tex.spin and moda-ml paving the way towards e-business in the textile/clothing distributed chain
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Tex.SPIN and MODA-ML paving the way towards e-Business in the textile/clothing distributed chain. The EU apparel business goes high-tech EC DG Enterprise and Euratex Bruxelles, 15 th October 2002. Summary. The problem: status of art for interoperability The IST project MODA-ML - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
22/04/23 Tex.SPIN & MODA-ML1
Tex.SPIN and MODA-ML
paving the way towards e-Business in the textile/clothing distributed chain
The EU apparel business goes high-tech EC DG Enterprise and Euratex
Bruxelles, 15th October 2002
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Summary
• The problem: status of art for interoperability
• The IST project MODA-ML
• The CEN/ISSS project and Workshop TEX.SPIN
• Conclusions
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WHAT, HOW, WHY
The WHAT• Creation of a common language for the telematic communication in the
Textile/Clothing supply chain• Quick development of series of documents (Templates) to fit specific data
transactions out of the same semantic building blocks (the background is EDIFACT/EDITEX)
The HOW• Exchange of XML documents through the Internet • Release of SW tools with very low entry threshold deployable in most B2B
scenarios• Promoting standardisation activities together with CEN/ISSS
The WHY• Improve flexibility and services in a highly fragmented and etherogeneous industry
supply chain
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The problem:
Interoperability for the T/C supply chain
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The problem: Textile/Clothing supply chain
Logistics
Distribution networks
Point of sale
Clothing
Check rolls
Fabrics
SubContractors
Accessories
RawMat..
Yarns
SubContractors
1 - competitiveness depends upon performance of the whole supply chain
2 - T/C supply chain is very long and etherogeneus (relevance of SMEs)
3 – flexibility and timeliness are decisive: responsivity of the chain
4 – flow of data hampered by the the inter-company interfaces
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Advantages of the Co-operation along the supply chain
• Fabric and Clothing Manufacturers– Collection Advance Notice to improve their planning (to know early when an article is dropped out in the
collections of the customers) and early information on foreseen volumes– Technical information (map of defects, for example, ready for their nexting systems)– Integrated monitoring of the activities of the subcontractors
• Retailers and Manufacturers– A view of the Order Status Report (to foresee the real date of dispatching and improve planning)– Sell-out data flow back along the supply chain
• Data exchanged in electronic format are error free, without manual handling, ready for automatic processing
Then
• Reduction of costs and errors per transaction
• Better services to the customers
• More information available for planning
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How to exchange these data?The interoperability issue
• Paper, fax, phone
• Satellites of my ERP inside my partners
• Join many marketplaces
• A data interface for each of my partner
• Buy conversion services of a clearing house
ORUse a common language between independent systems
In fact• Each firm cannot establish and maintain a different interface toward each partner• Risk of exclusion for medium and small firms
Trade
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The role of a vertical framework:service to co-operation processes
Agreement on the sequence of exchange(the business process)
Single firm Group of firmsMODA-ML, eTEX-ML, TEX.SPIN
Creation and use of data
1 - Definition of a set of types of XML documents and related dictionary of terms
2 - Definition of a transport protocol and development of demo software3- Creation of awareness and consensus
Mark-up(semantic level)
Data representation(format)
Document structure(syntax)
Transport
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The macro-objectives
• WEB enabled intercompany data flow
• Common set of XML documents
• Common exchange protocol • Active participation of SMEs
(the fax as metaphore of simplicity)
• Suggestion of new practices in business process: - electronic maps of defects, status of orders (downstream) - sell out data (upstream) - pre-selection of articles (upstream)
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Enabling technologies
• EDIFACT/EDITEX– A common language but not for SMES
• XML and Internet (flexible, low cost, structured)– A new syntax and semantic, with 2 possibile approaches“
A) 'do it by yourself' B) Frameworks:
ebXML, cXML, ... (horizontal), Rosetta.Net, TexSPIN, MODA-ML... (vertical)
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XML, why?• Powerful Meta-Language aimed to manage structured digital documents in open
environment, focusing the semantic of data:
– former formats (DB, EDI, ...): |502-116|150,25|15|2002-07-30|……
– XML: <article>502-116</article> <price>150,25</price><discount>15</discount><deliveryDate>2002-07-30</deliveryDate>
• Simple to learn and read (by humans)
• Easily expandable to new data or new structure
• Supported with standard Languages (XSL, XPath, ..) and Software (Interpreters and Libraries) to manipulate documents (validation, security, parsing, read and write of files, interfaces with relational DBs, etc.).
