USDL Variant Management. Dr. Daniel Oberle, Senior Researcher, SAP Research Karlsruhe Gunther Stuhec, Standards Architect, SAP AG Walldorf

USDL Variant Management Dr. Daniel Oberle, Senior Researcher, SAP Research Karlsruhe Gunther Stuhec, Standards Architect, SAP AG Walldorf

Agenda 1. Problem 2. Solution 1. Grammar : UN/CEFACT Core Component Technical Specification (CCTS) 2. Logic : UN/CEFACT Unified Methodology Technical Specification 3. Tooling : Integration Knowledge Library 4. Processes 3. Demo Scenario 4. Decision 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 2

Problem Proliferation of B2B standards Oil Chemical Banking Retail motive High Tech OED Aerospace Human Resources Consumer Products Why? Too many semantic interpretations, terminologies of same business information > 60% of the represented information in these competing standards are similar, but they have different names and structures Achieving interoperability requires cost intensive mapping 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 3

Problem t & Time Intensive Mappings Buyer Retailer Supplier Internal Interface OAGIS V8.0 Internal Interface RosettaNet Internal Interface Manual Mapping Manual Mapping Manual Mapping Manual Mapping We argue that a similar proliferation will happen with USDL variants for specific industries, countries, etc. 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 4

1. UN/CEFACT CCTS as canonical grammar to describe business documents Object Classes = ABIE (Aggregate Business Information Entity Attributes = BBIE (Basic Business Information Entity Ind Rol Co Details Ret Ind Rol Co metic_ Supplies_ Identification Identifier [1..1] Creation Date Time [0..1] Confirmation Indicator [0..1] Bill To Party [1..1] Deliver To Party [1..1] metic Supply Item [1..n] Item Details Ind Associations = ASBIE (Association Business Information Entity Rol Co Party Details Party Identification Identifier [1..1] Party Organization Name [0..1] Party Physical Address [1..1] metic_ Supply metic_ Supply metic_ Supply metic_ Supply metic_ Supply Item Identification Identifier [1..1] Item Inventory Identifier [0..1] Item Product Name [1..1] Item Price Amount [0..1] Item ed Quantity [1..1] Ind Rol Co DE US Physical_ Address Details Physical Address Street Name [1..1] Physical Address House Number_ Text [0..1] Physical Address City Name [1..1] Physical Address Postal Code Identifier [1..1] Physical Address Zip Code Identifier [1..1] Physical Address Country Code [1..1] United Nations Center for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) Core Component Technical Specification (CCTS) 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 6

2. UN/CEFACT Unified Methodology Technical Specification DEN GDT XSD ABAP Java Layout categories Delivery Terms. Details SYS IN BP BR CO Possible context values in where unharmonized BIEs can be used. A,B.. O,I B,S.. A,C.. U,G.. A C O S G Delivery Terms. Delivery Item_ Group. Identifier [1..1] Delivery Terms. Delivery_ Priority. Code [0..1] Delivery Terms. Incoterms. Incoterms [0..1] Delivery Terms. Partial. Delivery [0..n] Delivery Terms. Delivery Item_ Quantity. Tolerance [0..1] Delivery Terms. Maximum Lead_ Time. Duration [0..1] C,D S,M.. G,A.. Delivery Terms. Transport. Transport [0..1] Delivery Terms. Description. Text [0..1] Unharmonized BIEs ( will be only used in specific contexts) Harmonized BIEs (is normally used in all contexts) UN/CEFACT Unified Methodology Technical Specification is work in progress and led by Oracle and SAP 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 7

3. Tooling: Integration Knowledge Library Key Features: Common Repository based on CCTS grammar for canonical representation Collaborative Access and Modeling of repository contents Ensures Controlled Vocabulary by CCTS and consideration of synonyms Implements Logic to deal with dimensions of variability Evolutionary Optimization of repository contents Offers Semi-automatic Mapping to facilitate integration with back-end systems 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 9

, Man, Ret Identification Identifier [1..1] Creation Date Time [0..1] Bill To Party [1..1] Manufacturer Party [1..1], Man Party Identification Identifier [1..1] Party Organization Name [0..1] Party Contact Person [1..1], Ret, Identification Identifier [1..1] Creation Date Time [0..1] Confirmation Indicator [0..1] Bill To Party [1..1] Deliver To Party [1..1] metic Supply Item [1..n] Tra, Ret, Identification Identifier [1..1] Creation Date Time [0..1] Bill To Party [1..1] Haulage Party [1..1] Party Identification Identifier [1..1] Party Organization Name [0..1] Party Physical Address [1..1], Ret, Tra Party Identification Identifier [1..1] Party Organization Name [0..1] Party Responsible Person [0..1] 3. Tooling: Common Repository based on CCTS grammar All entities are contextualized, stored and provided by a common repository Ind Rol Co DEN XSD UML SQL Layout Details Common Repository Overall structure Every user can query a subset view, according his context Industry Value motive, Ret Man, Ret Tra, Ret Ret Identification Identifier [1..1] Creation Date Time [0..1] Confirmation Indicator [0..1] Bill To Party [1..1] Deliver To Party [1..1] Manufacturer Party [1..1] Haulage Party [1..1] metic Supply Item [1..n] Replacement Item [1..n] Ind Rol Cy, DEN XSD UML SQL Layout Party Details Party Identification Identifier [1..1] Party Organization Name [0..1] Business Role Manufacter Man Ret, Tra Party Contact Person [1..1] Party Responsible Person [0..1] Party Physical Address [1..1] Country Bus. Document User USA Ford Based on CCTS grammar DEN XSD UML SQL Layout DEN XSD UML SQL Layout Ind Rol Co Details DEN XSD UML SQL Layout Ind Rol Cy Party Details Ind Rol Co Details DEN XSD UML SQL Layout Ind Rol Cy Party Details Industry Business Role Value metics Supplier Country France Manufacturer Industry Value motive Bus. Document User Vichi Business Role Retailer Specific Query Country Bus. Document User Retailer Germany Becker Ind Rol Co DEN XSD 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 10 UML SQL Details Layout Ind Rol Cy DEN XSD UML Party SQL Details Layout Specific Subset metics

3. Tooling: Integration Knowledge Library Key Features: Common Repository based on CCTS grammar for canonical representation Collaborative Access and Modeling of repository content Ensures Controlled Vocabulary by CCTS and consideration of synonyms Implements Logic to deal with dimensions of variability Evolutionary Optimization of repository contents Offers Semi-automatic Mapping to facilitate integration with back-end systems 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 11

Variants of USDL Variants along different dimensions Granularity Attribute Class/Relation Whole Module Different representation terms Terminology Internationalization s Country Industry Origin / ownership Normative Proprietary, local, user-specific 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 13

Notable Disadvantages CCTS Learning curve Need to transform Ecore to CCTS Loss of expressiveness Several man months of work No support for software engineering Geared at describing business documents and messages No modularization No tooling Tooling Only from SAP Still a long way to a full-fledged product Global USDL Schema Repository has to be established Governance body has to be found How to develop tools (e.g. editor) when schema is a moving target? 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 18