I applaud William's statement - I think anyone that can
look at real world issues and see that all won't be peaches
and cream when new technology XYZ is on the scene
should be respected.
I think XML has been wildly overhyped - standardising XML
messages and business flow will be just as hard as traditional
EDI. I'm not saying the XML is bad instrinsically - but I think
it is accurate to say that it is business issues which are the
greater problem rather than the technical.
--
Eliot Muir, Technical Director iNTERFACEWARE
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Voice 64-21-333068 http://www.interfaceware.com
Makers of iNTERFACEWARE Chameleon
"Program to the iNTERFACE not the implementation"
-----Original Message-----
From: William J. Kammerer [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2000 11:53 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Computerworld Article
Doug Anderson, of Kleinschmidt, Inc. - a VAN, was kind enough to point
us to a ComputerWorld article "B-to-B XML Harder Than Anticipated:
RosettaNet deployment just starting after 2 years," by Carol Sliwa
(05/15/2000), at
http://www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/CWFlash/000515DF2A.
Doug editorializes: "Reinforces what many have been saying, [it's] the
business issues, not the communication method or EDI standards that hold
back implementation of B2B or A2A."
Dear Doug:
What are you saying? That anyone should be surprised that it's not any
simpler to do B2B connectivity with XML rather than EDI? Or rather, did
anyone ever believe that slapping together XML messages would eliminate
the complex back-end business process reengineering required to
implement EDI?
While we're at it, maybe you can help me figure out the following
snippets from the RosettaNet article:
"It certainly is harder work than people anticipated," said
Jennifer Hamilton, president and CEO of RosettaNet, noting
that five is the highest number of implemented trading
partnerships for one firm she is aware of. "It's pretty easy
to slap up a Web site and do computer trading. But when
you're actually developing B-to-B connectivity with your
trading partners, that's a more challenging undertaking."
I don't know which "people" Ms. Hamilton is referring to. Certainly not
the RosettaNet Supply Chain partners, who have probably known all along,
given their experience with EDI, that this B-to-B connectivity stuff
isn't simple.
Back-end integration and business-process challenges drove
3Com to hire Viacore Inc. to help with implementation. The
Orange, Calif.-based company, which was co-founded by former
RosettaNet CEO Fadi Chehade, will help 3Com link with other
trading partners and route transactions between them, said
William Coker, Viacore's manager of business-to-business
e-commerce.
"That takes away the need for a company like 3Com to engage
each one of our trading partners for point-to-point
integration," Coker said. "It will cut down the cost of our
implementation and rollout."
That sounds like what your outfit, Kleinschmidt, does! Has the VAN
been reinvented? Or does Viacore just put a better spin on the same old
stuff? I thought the much touted advantage of ubiquitous Internet
connectivity allowed for the very ability of "...a company ... to engage
each .. of [its] trading partners for point-to-point integration." In
short, XML was supposed to be *free* 'cause you could use the Internet
and avoid the rapacious VAN charges associated with EDI.
But despite the many challenges, RosettaNet members are
convinced that their efforts will pay off. Hamilton said one
company expects a $10 million return from implementing the
price-protection PIP alone.
Couldn't price-protection have been implemented with the same back-end
reengineering [as required using RosettaNet], *BUT* with stinky old EDI,
namely with the 846 (inventory report), 832 (catalog), and 812 (debit
and credit memo)?
What is XML going to do for us in B2B connectivity that EDI wasn't doing
already? Not only do you have to reengineer your processes (which you
always had to do all along to achieve the real benefits of EDI - no
surprise), but you still have to use a VAN??!!! Help me out here, Doug.
Am I missing something?
William J. Kammerer
FORESIGHT Corp.
4950 Blazer Memorial Pkwy.
Dublin, OH USA 43017-3305
(614) 791-1600
Visit FORESIGHT Corp. at http://www.foresightcorp.com/
"Commerce for a New World"
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