Importance

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Abstract

Participant servers in a network of customers, suppliers and other trading partners exchange machine readable documents. The participants in the network use self defining electronic documents, such as XML based documents, which can be easily understood amongst the partners. Definitions of the electronic business documents, called business interface definitions, are posted on the Internet, or otherwise communicated to members of the network. The business interface definitions tell potential trading partners the services the company offers and the documents to use when communicating with such services. Thus, a typical business interface definition allows a customer to place an order by submitting a purchase order or a supplier checks availability by downloading an inventory status report. Participants are programmed by the composition of the input and output documents, coupled with interpretation information in a common business library, to handle the transaction in a way which closely parallels the way in which paper based businesses operate.

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First Claim