Reduces maintenance and upgrade costs
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Example of XML and XSL<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl"
href="taor02B.xsl"?>
<fabricOrder tipOrd="chiuso"> <header>
<msgnumber>AB001</ msgnumber ><msgdata>20010726</msgdata><reference>
<order>AA047</ order > <nsRif>fax-12-7-2001</nsRif></reference><suppliet> <id>IT12345678901</id> <ragsoc>Textiles Rossi</ragsoc> <street>via verdi 13</ street > <town>Tessutopoli</ town > <country>IT</ country > <zip>11111</zip></supplier>
…
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Scenarios of data exchange
2
1) Bilateral exchange of XML docs (through a message transport protocol)
2) Third party services interface small partners (for example retailers)
Company Inf. Syst,
Third party services
Messages with XML docs Company Inf. Syst,
1
TradeTradeTrade
WEB interaction
XML Any other company
XML
XMLXML
ebXML Transport interface
Only a Browser
Off-Line
office
XML
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Existing approaches or
initiatives
• No common standard• An ad-hoc interface for each of my partners (expensive)
• EDITEX (implementation of EDIFACT)• not fitting the WEB infrastructure, 'inherently' not flexible, costly tools, • not human readable messages• A huge legacy of analysis (process modelling and semantics)
• Web Services (no formal specifications -yet-)• not aiming at a common semantic framework; no tools for process modelling;• overlapping the transportation specifications of ebXML; technology oriented;• not fitting sectorial m:n relationships;
• ebXML (XML based, but still incomplete)• ebXML provide a general framework to build sets of documents; • business process oriented; still incomplete
• other proprietary frameworks (cXML, Rosetta Net, etc etc)
• MODA-ML (XML based, T/C sector)• XML based, focused on Textile-Clothing ring of the chain; ebXML compliant transport;• MODA-ML is a sectorial set aiming to become ebXML compliant (when defined)
• eTex-ML (XML based, T/C sector)• similar to MODA-ML, but focused on Clothing-Retailer ring of the chain; no transport;
•Tex-Spin (CEN/ISSS, XML/EDI, T/C sector)•Results of MODA-MLand eTex-ML to build a common pre-normative platform
Trade
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The MODA-ML ProjectMiddleware tOols and Documents to enhAnce the textile/clothing supply
chain through xML
Upstream of the Supply Chainwww.moda-ml.org
Cluster of projectswww-eutist-ami.orgIST, action line 2.5,
take up actions
www.moda-ml.org
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The project
• Corneliani• Loro Piana• Piacenza• Successori Reda• Vitale Barberis Canonico
• Domina • ENEA• Politecnico di Milano• Progema Gruppo SOI• IFTH (France)
- Funded in the IST frameworkTake-Up Actions, IST programme, Action Line IV.2.5 “Computing, communications and networks take-up measures”Clustered in EUTIST-AMI (Middleware and Agents technology), www.eutist-ami.org
- Industrial Partners
Kick-off: July 2001Intermediate results: Nov-2001 and June-2002End: April 2003
- Scheduling
- Technological Partners
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Focus and Commitment
• Focus on the relationships between fabric supplier and clothing manufacturer
• Industrial District of Biella, Italy (specialised in worsted wool)
• Strong relationship with the Italian industry trading organisation (Sistema Moda Italia) and focus group of industries
• Involvement of technology suppliers (software houses)
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The objectives of MODA-ML
1 - Modellisation of collaborative processes
2 - A set of types of XML documents described with XML Schema, User Guides, Dictionary of terms (and than Document Factory Tools and Methods)
3 - A Software based on the transport specifications of ebXML to send, receive, monitor and validate the data exchange
4 - Participate the creation of a European Standard
5 – Activate focus groups of industries and technology suppliers (software houses)
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Results 1: process modellisation
Fabric choice
FABRIC SUPPLIER CLOTHING MANUFACTURER
Textile Technical sheet
(production) Advance Notice
Advance Notice
Textile Catalogue
FABRIC SUPPLIER CLOTHING MANUFACTURER
Textile Purchase order
Order response
Order change
Order status report
Fabric purchase
FABRIC SUPPLIER CLOTHING MANUFACTURER
(ready to) Despatch advice
Despatch request
Despatch advice
Defects map
Fabric dispatch
September 2002
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Results 2: XML documents
