message structures

  • According to standard business process sequences

  • With clear business semantics

  • According to standard or mutually agreed trading partner protocol agreements

  • Using off the shelf purchased business applications

Figure 1: Vision: Collaboration Process

Figure 2: ebXML Specifications For Collaborations

Figure 3: ebXML Architecture

Figure 4: Business Process: Conceptual Model

Figure 5: Business Documents: Conceptual Model

Figure 6: BP and Info Modeling Architecture

Figure 7: Overview: ebXML SpecificationSchema

 
<!ELEMENT EbXmlProcessSpecification ((package | include | documentation)*)>
<!ATTLIST EbXmlProcessSpecification 
     name CDATA #REQUIRED 
	  uuid CDATA #IMPLIED 
	  version CDATA #IMPLIED > 
... 
<!ELEMENT business-transaction (documentation?, request, response*)>
<!ATTLIST business-transaction 
     name CDATA #REQUIRED 
	  isNonReputiationReceiptRequired (true | false) #IMPLIED 
	  isIntelligibleCheckRequired (true | false) #IMPLIED 
	  isAuthorizationRequired (true | false) #IMPLIED 
	  isSecureTransportRequired (true | false) #IMPLIED 
	  isReliableTransportRequired (true | false) #IMPLIED 
	  isNonRepudiationRequired (true | false) #IMPLIED 
	  isNonRepudiationReceiptRequired (true | false) #IMPLIED 
	  timeToAcknowledge CDATA #IMPLIED

 
<MultiPartyCollaboration name="DirectRetail_MPC"> ...
  <BusinessPartnerRole name="Retailer">
    <Performs role="CheckCredit_BC:seller"/> 
	 <Transition>
     <Guard ...>...</Guard>
	 </Transition> 
	 <BusinessPartnerRole/>
    <BusinessPartnerRole name="reditAuthority"> 
     <Performs role="CheckCredit_BC:CreditAuthority"/> 
	  <Transition>
      <Guard ...>...</Guard>
	  </Transition>
     <BusinessPartnerRole/> ...
	  </business-transaction>

Figure 10: Binary Collaboration

Figure 11: Choreograph Transactions into Collaborations

 
<binary-collaboration name="OrderCollaboration" initiator="buyer" responder="seller" 
  timeToPerform="2" timeUnit="days">
<start to="OrderBTA"/> 
<business-transaction-activity name="OrderBTA" type="OrderBT" from="buyer" 
  to="seller"/>
<business-transaction-activity name="ShippingNoticeBTA" type="ShippingNoticeBT" 
  from="seller" to="buyer"/> <transition from="OrderBTA" guard="OrderConfirmationSet" 
  to="ShippingNoticeBTA"/>
<business-transaction-activity name="PaymentNoticeBTA" type="PaymentNoticeBT" 
  from="buyer" to="seller"/> <transition from="ShippingNoticeBTA" 
  guard="ShippingNoticeSet" to="PaymentNoticeBTA"/> 
<success from="PaymentNoticeBTA"/> <failure from="OrderBTA" condition="failure"/>
</binary-collaboration>

 
<business-transaction name="OrderBT" isNonRepudiationRequired="true"> 
<request type="OrderSet"/>
<response type="OrderConfirmationSet" status="success"/> 
<response type="OrderDeniedSet" status="failure"/>
</business-transaction>

Figure 13: Business Transactions

Candidate Transaction Patterns

• Commercial Transaction

• Request / Confirm

• Query / Response

• Request / Response

• Notification

• Information Distribution

Futures

• Analysis

  • Collaboration Patterns

  • (Tools)

• Enablement

  • Tools

  • Business Process Management

• Global Business

  • Electronic Marketplaces

  • Networks of Electronic Marketplaces

Analysis: Collaboration Patterns

• Negotiation

• Order-Fulfillment-Settlement

• Long Term Contract with Periodic Releases

• Escalating Commitments (as in auto supply chains)

• Supplier Cascade

• Drop Shipment

• Others to be discovered...

  • For example, patterns about international payment and shipment practices.

Enablement: Tools

• Easy to use, context based, business process and information model definition tools

• ebXML EAI tools are commonplace

• Browsers and Editors

  • Business Process

  • Document & Document Components

Enablement: Registries

• Catalogs of Business Processes

• At least 5 commercially available ebXML compliant repository services

• A rich set of ebXML compliant and registered core components/business objects and core processes

• Hundreds of industry standard, ebXML compliant and registered business processes

Enablement: Frameworks

• At least 5 commercially available ebXML compliant transport services

• At least 4 commercially available ebXML compliant electronic marketplace solutions

Figure 14: Enablement: Analysis Worksheets and Editor

Figure 15: Business Process Management

Global Business

• Thousands of ebXML compliant and registered partner profiles

  • industry standard business processes

  • 'roll-your-own-process' service providers

• Thousands of explicit or implicit ebXML compliant Partner Agreements

• Millions of ebXML based business transactions conducted via the internet daily

Figure 16: Electronic Marketplaces

Figure 17: Global Trading Community

ebXML Changes the Future

• Out-of-the-box technical interoperability

• Unambiguous commercial interoperability

  • Explicitly specified and "executable" business processes

• Service based business process architecture

• Enable the evolution of many new business models and patterns

Resources

• ebXML Participation & Mailing Lists - To Join:

  • http://www.ebxml.org/participate.htm

• ebXML Specification Schema

  • http://www.ebxml.org/specdrafts/specs_for_review.htm

  • http://lists.ebxml.org/archives/ebxml-bp/

• BP Analysis Worsheets and BP Editor

  • http://www.ebxml.org/project_teams/jdt/deliverables.html

  • http://lists.ebxml.org/archives/ebxml-ccbp-analysis/