The Past as a Guide to the Future

1
The Past as a Guide to the Future

• OASIS SymposiumThe Future of XML Vocabularies
• New Orleans, 24-29 April 2005
• David BurdettSAP Labs LLC

2
Introduction
Panel Introductions
Q A
3
Timetable
Introduction(5 mins)
Panel Introductions( 25 mins - 5 each)
Questions and Answers (55 mins)
4
XML Vocabularies scope

• Business Documents
• Orders, Invoices, etc. etc
• Codes
• International, National, Industry specific,
  Company specific
• Choreographies
• The sequence in which messages are exchanged
• Representations
• How to use XML
• Semantic definitions
• Explaining what documents and codes mean
• What it means to send a message
• Validation Rules
• How to check a document is OK

5
Issues

• Industry Acceptance
• Standards must be used and understood not just
  developed
• Cross Industry Interoperability
• Businesses work in multiple industries
  standards are often designed for just one
• Managing Semantics
• Definitions of fields and codes vary
• Handling Context
• The same business document varies by industry,
  locale, process, etc.
• Managing Change
• Vocabularies are not static they change and
  evolve

6
SAP and Standards

• Technology Standards
• Active participation in the Web Services
  standards activities in OASIS, W3C, WS-I, etc.
• Semantic Standards
• Chair of UN/CEFACT TMG developing next
  generation business document and process
  standards
• Industry Speak - SAPs vertical industry
  initiative
• Aerospace (Spec2000), Agricultural (RAPID),
  Automotive (AIAG, Star Standard and Odette),
  Chemical (CIDX), HighTech (RosettaNet),
  Manufacturing (S95, OPC, MIMOSA), Oil and Gas
  (PIDX), and Mill Products - Paper (PapiNet)

7
Introduction
Panel Introductions
Q A
8
The Panel Real Experience

• David Archer, CEO, Petrotechnical Open Standards
  Consortium
• David Connelly, CEO, Open Applications Group
• George Percivall, Executive Director,
  Interoperability Architecture, Open Geospatial
  Consortium
• Dick Raman, CEO - Chairman, TIE Holding NV -
  UN/CEFACT
• Paul Tearnen, Vice President of Standards
  Management, RosettaNet
• Introductions 5 minutes each !

9
Introduction
Panel Introductions
Q A
10
Initial Questions

• Lessons learned
• What went right, what we could do differently
• Cross Industry Convergence
• Is it important? How could it happen?
• Standards Groups
• The role of organizations like OASIS
• Guidance for the Future
• What to do if you want to develop a new
  vocabulary?

11
Questions Answers
Questions and Answers?