Textile Catalogue The (price) list of products offered for sale TextileClothingFabric Technical Sheet
The technical characteristics and properties of the fabric article TextileClothing
Textile Advance Notice
The anticipation of articles included in the Clothing Manufacturer's collection and of foreseen volumes of production that clothing manufacturers will request (no details on colours and variants)
TextileClothing
Textile purchase order*
The order placed by the Clothing Manufacturer TextileClothing
Textile Order response*
The response provided by the Fabric Supplier TextileClothing
Textile Order change* The order change initiated by the Clothing Manufacturer TextileClothingTextile Order status report*
The status of the fabric order reported by the Supplier TextileClothing
Textile Dispatch request*
The request/scheduling of the dispatch of parcels made by the Clothing Manufacturer
TextileClothing
Textile Dispatch advice*
The anticipation of the dispatch of the parcels by the Supplier TextileClothing
Textile Quality Report The report of the defaults and other non-conformities of the goods, as provided by the Supplier or by an independent Quality Controller
TextileClothing
Invoice Invoice for the supplied material TextileClothing
• Complete with XSL, User guides, XML Schema(*) already available (otherwise planned for November 2002)
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Results 3: Demonstrative SW
• Demonstrator (of the simplicity) of the Messaging System (MSH): is a front - end to send/receive ebXML compliant messages
• uses SMTP and SOAP, plus ebXML functions• Tracking of sending and reception, error handling• Validation, display with XSL• Enabled for criptography and digital signature (XML signature)
• Minimal requirements (visual basic and database ODBC)
• Reception/Sending of XML documents (polling of a directory), could be the front-end for
the CompanyInformation Systems
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Resume: documents, tools, methodology
• SCHEMAs: Define the document types (grouped in a Namespace) - validation rules (structure, cardinality, etc.)- automatic validation- optional or repeated parts management
• XSLs: Define the layout with a browser - fully customisable (MODA-ML offers examples)- Could support tag translation towards other formats (not of the content)
• Implementation Guides: Describe the semantic of the document - use cases of the document type (process/activity scenario)- description and use of each element
• Dictionary: supports the creation of Schemas and Guides
Methodology (e.g. fast creation of variants)
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Future• Documents Fabric Supplier-Clothing Manufacturer
– Already available version 2002-1 (six documents)– All the documents in version 2002-2, November 2002– First version Tex.SPIN compliant, Version 2003-1
• Improve security of the transport modules
• Final version of transport software, December 2002
• Results are for free use (www.moda-ml.org)
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Tex.SPIN Projectand Tex.SPIN CEN / Workshop
TEXTILE SUPPLY CHAIN INTEGRATED NETWORK
Building a European platform for interoperability
www.cenorm.be/issshttp://www.uninfo.polito.it/WS_TEX-SPIN/default.htm
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The project and the Workshop- Funded by the EC through CEN/ISSS
(European Committee for Standardisation/Information Society Standardization System)
ATC (GR)EURATEX (B)
- Partners: IFTH (F)NYC (F)ENEA (I)
Kick off: March 2002Intermediate results: March 2003End: July 2003
- Scheduling:
PROJECT TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES (technical outcomes)
CEN /ISSS WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES (T/C pre-normative platform)
- Organisation:
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Background 1Need of convergence at European level
– eEurope and other initiatives aim to create a single eMarket for European eBusiness; fostering ebXML
– New concept of Interoperability as consensus on common Business Processes and Semantic frameworks instead of adoption common general documents (EDI): a 'Lego' set of bricks to build documents at sectorial level
– Tex-Spin as a reference at European level to start a path of convergence for the whole T/C sector and for the cross-sectorial exchanges
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Background 2
• TC Sectorial initiatives: eTeXML, MODA-ML• Horizontal frameworks: ebXML, EAN-UCC, ...
