X12-XML Task Group

Washington DC – Attachment 5

Roles of X12 in XML

X/TG4 - June 2000

Page: 1 of 4

Opinions/Views of X12’s Role

Action / Adverb / Supporting Statement(s) / Rebuttal
  1. X12 to develop schemas that support existing business functionality data transfer and exchange
/ Definitely / Appropriate for X12 as an organization to develop schemas for the traditional business functionality that we support today / Maybe that is too strong. These are not just North American business practices so why do we want to do the work here that could be done on a global level in EWG
  1. X12 to literally transform existing X12 transaction sets to XML schema
/ NOT / Main reason is as we did our analysis in X12C, we came to conclusion that we have more than one way to say the same semantic name and if we did X12 - XML we would move the same ambiguity from the X12 syntax to the XML syntax
  1. X12 repository of tag names
/ Not / XML is a global exercise and X12 should not be home to those tags / X12 should reserve namespace of data elements
Not Yet / Not correct time to make this decision because we do not have repository or methodology
  1. Develop Long term XML schema’s based on business needs and new methodologies, not based on existing X12 transaction set syntax and semantics
/ Absolutely / X12 must support new business functionality if it is to survive
  1. X12 will focus on those things that are uniquely north american that we can focus our expertise on
/ Possibly / Only possible because I think that someone else will do this before we get our act together
  1. X12 can act as the focal point for North American requirements as part of the developing international XML business standards and develop those at the national level that are required to extend the international level efforts
/ Absolutely / Because it is essential that we have a focal point for coordinating national interests and this is the core competency to provide the weight of single accredited national standards organization in the international arena to ensure cross-industry international interoperability.
-It is essential for American Business to survive at the international arena
  1. X12, as a single national accredited business standards body, will enhance electronic business development by coalescing divergent, proprietary XML business standards
/ Maybe / Desirable but not necessarily achievable / If we don't say this, then we can never become this
Absolutely / X12 was developed to coalesce divergent proprietary EDI standards and can fulfill the same role in the XML space. Business is looking for a single one-stop shopping experience for XML cross industry business standards
  1. X12 should help develop a single consistent technical environment through support and interaction with the W3C
/ Probably / Not enough technical resources that have a burning desire to participate in W3C / We can deliver business requirements to W3C
  1. X12 can leverage the work of the 40XX subgroup of UIG-D in supporting EDI, XML, or other technologies
/ Deferred
  1. X12 should develop industry specific XML based implementation guides based on underlying ????? developed by ?????
/ Yes / This would be new effort that extends X12's traditional roles and would recognize our interrelationship with international efforts / If X12 is cross - industry, then we need to do it for all industries. We also do not have adequate representation from any specific industry to be successful
  1. There should be an on-line repository of X12 XML standards to include tag names, schema's, models
/ Definitely / If X12 does create XML standards, then there should be open, online access to those standards
  1. Steer ANSI to be compliance enforcer of developing ebXML technical framework
/ Not / ANSI will never compliant. ANSI only accredit standards committee's, it does not ever enforce its standards / No rebuttal