Point of sale
Clothing Fabrics
MODA-MLeTeXML
ebXML
EAN-UCCTex-SPIN
Challenges: avoid overlapping, be harmonised, be conforming,still remain flexible and easy to use and improve…
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Project objectives• Main objective:
to provide a complete framework for the integration of the EU Textile-Clothing-Distribution chain
• Technical objectives:• upgrade the EDITEX framework to conform with EANCOM (EDIFACT technology)• develop and Validate XML/EDI pilot application(s) along two rings of the supply
chain• create an Inventory of Standards, accessible via WEB
• Standardisation objective:- convergence of existing initiatives: MODA-ML, eTeXML jointly towards ebXML- validation of a pre-normative platform for XML documents for the sector through the
CEN/ISSS Workshop Tex.SPIN
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Results 1: upgraded EDITEX messages
• EDITEX Messages conforming to EANCOM framework (EDIFACT)
•Catalogue•Agreement, Agreement confirmation•Fabric Order, Order Confirmation•Delivery availability, acknowledgement•Invoice
• Advantage for EDITEX users to be compliant with the most diffused framework of the Distribution (EANCOM) in EDIFACT technology
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Result 2: Pilot application
2
Company Inf. Syst,
Third party services
Messages with XML docs
Company Inf. Syst,
1
TradeTradeTrade
WEB interaction
XML Any other company
XML
XMLXML
ebXML Transport interface
Simple Browser
Off-Line
office
XML
PlannedDecember 2002
1) Bilateral exchange of XML docs (through a message transport protocol)
UpstreamFabric-Clothing manufacturers, MODA-ML
2) Third party WEB EDI interfaceDownstreamManufacturer-Retailer, eTeXML
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Result 2/2: services on the WEB
Service 1:Guidelines on how to set-up a WEB/EDI application
Service 2:Open demonstrator simulating real WEB/EDI processes and related e-
forms
Service 3:Open simulator of MODA-ML document exchange with (link to) related
user guides, Schema and XSL
December 2002
December 2002
March 2003
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Result 3: an European XML framework for T/C
From the pilot applications…• Assessment of the new XML/EDI approach (demonstration of benefits)• Suggestions to reduce the gap between existing documents of eTeXML and MODA-ML• Future requirements and guidelines for the implementation
Resulting in
• Creation of a common set of BUSINESS PROCESS MODELS• Experience a common DICTIONARY of the T/C sector• Definition of CORE COMPONENTS to build a new generation of XML documents• RULES for XML document building
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Result 4: CWA of Tex.SPIN
… to the CEN/ISSS WORKSHOP • Public discussion of the results (a CWA document based on best practices)• Link with other eBusiness initiatives of CEN: eBES, FINEC (footwear), et-Cluster (made-to-
measure clothing)• A pre-normative platform to build the sectorial XML/EDI framework assuming ebXML as the
general reference• More info and registration in http://www.uninfo.polito.it/WS_TEX-SPIN/default.htm
• Draft CWA publishing: MARCH 2003• Final CWA approval: June 2003
Register via WEB as a member: a way to participate and to be informed
(*) CWA: CEN/WORKSHOP AGREEMENTIs the way to formalise a standardisation proposal in the CEN/ISSS approach
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Conclusion• Interoperability along the whole T/C supply chain is able to offer benefits
in terms of costs, flexibility, new services and SMEs inclusion
• The EDI experience can be turned in a XML and Internet environment with an increase of the number of potential users
• Now XML documents are available on specific rings of the T/C chain
• Tomorrow a common platform will support the flow of information from the fiber producer to the customer